How to fill out a

Bill of Lading
A quick guide

Standard Bill of Lading Form

Traditional Portrait layout
* Actual size of this from is 8.5 X 11
*

Our walk through will take sections of

this BOL and detail the areas that are
required to be completed for each
shipment.

Standard Supplement to the

Bill of Lading
Traditional Portrait layout
* Actual size of this from is 8.5 X 11
*

Our walk through will take sections of

this BOL and detail the areas that are
required to be completed for each
shipment.

Section 1

Date:
MM/DD/YY Format which freight was shipped or picked up by carrier.
Ship From Fields: (Mandatory)
Name:
The company shipping the product.
Address: The shipping street address. (An additional address line is optional)
City, State, Zip:
The shipping city, state and zip code.
SID #:
Optional: Shipment ID number, may be used to document if a number is applied by
the shipper to this shipment.
FOB
Optional: Data box to indicate (via x in box) that the FOB is based on the Ship From
address.

Ship To Fields: (Mandatory)

Name:
The company receiving the product.
Address: The address where the product is physically delivered. (Additional address line is
optional)
City, State, Zip:
The city, state and zip where the product is to be physically delivered.
CID #:
Optional: Consignee ID number, may be used to document if a number is applied by
the consignee to this shipment
Location #:
The number assigned to consignees ship to address, if applicable.
FOB
Optional: Data box to indicate (via x in box) that the FOB is based on the Ship To
address.

Bill To Fields: (Conditional)

Only used if different from the Ship From company on prepaid shipments or the Ship To
company on collect shipments.
Name:
The company paying the freight invoice.
Address: The address where the freight invoice is to be mailed.
City, State, Zip:
The city, state, and zip code where the freight invoice is to be mailed.

Special Instructions: (Conditional)

To be used for directions to the carrier such as protected services and delivery instructions.
Individual Bill of Lading numbers are listed in this space for shipments requiring the use of a
Master Bill of Lading. If not enough space is provided in this area, the additional shipper info
space may be used.

Bill of Lading Number: (Mandatory)

The Bill of Lading number is created by the shipper to identify a unique shipment. The Bill of
Lading number shall not be identical to the carrier pro number, the customer order number, nor
the date. The Bill of Lading number is transmitted on the 856 and 214 EDI transaction sets. See
section III of this document for details about the VICS standard Bill of Lading number.
Bar Code Space: (Optional)
This space is reserved for bar coding of the Bill of Lading number and SCAC/Pro number. See
Section III for more information about the bar code.

Carrier Fields:
Name:
The full name of the carrier picking up the shipment. (Mandatory)
SCAC: The four-letter alpha code identifying the carrier and assigned by the
NMFTA.(Mandatory) (the NMFTA may be contacted at 703-838-1868)
Trailer Number:
Used if a truckload carrier hauls the shipment. (Conditional)
Seal Number:
Used if the shipment is a full truckload from the origin to destination.
(Conditional)
Pro Number:
Used if an LTL carrier hauls the shipment. (Conditional)

Terms: (Mandatory)
Indicates which party is invoiced and responsible for payment of the freight invoice.
Master Bill of Lading Indicator: (Conditional)
If checked, indicates this is a Master Bill of Lading and has underlying Bills of Lading attached.
The underlying Bill of Lading numbers shall be referenced in the special instructions.

Section 2

Customer Order Information Section: (Conditional)

Customer Order Number: The number generated by the customer to identify the order.
# Packages: The number of individual packages or cartons on the shipment, regardless of
whether the product is unitized or not.
When it is necessary to ship paperwork as part of the shipment, the paperwork handling unit
(e.g., Carton / box / envelope) must be documented and included in the Customer Order
Information or the Special Instructions section on the VICS BOL. The total number of packages
should equal the total in the Carrier Information section.
Weight: The weight of all the packages by customer order number (excluding the weight of
pallets/Slip Sheets). The total weight in this section may not equal the total weight in the Carrier
information section.

Customer Order Information Section: (Conditional)

Pallet/Slip: Indicates whether the product is unitized (i.e. pallets or slips). See Appendix C for
examples of how to document this information using this column.

