Free Bill of Lading Template (PDF, Word & Excel)

Start with the carrier’s handover process

Use the relevant signature or receipt blocks to record who handed over or received the goods and when. Check visible package counts and note a specific discrepancy rather than writing an unsupported “all correct.” Ask the carrier how exceptions, refusal or claims must be handled; this page does not replace those instructions.

Confirm copy and original requirements before pickup. Keep a legible final record and ensure an added notation is not missing from another retained copy. There is no universal three-copy rule asserted here. For billing work, see the trucking invoice template.

Treat each handover entry as part of one continuous shipment record. Use the same BOL reference on the pickup copy, the retained record and any later correspondence. Record the time, location and person involved while the details are available instead of rebuilding the sequence from memory after delivery.

Describe an observed exception in concrete terms: the affected package, visible condition and quantity received. Keep the description neutral and separate from any conclusion about cause or responsibility. Photos, inspection records and follow-up messages can be stored beside the BOL under the shipment file, with each item labelled by the same reference.

Blank bill of lading form fields

Record the shipment reference and date; shipper, consignee and carrier contacts; collection and delivery locations; goods descriptions, package counts and weight with units; agreed instructions and freight terms; and observed handover exceptions.

These are instructions for completing this template, not an exhaustive legal field list. Do not mix pounds and kilograms, infer payment status from a checkbox or guess a freight class. Check specialist declarations with the party responsible for the shipment.

Write package counts and weights as separate facts. “4 crates / 720 lb” is clearer than a single quantity with no unit, and it lets a reader compare the document with the physical load. If origin and destination differ from the shipper and consignee addresses, enter the actual collection and delivery locations rather than repeating an office address.

Keep descriptions recognizable without relying only on an internal SKU. A product name, packaging type and model or material can distinguish one line from another. Use the special-instructions area for agreed handling details that belong with the movement, and keep prices and carrier billing on the records created for those purposes.

Waybill vs bill of lading

U.S. International Trade Administration guidance describes air waybills as non-negotiable and distinguishes straight from order bills of lading for ocean shipments. An air waybill and an ocean bill serve different transport arrangements; do not classify the document merely by the presence or absence of a consignee signature box. Use the carrier's specified document.

Sample bill of lading

Illustrative only: here is a fictional domestic-freight furniture shipment, not a carrier-approved form or liability finding:

BOL #7734 · Date: July 29 · Carrier: Blue Line Freight · Driver: M. Okafor Shipper: Harwood Furniture Co., 210 Mill Rd, Grand Rapids, MI · Consignee: Foster & Reed Interiors, 88 Canal St, Columbus, OH Freight terms: ☒ Prepaid ☐ Collect · Special instructions: Liftgate required; call consignee 30 min before delivery

The table lists 22 handling units (4 crates + 16 cartons + 2 pallets) and 1,740 lb (720 + 640 + 380); handling units are not the number of individual furniture pieces. If a sideboard arrives with a cracked rear panel, record that observation and keep consistent copies or photos under the carrier's procedure. The example does not establish liability or guarantee a claim outcome.

A useful discrepancy note identifies the line and the observed condition: “Sideboards — 2 pallets received; rear panel cracked on one unit.” That is clearer than “damaged goods” because it preserves the listed package count and points to the affected item without assigning a cause.

A correction should leave an understandable trail. Keep the original reference, mark the changed entry clearly and retain the dated version used for the next handover. Do not erase an earlier observation or change a quantity on only one copy, because that makes the records harder to reconcile.

If you're the driver: copy discipline

Ask the carrier which copies or electronic records each party needs. Keep the final version relevant to your role and check that exceptions are recorded consistently on retained copies. An emailed PDF is not being represented here as an electronic negotiable original.

Before leaving a pickup or delivery, read back the shipment reference, locations, package totals and any handwritten notation. A clear correction made at the handover is easier to follow than a separate note with no BOL number. Keep later billing references distinct: the transport record identifies the movement, while the carrier invoice records the freight charge.