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ShipmentVisibility

Bill of lading tracking for ocean and domestic freight

Add a bill of lading number and ShipmentVisibility finds the shipment behind it. For ocean freight, one BL often covers several containers, and each one appears with its own milestones and last free day. For domestic freight, the BOL number links to the carrier's PRO, so you follow the truck without hunting for a second number.

BOL tracking in one step

The number format is checked instantly, and live events show after you create your account.

Bill of lading, booking and container numbers

Ocean shipments carry three numbers that people mix up all the time. Each one identifies something different, and each one works for tracking at a different stage.

NumberWho issues itWhat it identifiesWhen it works for tracking
Booking numberThe ocean line, when space is confirmedThe reservation for the moveFrom booking until the containers are loaded
Bill of lading numberThe ocean line or the forwarder, when the cargo is received or loadedThe contract of carriage and title to the goods, often covering several containersFrom loading through release at destination
Container numberPainted on the box, ISO 6346 formatOne physical containerThroughout, from empty pickup to empty return

Many ocean lines start their BL numbers with their own code, so the prefix often tells you the line. The booking and BL number are frequently identical at the same line, and frequently not, which is why ShipmentVisibility keeps all three on the shipment. For the container number itself, see container tracking.

Master bill of lading and house bill of lading

When a forwarder or NVOCC consolidates cargo, the ocean line issues a master bill of lading (MBL) to the forwarder, and the forwarder issues a house bill of lading (HBL) to each shipper. The ocean line only knows the MBL. The HBL uses the forwarder's own numbering, so it cannot be tracked on the line's site. To follow your cargo, track the MBL or the container number and keep the HBL as a reference, so your team and your customer search by whichever number they hold.

The bill of lading in domestic freight

In US trucking, the bill of lading is the shipper's document that tenders freight to the carrier, and its BOL number is the shipper's reference. The carrier then assigns its own PRO number, usually on a sticker on the same BOL. Many LTL carriers accept the BOL number for lookup, but the PRO is the number that always works. See PRO number tracking and LTL tracking for the details.

Milestones you see behind a bill of lading

For an ocean BL, every container under it gets its own timeline:

  1. Empty pickup, gate in full, loaded on board and vessel departure
  2. Transshipment at hub ports, vessel arrival and discharge at destination
  3. Customs and freight release, available for pickup
  4. Gate out full, delivery and empty return

For a domestic BOL, the timeline follows the carrier from pickup through terminals to delivery and POD, as on freight tracking.

One list for every bill of lading

Importers juggle BLs from several lines and several forwarders, and the forwarder's weekly status sheet is out of date by the time it arrives.

  • Add a BL and every container under it appears automatically, ready to filter and export
  • BLs from different ocean lines in one table, with the same milestone names
  • Exceptions on top: rolled containers, a changed vessel, a delayed transshipment, a hold at destination
  • Ocean freight next to air cargo tracking and inland trucking in the same list
  • Client sub-accounts on Pro, so a forwarder shows each client only their own BLs

Alerts and ETA for each BL

Set alerts for vessel departure, arrival, discharge, availability, gate out and, on Pro and Enterprise, an approaching last free day for any container on the BL. Email alerts are on every plan, and Growth adds Slack and webhook alerts. The predicted ETA carries a confidence range and updates with every event from the line. More on real time shipment tracking features and the freight visibility platform.

Which plan fits your bills of lading

Ocean containers count toward the container limit of each plan, one per container under the BL. Domestic BOLs count toward the limit for parcel, LTL, FTL and air. Deleting a shipment never returns quota. Yearly billing saves 50 percent.

Starter

$49 a month or $24 a month billed yearly

10 ocean containers and 100 other shipments a month

Growth

$149 a month or $74 a month billed yearly

40 containers and 750 other shipments, predicted ETA

Pro

$499 a month or $249 a month billed yearly

120 containers and 4,000 other shipments, full ocean milestones, last free day reminders, client sub-accounts

Enterprise

$1,499 a month or $749 a month billed yearly

400 containers and 15,000 other shipments, SSO and audit log

Checkout is self-serve on every plan, with no contract. Compare on shipment tracking software pricing.

Bill of lading tracking questions

Can I track a shipment with only the bill of lading number?

Yes, for ocean freight when the BL is a master BL issued by the line. Add it with the line, and the containers under it appear. For a house BL, track the master BL or the container number.

What is the difference between a booking number and a bill of lading number?

The booking number identifies the reservation of space. The bill of lading number identifies the contract of carriage after the cargo is received or loaded. Some lines use the same number for both.

Why can I not track my house bill of lading?

The ocean line never sees the house BL, which is issued by your forwarder. Ask the forwarder for the master BL or the container numbers.

How many containers can one bill of lading cover?

As many as the shipper books under it. Each container counts separately toward your plan's container limit.

Is a BOL number the same as a PRO number?

No. In domestic trucking the BOL number is the shipper's reference, and the PRO is the carrier's tracking number. Both usually appear on the same document.

Can my customer see the shipment?

From Growth, each shipment has a branded tracking page with your logo and colors that you can share by link.

Start bill of lading tracking now

Add a BL or BOL number and see the format check and product view right away. Create your account to follow every container and every event.

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