What is a Bill of Lading (B/L)?

A Bill of Lading (B/L) is the most important shipping document — it serves three purposes: 1) Receipt — confirms the carrier has received your vehicle on board, 2) Contract of carriage — outlines the terms of transport from origin to destination port, 3) Document of title — proves ownership of the goods and is required to claim the vehicle at the destination. For car imports from China, the B/L contains: vessel name, voyage number, port of loading, port of discharge, container number (if container shipping), and vehicle description. The original B/L is required to clear customs and take possession of your vehicle. DriveSino shares the B/L with you as soon as it's issued by the shipping line.