Bill of Lading Sample (Ocean B/L Reference Format)

Bill of Lading Sample

Below is a reference layout of a standard ocean bill of lading. Master B/L (issued by the carrier) and House B/L (issued by the freight forwarder) use the same format.

OCEAN BILL OF LADING

Carrier: e.g., COSCO / Maersk / MSC · B/L No.: COSU1234567890

Shipper

Exporter name, address, country *

Consignee

Option A (Straight B/L): Named consignee name, address
Option B (To Order): "To Order" or "To Order of [Bank/Shipper]" — negotiable B/L *

Notify Party

Party to be notified on arrival (usually buyer or customs broker) *

Vessel / Voyage

e.g., COSCO SHIPPING VIRGO / 0042E *

Port of Loading

e.g., Shenzhen, China (CNSZN) *

Port of Discharge

e.g., Los Angeles, USA (USLAX) *

Place of Delivery

Final destination if through-B/L (e.g., Chicago, IL)

Container No. / Seal No.

TGHU1234567 / SEAL: 123456 *

Marks & Numbers

Shipping marks as on cartons

No. of Packages

Total carton/pallet count *

Description of Goods

Commodity name + "Said to contain..." for FCL *

Gross Weight

Total GW in kg *

Measurement

Total CBM *

Freight Terms

Prepaid (seller pays) or Collect (buyer pays) *

Number of Original B/Ls

Usually 3 originals (3/3) *

Place and Date of Issue

Issue location + date *

B/L Types

Type	Description	When to Use
Straight B/L	Non-negotiable; consignee named directly	When goods are paid in advance; no title transfer needed
Order B/L (To Order)	Negotiable; title transfers by endorsement	L/C transactions; goods not yet paid for
Sea Waybill (SWB)	Non-negotiable; no original needed for release	Trusted relationships; fast release
Telex Release	Surrender original B/L at origin; release at destination electronically	When originals are hard to courier in time

B/L Release Methods

Original B/L Release: Courier 3 original B/Ls to consignee. Consignee surrenders 1 endorsed original to pick up cargo.
Telex Release: Shipper surrenders originals at origin port. Carrier sends electronic release to destination. No physical B/L needed.
Sea Waybill: No original issued. Consignee identifies themselves and picks up cargo. Fastest method.

⚠ Common Issue: If you use "To Order" B/L with L/C, all fields must match the L/C exactly. Even a typo in the consignee name or vessel name can cause the bank to reject the documents.

📝 Pro Tip: Always request a B/L draft for review before the carrier issues the final B/L. Correcting errors after issuance requires a B/L amendment (fee: $50-150 per correction).

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Bill of Lading Sample