When items are transported either domestically or internationally the delivery must be accompanied by the relevant documentation. The amount of documentation varies depending on if the shipment is within the country or to another country. Some of the important documents that needs to be preserved in logistics sectors are Bill of Lading The bill of lading is the most important document that is used in transporting goods The legal Definition of bill of lading is a contract for the carriage of goods and a document of title to them. It provides any and all information that the carrier will need to transport the items. It contains the shipment origin and the contract terms for the transportation and is required by a carrier before the shipment is taken. The bill of lading should include the name and address of the consignor and consignee, and often it will have the routing instructions for the carrier. It will contain a description of the goods to be transported, the quantity for each of the commodities, and the commodity class and rate. Freight Bill The freight bill is the carrier's invoice to the shipper for all the charges that the carrier has incurred. The carrier’s freight bill will include the details of the shipment, the items being shipped, the consignee, the origin, and destination, as well as the total weight and total charges. Some carriers can ask for prepayment from the shipper if the value of the items being shipped is less than the total expected freight charges. If the charges are not prepaid then the carrier can present a freight bill on collection. This implies that the carrier will present the freight bill on the day of delivery. There are numerous documents involved in International Trade: commercial documents, financial documents, insurance documents, and more. Here let’s look at some of the common documents used for transport in global supply chain management. Delivery Order A Delivery Order (D/O) is a document from a consignee, an owner or an agent of a freight carrier that orders the release of the transportation of cargo to another party. This written order allows for the direct delivery of goods to a warehouseman, carrier or another person who issues warehouse receipts or Bills of Lading. This document should not be confused with delivery instructions. Delivery Instructions provide specific details to carriers regarding the arrangement made by the forwarder to deliver the merchandise to a particular destination. Dock Receipt A Doc Receipt confirms that cargo has been received for shipment. This document is issued by a shipping company and transfers the accountability for the safe transport of the cargo from the shipper to the carrier. It is the basis for preparing the bill of lading. Sea Waybill A Sea Waybill is a contract that is not needed for cargo delivery and is only issued as a cargo receipt. This document of title is used on a trust basis between the shipper and importer, which means that no Bill of Lading is necessary and goods are automatically authorized to be released once they arrive at the destination. Air Waybill An Air Waybill (AWB) is used when carrying goods via air transport. This document acts as a receipt of goods and reports the condition of the goods. This is a non-negotiable document that must name a recipient (maybe the buyer). The AWB indicates acceptance of goods for carriage. It is prepared by IATA agents or airlines. Shipping Guarantee A Shipping Guarantee is a written document issued by the bank which will take on the joint liability. It is handed from the importer to the carrier or its agent for picking up the goods. This document is used in case of arrival before shipping documents. Packing Note or List A Packing List provides the information needed for transportation purposes. It includes the details of the invoice, the buyer, the consignee, country of origin, transport date, delivery destination, shipping and container marks, weight and volume. It is a more detailed version of a commercial invoice and excludes pricing information. It is typically attached to the shipment and a copy is sent t the consignee so that he or she can check the shipment once received. It is not required by all countries, but by some. To preserve the above documents effectively and efficiently a records management solution is needed for the logistics sector, With the help of physical document storage services, you will be able to manage and organize all your data without any kind of hassle at all. You will be able to keep track of all your data on the move. It will be stored securely and there will the access to the files to the ones who have the permission. With such services, you will also allow your employees to access the files whenever they want to and get the work covered with perfection.