---
title: "Bill of Lading (BOL or B/L)"
description: "A bill of lading (BOL or B/L) is issued to a shipper detailing the method and path of a shipment. It is a contract for the movement of goods, serves as a receipt for the cargo, and can act as proof of ownership of the goods being transported."
language: en
canonical: https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/bill-of-lading-bol-or-b-l/
lifecycle: live
dateModified: 2026-08-20T06:44:04Z
topics:
  - "Operations & Supply Chain"
  - "Customs Brokerage"
  - "Ocean Freight"
---

# Bill of Lading (BOL or B/L)

A bill of lading (BOL or B/L) is issued to a shipper detailing the method and path of a shipment. It is a contract for the movement of goods, serves as a receipt for the cargo, and can act as proof of ownership of the goods being transported.

## What is a bill of lading?

A bill of lading (BOL or B/L) is issued to a shipper detailing the method and path of a shipment. It is a contract for the movement of the goods, and serves as a receipt for the cargo and can act as proof of ownership of the goods being transported.

Ocean shipments use [original](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/original-bill-of-lading/) or [express](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/express-bill-of-lading/) bills of lading.

Air shipments use [air waybills](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/air-waybill/).

Back to the [full glossary](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/).

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/bill-of-lading-bol-or-b-l/](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/bill-of-lading-bol-or-b-l/) for AI/LLM consumption.*