Additional Shipper Information: Any other information requested by the customer. This space
may also be used to document special instructions information if additional space is needed

Section 3

Carrier Information:
Handling Unit:
Quantity: The number of handling units listed by commodity type. (Mandatory)
Type: The type of handling unit, i.e. pallets, slips, cartons, bundles, drums. (Mandatory)
Package:
Quantity: The number of packages or cartons listed by commodity type. The total number
of packages should equal the total in the Customer Order Information section. (Conditional)
Type: The type of package, i.e. cartons, bundles, rolls, drums. (Conditional)
Weight: The weight of the handling units (includes the weight of pallets, slip sheets, etc.)
The total weight in this section may not equal the total weight in the Customer Order
Information section. (Mandatory)

Carrier Information: (Continued)

Hazardous Material: Indicate X if the product shipped is classified as Hazardous Material. If
marked, the shipment must follow the Hazardous Material requirements of the U.S. Department
of Transportation 49 CFR. (See next page for details) (Conditional)
Commodity Description:
NMFC Number:
Class:

The general product description as listed in the NMFC. (Mandatory)

The NMFC number tied to the commodity classification. (Conditional)

The freight class of the commodity as classified by the NMFC. (Conditional)

Hazardous Materials Regulations: General Instructions for separate Hazardous Item List:
1. The first entry of the H.M. column in the Carrier Information section must be marked with an
X.
2. In the corresponding line in the Commodity Description column reference the attachment as
follows: Hazardous Material See Attached Hazardous Item Listing.
WARNING: The product description as listed by the National Motor Freight Classification is not
required.
3. The format and content of the hazardous item list is the responsibility of individual company
interpretation of requirements as described in 49 CFR, 172 Subpart C Shipping Papers.

Hazardous Materials Regulations: (Continued)

4. If the Supplement Page is used, the following usage rules for hazardous material shipments
apply:
A. The following one line entry is placed in the Commodity Description column on the first
page: Hazardous Material - See Attached Supplement Page(s).
B. The hazardous bill of lading with Supplement Pages should be numbered X of Y.
C. The general format and page title are not to be changed to make the Supplement Page a
hazardous item listing. The format of the Supplement Page can be changed to display only
the Carrier Information section.

Hazardous Materials Regulations: (Continued)

5. The Commodity Description column can be modified to accommodate the hazardous material
description (See Section IV The Rules of Use for the Standard Bill of Lading).
6. The emergency contact information must be placed either in the Special Instructions section
or the space provided below the Shipper Signature / Date section.

WARNING: If specific handling units within the shipment have different consignors, refer to 49
CFR for placement of multiple emergency contact information requirements.

Declared Value: (Optional) Permits the shipper to document the value of the goods being
shipped. The shipper typically pays a surcharge to the carrier to guarantee additional insurance
coverage up to the full-declared value of the goods hauled. Only used for shipments riding under
a contract that would not otherwise provide full insurance protection or do not refer to the
NMFC for a release value. Most commonly used for small package or air carriers.
COD Section: (Optional)

Used when cash on delivery is required.

Non-Recourse Shippers Signature (previously referred to as Section 7): (Optional)

Signed by the shipper when they need to protect themselves from default on the part of the
consignee.

Shipper Signature/Date: (Mandatory) Indicates that the shipper agrees that the information
listed on the Bill of Lading is correct, that the documentation of the shipment follows the
requirements of the U.S. DOT and confirms the date of the Bill of Lading signature.

Trailer Load/Freight Counted: (Mandatory) Indicates which party loaded the trailer and which
party counted the freight. Also indicates whether the driver for claims purposes counted pieces
or pallets.
Carrier Signature/Pickup Date: (Mandatory) Indicates that the carrier agrees to have received
the entire product as listed on the Bill of Lading, that the shipment follows the requirements of
the U.S. DOT, and documents the pickup date.

