What Is A Bill Of Lading And What Is Its Purpose?
A bill of lading is a receipt provided by the carrier to the consignee. The receipt contains a detailed list of all of the shipments goods.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will need to know exactly what is on your truck. To help make sure all of your goods are accounted for and declared, you must supply a bill of lading or pick up receipt when faxing your Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) entry to your customs broker.
Why A Bill Of Lading Is Used
1. The main purpose of the standard straight bill of lading is it is a contract of carriage.
Other Bill Of Lading Purposes Include:
2. It may incorporate the full terms of the contract between the consignor and the carrier by reference.
3. It is a receipt signed by the carrier confirming whether goods matching the contract description have been received in good condition.
4. When completed in full, it helps the customs broker match up commercial clearance paperwork to ensure a complete declaration for all of the goods aboard the truck.
The carrier or the shipper can complete it, but the driver of the transport company is to sign and date the bill of lading once the goods are onboard their truck.
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Why A Bill Of Lading Is Important
For Customs purposes the most important details on the bill of lading are:
- Piece count (total skids, boxes, pallets)
- Weight (total weight of the goods listed)
- Description of the goods
- Date (the date of pick up/export is used to establish the date for exchange rate)
If there is only one (1) location you have picked up goods from, then only one (1) bill of lading or pick up receipt is required. If you are picking up from multiple locations, then you need to have a bill of lading or pick up receipt for each location you have picked up from.
The Importance Of A Bill Of Lading
Commercial Documents
When picking up freight from the shipper, they may give commercial documents to you. If they do, please send your commercial documents to the customs broker with the bill of lading or pick up receipt. It is important that you send the customs broker all the documents you have. It helps ensure that all required documents are in place to declare those goods to Customs.
If the shipper does not supply you with commercial documents, please let the customs broker know as soon as you know, so they can work on getting the documents in order.
Why Carriers Care About The eManifest Cargo Report And Bill Of Lading Matching
Other Documents
Often, a commercial invoice and bill of lading are sufficient for the customs broker and CBSA to process your load. There are many instances where special documentation will be required. Some examples of goods that need additional documents are:
- CFIA regulated goods (fresh fruits & vegetables, fresh cut flowers)
- Transport Canada regulated goods (vehicles) - which require another government agency (in addition to CBSA) to review the import
When faxing your PARS to the customs broker, simply affix your barcode label to the bill of lading. Make sure you are not covering up any important information. Be sure to clearly indicate which port you are crossing at and on what date and time. Please also include your phone number so that you can be contacted in the case there are any documentation issues.
Remember to ALWAYS confirm that your load has been set up before you get to the border.
Be accountable for the goods you are transporting and your cross border experience. Providing all the appropriate paperwork to your customs broker will truly ease your journey. If you need assistance with your bill of lading or any other customs brokerage or freight forward services, feel free to contact the experts at Pacific Customs Brokers for all of your international trade needs.
