Somewhere between the car leaving and the car arriving, someone will mention the bill of lading. It is easy to picture your car stuck on a quay because a piece of paper is in the wrong envelope. That can happen, but it is rare, and it is almost always avoidable once you know which kind of bill you have.
When we arrange the shipping, the bill of lading is part of the paperwork we deal with. This guide explains what it is, the three ways a car can be released against it, and why it matters when the ship reaches the UK.
What a bill of lading is
The bill of lading is the document the shipping line issues once it has taken your car on board, or into its care for loading. It does three jobs at once.
- A receipt: the line confirms it has received the car from the shipper
- The contract: it is the evidence of the agreement to carry the car to the destination port
- A document of title: when it is issued in negotiable form, whoever properly holds it can claim the cargo
That third job is why people get nervous about it. A negotiable original works a little like the keys to the car while it is at sea. The line releases the cargo to the right person, and the bill is how it knows who that is.
Who is named on it
A bill of lading names the shipper, who hands the car over, and the consignee, who receives it at the other end. It describes the cargo and the ports, and on container shipments it carries the container number. It also has its own reference, which can be used to track the shipment with the line.
For a car, the details that matter most are the description and the VIN. They need to match the car and the rest of your paperwork. A mismatch here is the same problem as a mismatch on the invoice: it holds things up while someone corrects it.
Original, telex or express release
The bill itself is only half the story. What really decides how smoothly the car comes off the ship is how the line has been told to release it. There are three common ways.
Original bill of lading
The line prints a set of paper originals. The consignee, or their agent, normally has to present a properly endorsed original at the destination before the line releases the cargo. The paper has to travel separately from the car, usually by courier, and it has to get here first.
This is the version used when someone needs to keep hold of the car until they are paid, such as a seller abroad, or a bank where the purchase is paid by letter of credit. It works well. It just adds a courier to the list of things that can run late.
Telex release
Originals are issued, but they are handed back (surrendered) to the line at the origin end. The line then tells its office at the destination to release the cargo without the paper. Maersk calls this an electronic cargo release, and the name used varies from line to line.
For most private car shipments this is the tidy option. Nothing has to be posted across the world, and the release is already on the line's system before the ship arrives.
Express release and sea waybills
Here no set of originals is printed at all. The cargo is released to the named consignee on proof of identity. A sea waybill works in a similar way: it is non-negotiable, so there is no original to surrender.
Maersk is clear that telex release and a sea waybill are not the same thing, because one starts with an issued original and the other never has one. It also notes that not every country accepts express release. The practical point is to know exactly what the line has recorded before the ship docks.
| Feature | Original | Telex release | Express or waybill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper originals | Printed and sent on | Printed, then surrendered at origin | Not printed |
| Release at the UK end | On presenting an endorsed original | Line instructs its UK office | To the named consignee, on proof of identity |
| Main risk | Originals arriving late or lost | Surrender not confirmed before arrival | Wrong consignee details |
| Often used when | A seller or bank needs security | Most private shipments | Where the line and country allow it |
Why it matters at the UK port
When the car lands, two separate gates have to open. The shipping line has to release it, which is where the bill of lading comes in. And HMRC has to clear it, which is the customs entry and the import tax.
The two run side by side but they are not the same thing. A car can be cleared by customs and still be waiting for the line to release it, or the other way round. Both have to be in place before the car or the container can leave the port.
Timing matters because ports are not built to store cars. After a short free period, the port and the shipping line start charging for storage and for the container. A courier carrying the originals that arrives two days after the ship can cost money. Our guide to customs delays covers the charges side.
Our own unloading keeps it short. Container cars come to our private facility in Castle Donington, where our own team unloads them. That gives us direct control of the container from the port, so once the line and customs have both said yes, there is no queue at a port warehouse.
Buying a car abroad
If you are buying from a dealer or seller overseas, they may be the shipper and hold the originals. That is normal. It protects them until the money has arrived, and once it has, they either send the originals on or ask the line for a telex release.
Agree up front which it will be, and who is named as consignee. If you would like the car released to us so we can clear and unload it, say so before it ships. Changing the details on a bill after it has been issued is far harder than getting them right first time. Our guide to buying a car abroad safely covers the wider checks.
Before the ship arrives
0 of 6 done
Where it sits with your other paperwork
The bill of lading is a shipping document. It does not replace the car's registration document, the purchase invoice or your ID, which are what customs and the DVLA rely on. Our list of the documents you need to ship a car covers those, and what happens when your car arrives picks up the story once the line has released it.
If you are still deciding how to ship, the paperwork is much the same either way. Our comparison of container, RoRo and air sets out the other differences, and the container shipping page explains how we bring cars in by sea.
Questions people ask
What is a bill of lading for a car?
It is the document the shipping line issues when it takes the car. It is a receipt, the evidence of the contract to carry it, and, in negotiable form, a document of title the line releases the car against.
What is a telex release?
The paper originals are surrendered to the shipping line at the origin end, and the line tells its destination office to release the cargo without them. Nothing has to be couriered across the world.
Is a telex release the same as a sea waybill?
No. A telex release starts with originals that are then surrendered. A sea waybill is non-negotiable and never has an original. Both avoid posting paper, but the line records them differently.
What happens if the original bill of lading is late?
If the line needs an original and it has not arrived, the car waits at the port, and storage charges can start once the free period ends. That is why it pays to know the release type before the ship docks.
Do I need the bill of lading to register the car?
No. It is a shipping document. Customs and the DVLA rely on the registration document, purchase invoice and your ID, and we handle the customs entry and registration paperwork.
Not sure what kind of bill your seller is offering? Ask us when you get a quote and we will tell you what to ask for.
