Unit 9: Bill of Lading Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definition, history, characteristics, and various types of a Bill of Lading as discussed in Unit 9.

Bill of Lading (BoL)

A commercial document describing the shipment, containing the terms of transported goods, and serving as a negotiable instrument of title.

Port of Trani

The 11th-century Adriatic port where local law required masters to keep a book of lading, originating the practice that evolved into the modern bill of lading.

Loading Broker

An agent acting on behalf of the carrier through whom advance shipping arrangements are normally made by the shipper.

Mate’s Receipt

A historical document given to a shipper or agent upon delivery of goods, which would later be exchanged for the signed bill of lading.

Contractual Shipper

The person on whose behalf the carrier’s bill of lading is issued or the party making the booking with the carrier, such as an intermediate merchant or logistics company.

Actual Shipper

The seller who arranges customs clearance and delivers the physical goods to the carrier at a named place.

Lord Justice Blackburn

The judge who defined a Bill of Lading in Coventry v Gladstone as a writing signed on behalf of a ship owner acknowledging receipt and undertaking to deliver goods.

The Hague Rules (1924)

One of the codified international provisions where rules regarding bills of lading can be found.

General Ship

A vessel plied on a particular route used for the transportation of goods for all merchants, where the owner acts as a common carrier.

Charter Party

A governing document for the hire of a whole or substantial part of a ship that contains the terms of the contract but does not acknowledge receipt of goods.

Contract of Affreightment

The agreement for carrying goods by sea; its terms are found in the bill of lading for general ships and in a charter party for chartered vessels.

Re-Con-Do

A mnemonic representing the three characteristics of a Bill of Lading: Receipt, Contract, and Document of Title.

Attornment

An act by a bailee acknowledging that they will hold the goods on behalf of a transferee.

Constructive Possession

A legal concept where the transfer of a document of title effectively transfers possession of the goods while they are in the physical care of a bailee.

Transport Document

A new term created by Articles 1:15 and 1:16 of the Rotterdam Rules intended to potentially replace the term 'bill of lading'.

Clean Bill of Lading

A bill acknowledging receipt of goods in perfect condition, often using the phrase 'shipped in good order and condition'.

Qualified Bill of Lading

A bill specifying that goods are not in perfect condition, often using words like 'weight, value and contents unknown' or 'damp condition'.

Through Bill of Lading

A bill issued by a ship owner for transportation across multiple ships or combined sea and land routes for an inclusive freight charge.

Received for Shipment Bill of Lading

A document stating goods have been received but not yet loaded; it is not considered a 'proper' or 'shipped' bill of lading.

Master of the Ship

The principal officer and captain of a vessel authorized to sign the bill of lading as an agent of the ship-owner or charterer.