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Free Bill of Lading Generator

Free tool · No signup

Bill of lading generator — draft it right before your carrier issues it.

Build an industry-standard draft bill of lading in your browser: shipper, consignee, notify party, vessel and voyage, ports, containers, cargo particulars and clauses — with a live preview and one-click print to PDF. Use it to prepare your shipping instructions, align every party on the details, check a carrier’s draft against your own, or train your team on the document that runs world trade.

Standard B/L layout — all the boxesPrint to PDF — one clickDraft only — clearly watermarkedNothing stored or sent anywhere

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What this tool is — and deliberately is not

A bill of lading is a receipt, a contract of carriage and often a document of title — and an operative original can only be issued by the carrier (or its authorised agent) actually moving your goods. This tool produces a clearly watermarked draft for preparation, checking and training purposes, from details you enter — your data or test data. Wigmore Trading is not the carrier for, or a party to, any shipment documented here, and nothing generated on this page is a transport document. When you’re ready for the real thing, your carrier or freight forwarder issues it — ours included, if you’d like the help.

Build your draft B/L
References

PartiesEnter your own details or test data — fields are blank by design.

Carrier & voyageThe carrier is whoever moves your goods — as confirmed on their booking. Not us.

Cargo particularsAs furnished by the shipper — one row per container or lot.

Container / SealMarks & nos.Packages & goodsWeight kgCBM

Freight & issue

Ask the docs desk
Privacy, by designEverything happens in your browser. Nothing you type is stored, sent, or seen by us — close the tab and it’s gone.

DRAFT · NON-NEGOTIABLE
BILL OF LADINGDraft — for preparation & checking only · Not issued by a carrier
B/L No.—Booking—
Shipper

—
Carrier (as per shipper’s booking — to issue the operative original)

—
Consignee

—
Notify party (no claim shall attach for failure to notify)

—
Vessel / Voyage—
Place of receipt—
Port of loading—
Port of discharge—
Container / Seal no. Marks & nos. No. & kind of packages · description of goods Gross wt (kg) Meas. (CBM)
TOTAL — particulars furnished by shipper 0 0
Received for shipment — specimen clauseRECEIVED by the Carrier from the Shipper in apparent good order and condition (unless otherwise noted herein) the total number of containers or packages stated above, for carriage subject to the Carrier’s applicable terms and tariff. Particulars of cargo are as furnished by the Shipper and are not checked by the Carrier. THIS IS A DRAFT prepared by the Shipper or its agent for checking purposes; it is not signed, not negotiable, and confers no rights until an original is issued by the Carrier.
Freight & chargesFREIGHT PREPAID
Shipped on board—
No. of original B/LsThree (3)
Place & date of issue—
Signed for the Carrier / as agent onlyDrafts are unsigned — signature appears only on carrier-issued originals
Draft prepared with the free tool at wigmoretrading.com · Wigmore Trading is not the carrier for and not a party to any shipment documented here

Know your document

Bill of lading questions, answered straight.

Is the B/L this tool makes legally valid?
No — by design, and the watermark says so on every copy. An operative bill of lading is issued and signed by the carrier (or its agent) that actually receives your cargo; that’s what makes it a receipt, a contract of carriage and potentially a document of title. What this tool gives you is the draft: the industry-standard layout filled with your details, so you can send accurate shipping instructions, catch errors before the original is cut, and understand every box on the document. Getting a draft right is genuinely valuable — amending an issued original costs time and fees at both ends.
So who issues the real one?
The shipping line or an authorised agent — commonly your freight forwarder issuing a “house” B/L on top of the carrier’s “master” B/L. If your shipment needs the real thing handled end to end, that’s exactly what our shipping & logistics desk does daily — but to be plain: using this free tool creates no relationship with us, and we’re not a party to anything you draft here.
What does “TO ORDER” mean in the consignee box?
It makes the B/L negotiable — ownership of the goods transfers by endorsing and handing over the original, the way a cheque changes hands. It’s the structure banks require under letters of credit. A “straight” B/L naming a specific consignee isn’t negotiable: only that named party can claim the cargo. The toggle in the form shows you how each style renders — and which one your deal needs is a question for your bank and carrier, not a template.
Why three originals?
Maritime tradition with a practical core: originals travel by different routes (one with the documents through the bank, one with the shipper, one spare) so trade doesn’t stop when one goes missing. Presenting any one original “accomplishes” the B/L and voids the others. Modern practice increasingly uses waybills or telex release to skip couriering paper — the “zero originals” option in the form reflects that style.
Bill of lading vs commercial invoice — do I need both?
Yes, they do different jobs: the invoice states what the goods are worth and who’s buying them; the B/L covers who’s carrying them and who may claim them. Customs wants both, and wants them consistent — mismatched weights or descriptions between your invoice, packing list and B/L are the most avoidable cause of port delays we see. Draft them together: our commercial invoice generator is built in the same style as this tool.
Why is this free — and is my data safe?
Free because traders who use our tools tend to become traders who use our services. Safe because there’s nothing to breach: the whole tool runs in your browser, nothing is transmitted or stored, and we never see a character you type — use real details or test data as you prefer.

The paperwork family

Draft checked. Now ship it properly.

Pair the B/L draft with a matching commercial invoice, estimate your duty before the container lands — or hand the whole document pack to the desk that fills them in daily.

Commercial invoice generatorImport duty calculatorShipping & documentation desk

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