How to check a draft bill of lading
Compare the draft with the booking, shipping instructions and final packing list. Check the document number, vessel and voyage, ports, delivery place, cargo details and freight wording. Request corrections and approve only the identified revision. Supplier-side checks can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Identify the document and revision
Request the complete draft from its issuer, including any continuation pages. Match the bill number to the forwarder's shipment record; distinguish it from the booking reference and container number. If the bill number is provisional, ask when it will be confirmed. Record the issuer, revision and date so approval cannot be applied to an older copy.
Check shipper, consignee and notification contact against your written instructions. Where house and master bills exist, ask the forwarder to explain how their references connect. Use our bill types and cargo release guide for document choice and release arrangements.
Trace the vessel, voyage and delivery route
Compare vessel name and voyage reference with the latest booking confirmation. Ask whether the vessel field refers to the feeder or main ocean leg if transhipment is planned. If the sailing changes, request a revised draft rather than approving details the forwarder says will be corrected later.
Read the loading port, discharge port and place of delivery separately. Match each to the booked route and ask what any blank field means. A warehouse address in the consignee box is not enough evidence of booked inland delivery: obtain written confirmation of where the carrier's transport ends and who arranges onward haulage.
Reconcile the cargo particulars
Compare the goods description, shipping marks, package count, package type, gross weight and volume with the final packing list. Check container and seal references against the loading record where available. Clarify whether packages mean cartons, pallets or another outer unit; do not compare a pallet count directly with the quantity of products on the invoice.
Trace totals back to the underlying packing records, especially when factories share a shipment. Ask the supplier and forwarder to resolve discrepancies together rather than changing a total merely to make documents agree. Use our customs document checklist for the wider shipment file.
Clarify freight prepaid or freight collect
Treat freight prepaid and freight collect as prompts to confirm the carrier's billing arrangement. Ask which freight charges the notation covers, who is billed, where payment is due and whether payment has actually been received. Do not read prepaid as confirmation that every destination charge has been settled.
Compare the wording with the agreed freight quote and sales terms. Ask separately about terminal handling, destination agency charges and onward delivery. If the supplier says the notation follows FOB or CIF, request confirmation from the issuer rather than inferring it from the sales term. Our Incoterms guide explains the commercial allocation.
Separate carrier approval from customs checks
GOV.UK treats documents of carriage and customs-clearance documents separately. HMRC says a full import declaration needs a customs procedure code, commodity code and declaration unique consignment reference. Treat these as declaration requirements; do not assume every item belongs in a carrier's bill field. Ask your customs agent what shipment information they need and flag any mismatch before submission.
Send corrections naming each field and its replacement wording. Request a clean revised draft, then approve that specific revision in writing. Keep the approved copy and compare the issued bill with it. Ask the customs agent separately to confirm declaration progress; draft approval should not be used as evidence of customs clearance or cargo release.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bill of lading number the booking number?
Do not assume they are interchangeable. Ask the issuer to identify each reference and confirm whether the draft bill number is final. Keep the references connected in your shipment record.
What if the vessel changes after I approve the draft?
Ask the issuer for updated vessel and voyage details and a revised document. Check whether the route or delivery arrangements also changed, then record your approval against the revised copy.
Does freight prepaid include destination charges?
Do not assume so. Ask which charges the notation covers and obtain a separate breakdown of destination handling, agency charges and onward delivery, including who pays each.
Does approving the draft mean customs have cleared it?
Keep the approvals separate. Confirm customs status with your customs agent and cargo release with the destination agent. An approved draft is your record of the document wording you accepted.