House Bill of Lading

A house bill of lading (HBL) is the bill of lading an NVOCC or freight forwarder issues to its own customer. It sits under the ocean carrier's master bill of lading and, unlike the master bill, names the real exporter and importer rather than the forwarder and its agents.

What the house bill does

Like any bill of lading it is three things at once: a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage — here with the NVOCC rather than the vessel operator — and, if it is issued to order, a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo. Its terms are the NVOCC's own, published in its FMC tariff and printed on or incorporated into the bill, and under the US Carriage of Goods by Sea Act the carrier's liability is capped at $500 per package unless the shipper declares the nature and value of the goods before shipment and that value is inserted in the bill. For the carrier's side of the pair, see the master bill of lading.

Originals, telex release or express release

• Originals: a full set, usually three, is issued and one must be surrendered at destination. Use them when a bank controls the documents or the goods may be sold in transit
• Telex release: the originals are surrendered back at origin and the NVOCC instructs its destination office to release without paper
• Express release: no originals are printed at all and the named consignee collects against identification. Fastest, but it gives up document control, so it suits related parties or prepaid cargo

Why the HBL number matters

Under 19 CFR 149.3 the ISF data is given at the lowest bill of lading level, which is the house bill whenever one exists. CBP matches the ISF against the carrier's and the NVOCC's manifest filings, so an ISF that quotes the master bill instead of the house bill may not match the right shipment.

House bills from Airlift

Airlift is an FMC-licensed NVOCC and issues its own house bills of lading on the ocean freight and LCL shipments it books, which is why the HBL and ISF filing come from the same file and the numbers agree.