Shipping Documents Issued Before Shipment

Abstract This chapter discusses the shipping documents issued before the shipment of goods. It is customary in the carriage of goods by sea for contractual negotiations to take place sometime before shipment, well before the goods carried are brought alongside the designated vessel for shipment or stuffed in a container at an inland destination. Liner booking notes are ordinary documents of carriage which are not, in law, generally considered as documents of title. Once the goods arrive at the ship’s side, various parties, including the carrier, the shipper, the receiver, or stevedoring company, will have employees on hand to verify the loading and unloading of cargo to and from the ship’s side. During and as a result of the loading and discharging, the tallies taken are recorded in tally sheets (or books) and tally clerk’s receipts completed. The chapter then looks at mate’s receipts and cargo manifests. The normal rule, in the absence of provision to the contrary, is that the person in possession of the mate’s receipt is prima facie entitled to the bills of lading.