What Is a Car Transport Bill of Lading?

Having the chance to buy a new car is one of life’s most thrilling experiences. Unfortunately, your new car might not actually be all that new.

In fact, several states don’t even need dealers to let you know if the car has been damaged while it’s being transported. This needs to be a key component of your pre-purchase investigation.

Since purchasing a new automobile involves spending a significant sum of money, it may be in your best interest to quickly but thoroughly investigate the dealership’s disclosure policy, particularly if the shop makes use of a car transport service. Before a car arrives at your dealership, it will be loaded and unloaded several times if it is being sent from abroad.

Obtaining a Bill of Lading is another important duty because there are so many chances for harm to occur during car shipping. In light of this, let’s examine an auto transport bill of lading (BOL) in more detail and see why they are crucial when dealing with vehicle transfer services.

Vehicle Shipping and BOL 101

You’ve undoubtedly seen them: the enormous trucks traveling down the highway while towing a trailer full of autos. This is the most basic definition of car transport.

Car transport services are utilized for a variety of purposes, such as the simultaneous cross-country transportation of several personal vehicles on a budget, the coordination of vehicle transport internationally, and the delivery of numerous cars to a dealership.

We all know that things don’t always turn out the way we had intended; for instance, car transport services could experience unpredictably bad weather. Other possible risks associated with shipping cars include, but are not limited to:

Damage sustained when loading, unloading, or at sea

Another driver’s actions affected or caused the accident.

Natural catastrophes

damage incurred during production 

This incomplete list demonstrates that a variety of things can go wrong during car transfer without the transport company’s responsibility. What is the greatest approach to guarantee that your investment doesn’t get damaged while it’s being transported, even if car transport damage is incredibly rare? A complex and comprehensive bill of lading.

A Bill of Lading: What Is It?

A Bill of Lading, or BOL, is a comprehensive checklist used during the obligatory before-and-after inspection of a car delivery. It frequently includes images and a thorough description of any previous car damage.

The consumer is shielded by this contract from any liability for damage to the car or vehicles during shipment. The following details ought to appear on a car transport BOL:

Consignee and shipper names

addresses for the beginning and end

Each shipment’s itemized list should include the freight’s weight, size, and volume.

Number and a brief description of each product. Pictures to accompany any pre-existing damages. Name of the freight carrier.

Any specific guidelines provided by the shipper or recipient

Not only does a BOL protect the consignee, but it also shields the shipper from any erroneous claims made on the consignee’s behalf. Although each of these situations is extremely uncommon, as was already mentioned, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be handled before the car is transported.

Does a Bill of Lading Have Legal Effect?

In a nutshell, sure. The legal confirmation from the shipper and the consignee that the cargo (whatever it may be) has been conveyed and delivered in the same condition is made by the auto transport Bill of Lading, a necessary document. As previously mentioned, it releases both parties from responsibility for any damages sustained before or during the car transit.

Who Is Authorized to Sign?

The majority of the time, a shipper and consignee have a prior arrangement regarding which representatives of each respective firm, organization, or individual entity are authorized to inspect and sign off on the vehicle transport Bill of Lading.

If that’s not the case, it will be crucial to bring it up when speaking with a car transport service. The following individuals are just a few examples of those who can sign an auto transport Bill of Lading:

Vehicle(s) Owner Dealership Manager Named Auctioneer

Executor of the Owner Foreman Property Manager’s Estate 

There are numerous other written agreements or arrangements between the shipper and the consignee about particular individuals or groups of individuals fulfilling particular roles on the day of delivery who are authorized to sign the Bill of Lading.

Is it advisable to keep my bill of lading?

You should hold onto it firmly! It is a crucial document that an authorized individual can examine in the case of litigation to demonstrate the parties’ understanding that the cargo is delivered as agreed and in the same condition.

We are a litigious society, thus it is crucial to record and save in a safe location any physical records, pictures, or artifacts that can be kept by either party.

The Value of Automobile Transportation Bills of Lading 

You should now be aware of the critical significance of this legally binding and essential document after completing the whole 101 crash course on auto transport and BOL. It’s important to leave a paper trail that verifies all of your business is finished, as with so many other things in life.

It is crucial to emphasize once more how unlikely it is for any of these problems to materialize, so if you have any additional queries or would want to request an estimate, feel free to use our auto shipping cost estimator or give us a call right now!