subject: What Does Bol Mean? [print this page] When you're shipping anything with a courier company, BOL is a term that you're very likely to hear. Any Phoenix delivery service that you are shipping something with, especially if you're shipping across any borders, will provide you with a BOL to accompany your shipment. BOL stands for Bill of Lading, and it is one of the most important documents that much accompany any order which is shipped.
There is a lot of paperwork involved with international shipping at the best of times. Although orders that fit certain guidelines are going to need a lot more documentation to get over certain borders, at a bare minimum every shipment is going to need two documents. Those are the Bill of Lading and the commercial invoice. These are going to be needed with every shipment.
So just what is a Bill of Lading? Basically, this is a document that outlines all of the terms of the agreement between the courier company and the company that they are shipping goods for. This includes all of the relevant information that anyone would need to know. The destination and point of origin are listed clearly. So are the delivery and pickup dates. There will also be a description of the goods, and the price that was paid for the shipping.
There is a very careful system in place to make sure that everything that goes across borders is accounted for. The Bill of Lading helps them to make sure that they know what taxes, fees, or other documents need to be present with that shipment. It also helps agents to be sure that the entire transaction and the shipping is legal.
Anything that is shipping internationally without a Bill of Lading will likely come to a quick stop at the border. There is an almost without exception policy that stops all shipments without all required documentation from crossing borders. The Bill of Lading is always going to be one of the things required.
When you're shipping internationally, it can cost you a huge delay and a lot of money if your order is held up at a border. That is why it is worth the time to make sure that your delivery company has experience in international shipping. That way you can be sure that they will include with every shipment an accurately filled out Bill of Lading. To do otherwise is to invite large problems with your shipping.