Section 4

Supplement To The
Bill Of Lading

Use of the Supplement to the Bill of Lading

The Supplement to the standard Bill of Lading was created to offer more lines for the shippers to
fill in shipment data. The Supplement is not a separate Bill of Lading, but instead a
continuation of the first page of the Bill of Lading. For this reason the Supplement has the
same Bill of Lading number as the number on page one.
The Supplement was designed to reduce the need for creating a Master Bill of Lading because
the shipper needs more lines to document the shipment information.
The Supplement is not required for the Bill of Lading. It is preferred that only one page contain all
the necessary information for that shipment. In addition, the supplement page can be
modified to reduce or eliminate either the Customer Order Information or Carrier Information
section based on which one is needed to satisfy the need for additional space (Section 1, pgs
10,11).

If a shipper needs more lines on the Bill of Lading than are provided in the body of the Bill, use
the Supplement page. When the Supplement to the Bill of Lading is used, the shipper shall
state in the body of the Bill of Lading, See attached Bill of Lading Supplement. The
shipment details shall be listed on the supplement page with a subtotal. The Grand total of all
items listed in the supplement pages is recorded on the first page of the Bill of Lading.
The shipper is not to begin listing the shipment data on the Bill of Lading page and then continue
listing the shipment data on the Supplement. If all shipment content data will not fit on the
front page of the Bill of Lading, none of the data shall be entered on that page. All shipment
data shall be listed on the Supplement page.

Customer Order Information Section: (Conditional)

Complete the customer order information section in the same manner you would on the Bill Of
Lading. Calculate the subtotal for each supplemental page completed.

As with the Customer Order Information section, if a shipper needs more lines on the Bill of
Lading than are provided in the body of the Bill for the Carrier Information, use the
Supplement page. When the Supplement to the Bill of Lading is used, the shipper shall state in
the body of the Bill of Lading, See attached Bill of Lading Supplement or See attached
Supplement Page . The shipment details shall be listed on the supplement page with a
subtotal. The Grand total of all items listed in the supplement pages is recorded on the first
page of the Bill of Lading.
The shipper is not to begin listing the shipment data on the Bill of Lading page and then continue
listing the shipment data on the Supplement. If all shipment content data will not fit on the
front page of the Bill of Lading, none of the data shall be entered on that page. All shipment
data shall be listed on the Supplement page.

Carrier Information:

Complete the Carrier Information section in

the same manner you would on the Bill Of
Lading. Calculate the subtotal on each
supplemental page completed.

Section 5

Use of Master
Bill Of Lading

Use of Master Bill of Lading

A Master Bill of Lading is created for three shipment scenarios:

1. Consolidation shipments
2. Invoice per Bill of Lading per customer order
3. Truckload shipments with multiple stops
For these scenarios, the purpose of the Master Bill of Lading is to tie the underlying Bills of Lading
together into one shipment for freight rating and billing purposes.
The standard Bill of Lading is used as a Master Bill of Lading by checking the Master Bill of
Lading indicator box. The underlying Bill of Lading numbers shall be referenced in the
Special Instructions field on the Master Bill of Lading. The Master Bill of Lading number shall
be referenced in the Special Instructions field on the underlying Bills of Lading.
The development of the Supplement Page to the Bill of Lading eliminates the use of a Master Bill
of Lading for the purpose of needing more lines to fit all the information on one page (see
section V). The Master Bill of Lading shall not be used for this purpose.

Often a Master Bill of Lading, with underlying Bills of Lading attached, is used in conjunction with
the 856 Ship Notice Manifest and the 214 Carrier Shipment Status EDI transaction sets. In this
case, the Master Bill of Lading number is the number that is transmitted on the EDI
transaction sets representing that shipment. Do not transmit the underlying Bill of Lading
numbers as that causes confusion as to which Bill of Lading number is the one to be used.
The use of a Master Bill of Lading is a complex aspect of shipping that may be better shown by
example. Below are business scenarios of how a Master Bill of Lading should be used.

