The Bill of Lading — The Most Important Piece of Paper in Your Move
The Bill of Lading is the contract of carriage and the inspection report in one document. It is signed twice — once at pickup, once at delivery — and the difference between those two signatures is the entire basis of any damage claim.
Call 239-273-4649What is on it
The carrier's legal name and MC number, the origin and destination, the agreed carrier pay, the vehicle's identifying details, and a vehicle diagram on which the driver marks existing damage using a legend of codes — scratch, dent, chip, cracked, missing, scuffed, bent.
The diagram, read correctly
The diagram shows the vehicle from four or five angles: front, rear, both sides, and often the roof. Marks are placed where damage exists and coded by type. If the driver's marks are vague or the diagram is barely filled in, that is a problem for you, not for them — an unclear pickup diagram means any delivery damage can be argued as pre-existing.
- Walk the car with the driver, do not watch from the porch.
- Point at each existing mark and confirm it is on the diagram.
- Photograph the completed diagram before the driver leaves.
- Keep your signed copy in your phone, not the glovebox of the car being shipped.
At delivery, the rule is absolute
Damage not noted on the delivery Bill of Lading is extraordinarily difficult to claim. Inspect in daylight or with a strong flashlight, compare against your pickup photos, and write any new damage on the document with the driver present before signing. A driver in a hurry is not a reason to skip it.
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