Sea Waybills

All forms of transportation incorporate a shipping document known as the waybill, which includes information about the goods in transit. For shipping ocean freight containers, this document is usually referred to by many in the shipping industry as a sea waybill. When you a shipping freight aboard an international shipping vessel, the sea waybill will include details such as the names of the consignor and consignee, the pickup location and drop-off destination, the items inside the container, the complete route of transportation for that container and any special shipping instructions. The sea waybill remains an important document used for shipping containers, and in many cases acts as a receipt of shipment for the consignee.

Many times, shippers confuse the waybill with the bill of lading, which is another important document used for shipping international cargo. Although there are some similarities between these two documents, the differences are obvious. The consignee who will receive the cargo is always listed on the sea waybill. The sea waybill is also usually quicker to receive, which speeds up the process of getting the cargo delivered once it reaches its port of destination without any significant delay. The sea waybill is not a document of title, unlike the bill of lading, but can still serve as an important receipt of the shipment going out. It can also be easier to track your container with a sea waybill. All international shippers should know what a sea waybill is and how they can best use this document to ensure the efficiency of their shipments.