The Through of Bill of Lading Document means that the bill of lading covers the shipment from its origin all the way through to its destination including any inlands that may be required for the move. Through bills of lading document can many times be issued from the freight forwarder who is handling the move. This is not always the case in other countries since some countries consider inlands a separate move from the ocean portion even though it is with the same shipment.
Having a through bill of lading documents can benefit the customer just as much as it benefits the service provider. Not only does the customer have just 1 company to deal with. But they will usually get a good break on the costs. Low shipping prices can alone be a great reason to use a through the bill. But having one-stop for any questions can be especially helpful if there are a lot of shipping containers moving at the same time.
The drawback though is that the customer does not have as much control over the vehicle/goods and with that one contact. The process could wind up being slower when there is a problem to address. If the ocean carrier also issued through the bill, there is even more chance of delays in the information. While there can be issues when there are problems with a shipment. It is certainly easier and usually more cost-effective for a customer to use a through bill of lading when available.
What About the “Through” Part?
Let’s get to that “through” part. A through bill of lading documents is necessary for exporting goods. A BOL (bill of lading) may only cover one element of the transport. A through bill of lading document covers a complete process. It can act as a title for vehicle/goods being transported internationally. In other words, the transporting company effectively takes the title of these vehicles/goods during transport.
The through bill of lading document gives permission to the shipping company to possess the vehicles/goods and move them across borders. This document also contains the agreed-upon details for how this should be done.
It Contains Other Bills of Lading
Because the through bill of lading covers the entire shipping process. A through bill of lading document gives legal permission to the transporting company through multiple legs of a journey, modes of transport, and through multiple countries. This allows the provision of complete logistics services. A through bill of lading will usually contain other bills of lading documents. Such as an inland bill of lading or an ocean bill of lading.
It can get a little confusing but think of the through bill of lading document as containing the individual bills of lading that make up each leg of the journey. The “through” essentially indicates it links these legs together in a functional way and gives legal permission to the shipping company to do so. To have this and other complicated transport elements covered for your business. Consult with a shipping company that can provide complete logistics services.
