05/19/08

"Shipper's Domestic Truck Bill of Lading"^©

For decades the Uniform Straight Bill of Lading has been accepted by shippers as a matter of course. This was not generally perceived as a problem during the period when all domestic traffic was under the oversight of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Since "deregulation" and the elimination of filed tariffs, carriers have been incorporating their private, unfiled tariffs into the contract of carriage through their bills of lading. Often these tariffs contain rates and charges, liability limitations, late payment penalties or other rules which shippers are unaware of, and which cause surprises and problems later on.

The Shipper's Domestic Truck Bill of Lading^© is a shipper-friendly bill of lading designed to protect shippers against the hidden provisions in carriers’ unfiled tariffs. The face of the form has been redesigned for convenient, easy use and the contract terms and conditions on the reverse side have been updated and revised. 

The bill of lading is available in a "kit" form with a thorough explanation of the reasons for using a shippers’ bill of lading, a paragraph-by-paragraph analysis of the provisions, and instructions for negotiating a Common Carrier Rate Agreement. It comes in hard copy and includes a floppy disk which allows you to create your own company bills of lading, and tailor the form and content to your particular needs.