Business Scenarios:
Consolidation Shipments:
The most common need for a Master Bill of Lading occurs when a shipper ships through a
consolidator, or a flow through center, instead of shipping directly to the consignee
warehouse or distribution center. In this scenario, multiple shipments of one or more
customer orders are combined into one shipment from the shipper to the consolidation
point.
One underlying Bill of Lading shall be made for each distribution center shipment, with a Master
Bill of Lading summarizing the total shipment for the consolidator. The consolidator uses the
underlying Bills of Lading to distribute the shipment to each distinct final ship point.
The Master Bill of Lading number shall be sent on the related EDI transaction sets (specifically
the EDI 856 and 214) to represent each shipment to the consignee. For example, if there are
three final ship points, the shipper will send three 856 transactions all including the same
Master Bill of Lading number to represent each shipment. The underlying Bill of Lading
numbers shall be printed in the Special Instructions space of the Master Bill of Lading and the
Master Bill of Lading number shall be printed in the Special Instructions space of each
underlying Bill of Lading.

Business Scenarios: (Continued)

Invoicing per Customer Order Required:
A second need for a Master Bill of Lading occurs when the consignee requires the shipper to
invoice on a per customer order basis. For example, the supplier receives three separate
orders from their customer. All three orders need to ship at the same time and to the same
location so the supplier will ship them all on the same trailer. Typically, this is one shipment
that would have only one Bill of Lading covering all purchase orders.
However, due to the supplier system requirement of matching each invoice number with a Bill of
Lading number, and the customer requirement that the supplier invoice each order
separately, the supplier must create a Bill of Lading per order number. This often results in
multiple Bills of Lading for one shipment to one destination. To combine the separate Bills of
Lading together into one shipment, the supplier creates a Master Bill of Lading at the point of
shipment.
The Master Bill of Lading number shall be sent on the related EDI transaction sets (specifically
the EDI 856 and 214) to represent each shipment to the consignee. The underlying Bill of
Lading numbers shall be printed in the Special Instructions space of the Master Bill of Lading
and the Master Bill of Lading number shall be printed in the Special Instructions space of
each underlying Bill of Lading.

Business Scenarios: (Continued)

Truckload Shipments with Multiple Stops:
The third use of a Master Bill of Lading occurs when a prepaid full truckload shipment is dispatched with
multiple unloading destinations for the same consignee. This is considered a multiple stop-off
shipment. Each stop on this shipment must have its own unique underlying Bill of Lading with its
own Bill of Lading number to keep it clear that each stop is a separate shipment.
Based on carrier agreements on multiple stop truckload shipments, the use of the Master Bill of
Lading is optional.
The Master Bill of Lading may be used to combine the individual Bills of Lading together for freight
tracking, rating and billing. The Master Bill of Lading shall not include all the customer order detail;
only the Grand Totals shall be listed on the Master. State See Attached Underlying Bills of Lading
on the Master Bill of Lading so the carrier signs for the freight on each underlying Bill of Lading.
Like the other scenarios, the underlying Bill of Lading numbers shall be printed in the Special
Instructions space of the Master Bill of Lading. It is crucial in this scenario that the numbers be
listed in the sequence that they are to be unloaded. For example, the underlying Bill of Lading
number for the product that is loaded in the tail of the trailer will be listed first as stop #1, because
that freight will be unloaded first. The Master Bill of Lading shall also clearly state Multiple Stop
Load. As before, the Master Bill of Lading number shall be printed in the Special Instructions space
of each underlying Bill of Lading.
When a Master Bill of Lading is created, the Master Bill of Lading number shall be sent on the related
EDI transaction sets (specifically the EDI 856 and 214) to represent each shipment to each
consignee. For example, if there are three unloading destinations, the shipper will send three 856
transactions all including the same Master Bill of Lading number to represent each shipment.

Option 1-A: Hazardous Material information placed on front page of VICS BOL

Please contact your local MESCA representative to find out how your company can
be set up to create Bill of Ladings automatically by using our MESCA Vision TMS
System.
If you are not part of the MESCA family and would like more information about
how to become a member, please contact our main office at 1-877-440-7447.
For a copy of the VICS Bill of Lading please click below for the format you would
like;

VICS Bill Of Lading; PDF format, Microsoft Word format

VICS Supplement to the Bill of Lading; PDF format, Microsoft Word format