House Bill of Lading

When you book through a forwarder, your shipment travels on its house bill while the carrier only sees the master bill. Both numbers matter for tracking, ISF filing, and customs release.

What is the difference between a house bill and a master bill of lading?

The master bill is issued by the ocean carrier to the forwarder or NVOCC and covers the whole container or consolidation. The house bill is issued by that forwarder to each shipper and covers that shipper's goods.

• Ocean Bill of LadingThe document an ocean carrier or NVOCC issues for sea cargo that serves as a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and, when negotiable, a document of title.
• Freight ForwarderA company that books and coordinates international shipments across carriers, ports, and customs on behalf of a shipper.
• Importer Security FilingA US filing, also called 10+2, that ocean importers must submit to CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is loaded on the vessel abroad.
• Less-than-Container LoadAn ocean shipment that shares a container with other shippers' cargo, consolidated and deconsolidated at warehouses.