The moment a driver signs, the description on the document is the description that counts.
What the rules require it to contain
The minimum contents of a motor carrier bill of lading are set by federal regulation, not by the carrier printing the form. Under 49 CFR 373.101, checked 2026-07-28, the document must carry these five items.
| Required item | Why the carrier needs it |
|---|---|
| Names of consignor and consignee | Establishes who tendered the freight and who is entitled to receive it |
| Origin and destination points | Fixes the lane, and with it the rate and the transit |
| Number of packages | Sets the piece count both ends will sign against |
| Description of freight | Feeds the classification and any later claim |
| Weight, volume, or measurement of freight (if applicable to the rating of the freight) | Provides the figures the rate is actually computed from |
Carriers add plenty of their own fields around those five: shipper reference numbers, freight class, declared value, whether charges are prepaid or collect, and boxes for special instructions. The regulation sets the floor, and the form each carrier prints sets the rest.
Bill of lading, waybill, parcel label
Three documents that people use interchangeably in conversation and that behave quite differently in practice.
| Document | What it does | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of lading | Receipt, contract of carriage and, when made negotiable, document of title | LTL and truckload freight |
| Waybill | Travel document that identifies and routes a shipment; not a document of title | Air cargo and many carrier-generated freight movements |
| Parcel label | Prepaid contract of carriage compressed onto a barcode, with terms accepted at purchase | Every package we sell a label for |
The practical difference is claiming. A negotiable bill of lading can transfer ownership of the goods in transit, which a waybill cannot; a waybill routes freight to a named consignee and stops there. The parcel label in your printer is neither, which is one reason parcel claims are a form and freight claims are a file.
Filling it in without creating problems
The description drives the money
Freight class follows the description, and class is the biggest single lever on the invoice. Write what the goods actually are in terms a dock worker and a claims adjuster would both accept. Vague wording invites a carrier to reclassify at its own discretion, and carriers publish charges for reweighed freight precisely because that happens.
Piece count is what gets signed
The number of packages is the figure both ends count against, so state it the way the freight will be handled: one pallet holding fourteen cartons is one piece if it stays wrapped and fourteen if it does not. Getting this wrong is the usual cause of a shortage claim that nobody can settle.
Note the condition before the driver leaves
Anything already dented, wet or short should be written on the document and initialled at pickup or delivery. A clean signature is a statement that the freight was received in apparent good order, and unwinding that afterwards is much harder than adding one line at the dock.
When a shipment crosses into this territory
Parcel shipments do not use a bill of lading; freight does, and SMKlog sells parcel labels only. Once a shipment crosses into freight, the paperwork on this page is the paperwork that governs.
Find out which side your shipment is on See where the document fits in the process
Bill of lading questions
What is a bill of lading?
It is the receipt for goods handed to a carrier, the contract of carriage between shipper and carrier, and, when issued in negotiable form, the document of title that determines who may claim the freight. Freight shipments travel on one; parcel shipments do not.
What information must a bill of lading contain?
Under 49 CFR 373.101 it must show the names of consignor and consignee, origin and destination points, number of packages, description of freight, and weight, volume, or measurement of freight if applicable to the rating of the freight.
What is the difference between a bill of lading and a waybill?
A waybill identifies and routes a shipment to a named consignee but is not a document of title, so it cannot transfer ownership of goods in transit. A bill of lading can be issued in negotiable form and then does exactly that.
Does SMKlog issue bills of lading?
No. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments. The carrier that moves the freight issues the document, and this page is a reference rather than legal advice.