Bills Of Lading: Basic Concepts And Issues

A bill of lading is more than a mere contractual or legal or transport document. It evidences several facets of relationships between various parties and continues to be debated in the legal circles regarding its form and significance.

I. Introduction

A bill of lading is a contractual document issued by the carrier by sea of goods which such carrier takes possession of and transports. Generally, a bill of lading would contain details about the transported goods such as the type, quantity, weight, value, and date of shipment of such goods. From a definitional perspective, it is difficult to give a precise definition of a bill of lading, but it could certainly be said to possess the following essential attributes: