How to fill out a bill of lading for LTL freight

The bill of lading (BOL) is the contract, the receipt and the instruction sheet for your shipment, all on one page. The carrier bills from it, the driver works from it, and a claim lives or dies by it. Here is how to fill one out correctly, field by field, with an example you can copy.

By Ryan Poynter, SVP of LTL, Armstrong Transport Group · Updated September 24, 2026

What a bill of lading does

An LTL bill of lading does three jobs at once:

• Contract of carriage. It incorporates the carrier’s tariff and rules by reference, so the terms on the back (or in the carrier’s published rules tariff) govern liability, payment and claims.
• Receipt for the goods. When the driver signs, the carrier acknowledges taking a specific number of handling units in apparent good order.
• Instructions. It tells the carrier where the freight goes, who pays, what services are needed at delivery, and who to call.

The practical consequence: whatever you write on the BOL is what the carrier will hold you to. If the paper says 800 lb of class 70 with no liftgate, and the dock scale says 1,050 lb and the consignee needs a liftgate, your invoice will be corrected upward, not your paperwork.

Straight vs. order bill of lading

A straight bill of lading is non-negotiable. The freight is consigned to one named consignee, and the carrier delivers to that party. This is what nearly every domestic LTL shipment uses, often in the format of the Uniform Straight Bill of Lading or the retail-standard VICS BOL.

An order bill of lading is negotiable. The goods are consigned “to the order of” someone, and whoever holds the properly endorsed original can claim the freight. You will see order bills in ocean freight, export shipments and deals financed with a letter of credit, where the document itself stands in for ownership. If you are moving pallets between two U.S. businesses, you want a straight bill.

You may also hear about short-form and long-form bills. A short-form BOL (the kind you print from a broker or carrier portal) references the carrier’s terms rather than printing them in full. For everyday LTL they work the same way.

Field-by-field: how to fill out an LTL bill of lading

Layouts differ between carriers and software, but every LTL BOL asks for the same information. Here is each field, what to put in it, and what goes wrong when it is missing or wrong.

A bill of lading example

Here is how the key lines of a filled-out BOL look for a typical two-pallet shipment from a manufacturer to a distributor. The names and numbers are made up; the structure is what matters.

A quick density check on this example shows why the dimensions matter. Pallet 1 is 48 × 40 × 42 = 80,640 cubic inches, or 46.67 cubic feet. Pallet 2 is 48 × 40 × 36 = 69,120 cubic inches, or 40.00 cubic feet. Together that is 86.67 cubic feet for 1,420 lb, a density of 16.4 lb per cubic foot. On the density scale that lands in the 15–22.5 band, class 70, if the commodity is density-rated. Had the shipper written 36 inches for both pallets, the carrier’s own measurement would find 6.67 more cubic feet than the BOL claimed. Run your own numbers in the freight density calculator.

NMFC item and freight class: get these right

The freight class drives the rate, and the NMFC item is what justifies the class. Since July 19, 2025, many commodities that used to have their own item-specific class now fall under a single 13-tier density scale, which makes accurate weight and dimensions even more important. Some commodities still carry item-specific classes that ignore density, so “I measured it, so it’s class 70” is not always true.

• Use the NMFC item your customer or product team has confirmed, not a guess from a search result.
• Match the class on the BOL to the class you quoted. A BOL that says 85 when the quote said 70 is an invitation to a dispute.
• For mixed shipments, list each commodity on its own line with its own weight, dimensions and class.
• Avoid “FAK” on the BOL unless you actually have a freight-all-kinds agreement that covers this shipment.

Declared value and carrier liability

Interstate LTL claims are governed by the Carmack Amendment, but carriers are allowed to limit their liability in their tariffs, and nearly all do. Those limits are usually a dollar amount per pound, and they often differ for new and used goods. If your freight is worth more per pound than the carrier’s limit, a total loss will not make you whole.

You have two main options:

• Declare excess value on the BOL, where the carrier allows it. There is usually an added charge, and some carriers cap how much you can declare or exclude certain commodities.
• Buy shipment cargo insurance from a third party. For high-value freight this is often simpler and cheaper, and it pays on covered losses whether or not the carrier is found liable.

Don’t write a value on the BOL casually. A number in the declared value box can itself trigger the excess-value charge.

Special instructions that actually help

The special instructions box is read by the driver and the delivery terminal, not by someone who knows your customer. Keep it short and specific:

• Receiving hours and dock number (“Receiving 7–3 M–F, Dock 4”).
• Appointment or notify requirements, with a phone number. Also select the accessorial, because a note alone does not always get it rated.
• Stacking: “Do not stack” only if it’s true. Non-stackable freight can be rated as if it used the full trailer height.
• Anything the driver must bring: a liftgate, a pallet jack, a straight truck for a tight site.

Common BOL mistakes that trigger extra charges

Correction and inspection fees vary by carrier tariff and are listed in each carrier’s rules. The bigger cost is usually the rebill itself: a reclass from 70 to 100 changes the base rate on every pound. If an invoice already came back higher than the quote, run it through the free LTL invoice audit tool, and see how LTL rates are calculated for why each change costs what it does.

At pickup: what to check before the driver leaves

• The driver counts the handling units and the count on the BOL matches.
• The PRO label is on the BOL and on every handling unit.
• Freight is shrink-wrapped, labeled with the consignee address, and nothing overhangs the pallet if you can help it.
• You keep a signed copy with the pickup date and the driver’s signature. Take photos of the pallets as they are loaded.

In LTL the driver generally counts pieces, so the signed BOL is your proof the carrier took the full count in good order. A later shortage claim rests on that proof.

At delivery: signing without giving away your claim

The delivery receipt is the mirror image of the BOL, and the most common costly mistake happens here. Signing a clean delivery receipt tells the carrier the freight arrived complete and undamaged.

• Count before you sign. Compare handling units to the delivery receipt.
• Inspect what you can see. Look for crushed corners, torn wrap, wet cartons, tipped or broken pallets.
• Write specific exceptions. “1 pallet wrap torn, 4 cartons crushed” protects you. “Subject to inspection” by itself generally does not, because it doesn’t describe any actual damage, and carriers often treat it as a clean signature.
• Photograph the freight before it is broken down, with the PRO label visible.
• Concealed damage found after the driver leaves: stop unpacking, keep all packaging, take photos and notify the carrier right away. Carriers set their own deadlines for reporting concealed damage, and they are short.
• You may refuse freight that is obviously destroyed, but accepting it with detailed exceptions is often the cleaner path to a claim. Talk to your broker first.

Formal cargo claims for interstate shipments generally must be filed in writing within nine months of delivery. Attach the BOL, the delivery receipt with exceptions, photos, the commercial invoice showing the value, and a repair or replacement estimate.

The five-minute BOL checklist

1. Weigh it. Measure it at the widest points. Round up.
2. Describe it specifically and match the NMFC item and class to the quote.
3. Confirm the delivery site: dock or no dock, residential, limited access, appointment.
4. Put the correct bill-to and freight terms on the form.
5. Count handling units, get the driver’s signature, keep a copy and photos.

Wondering what a shipment like the example above typically costs? See the pallet shipping cost guide or browse real corridors on the lanes page.