How to Read a Bill of Lading: 18 Critical Fields Every African Importer Must Verify

How to Read a Bill of Lading: 18 Critical Fields

The Bill of Lading (B/L) is the single most important document in international trade. It proves the contract of carriage, the title to goods, and the receipt of cargo. Every Senegalese importer should read every field of every B/L — 90% of customs disputes, insurance claims and payment conflicts are rooted in B/L errors. Here are the 18 fields you must verify on every Turkey-Senegal shipment.

Types of B/L to know

• Master B/L (MBL): issued by carrier (CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Arkas), to freight forwarder
• House B/L (HBL): issued by forwarder, to consignee (importer)
• Straight B/L: consignee name locked, not negotiable
• Order B/L: “To order” or “To order of [bank]”, negotiable, used for L/C
• Bearer B/L: transferable by physical delivery, rare today
• Sea Waybill: non-negotiable, electronic acceptance increasing
• Electronic B/L (eBL): blockchain-based, accepted by CMA CGM, Maersk 2024+

The 18 fields you must verify

1. Shipper / Exporter name and address

• Must match commercial invoice exactly
• Turkish supplier full legal name + VKN (Vergi Kimlik Numarası / tax ID)
• Address complete including district, city, postal code

2. Consignee (Destinataire)

• Your Senegalese company exact legal name
• NINEA + RC included
• “To order” if using L/C with bank intermediary
• Address Dakar

3. Notify Party

• Your Dakar customs broker (Bolloré/AGL, SAGA, Necotrans, etc.)
• Broker notified by shipping line 5-7 days before arrival for clearance prep

4. Vessel name and voyage number

• E.g., “CMA CGM LAPEROUSE, Voyage 0TA5GW1”
• Critical for tracking and insurance claims

5. Port of loading

• Ambarli (TRAMB), Mersin (TRMER), Izmit-Gebze (TRGEB), Tekirdağ (TRTEK), Aliaga-Izmir (TRIZM)
• Must match COTECNA inspection origin

6. Port of discharge

• Dakar (SNDKR), Môle 8 typically
• Must be capitalised in standard format

7. Place of receipt / Place of delivery

• Door-to-door shipments: supplier factory and consignee warehouse
• Port-to-port: identical to loading and discharge ports

8. B/L number

• Unique reference for tracking, insurance claims, customs declaration
• Never accept duplicate or missing number

9. Date of issue / Shipped on board date

• “Shipped on board” date triggers payment under CIF/CFR terms
• Must be within L/C validity window if applicable
• Discrepancy leads to “stale B/L” rejection

10. Container numbers and seal numbers

• Format: ABCD1234567 (4 letters + 7 digits + check digit)
• Seal number must match packing list
• Missing or broken seal on arrival = insurance claim trigger

11. Number of packages

• Example: “750 cartons, 25 pallets”
• Must match packing list exactly

12. Description of goods

• Generic description acceptable: “Men’s 100% cotton T-shirts”
• Avoid specific brand names unless authorised
• Must align with HS code and invoice

13. Gross weight / Net weight

• Gross weight = goods + packaging
• Net weight = goods only
• VGM (Verified Gross Mass) mandatory since 2016 — verified by shipper

14. Cubic measurement

• Total m³ for LCL shipments (charged per m³)
• For FCL containers: not critical but useful for insurance

15. Freight clause

• “Freight Prepaid” if CIF/CFR
• “Freight Collect” if FOB/FCA
• Determines payment responsibility

16. Incoterms (2020 revision)

• CIF Dakar Incoterms 2020, FOB Istanbul Incoterms 2020, etc.
• Specify year explicitly to avoid ambiguity

17. Signature / Stamp of carrier

• Captain or authorised agent signature
• Carrier stamp (e.g., “CMA CGM Turkey” stamp)
• Missing signature = invalid B/L

18. Clause “Clean on Board” vs “Claused” (Dirty)

• “Clean” = no damage noted at loading
• “Claused” = annotations about damaged packaging or shortage
• L/C only accepts Clean B/L
• Claused B/L triggers insurance claim pre-emptively

Common B/L problems in Turkey-Senegal trade

• Shipper name abbreviated (not matching invoice)
• Missing NINEA on consignee
• “Shipped on board” date after L/C expiry
• Port spelling error (Dakar vs Dakkar)
• Container numbers mistyped
• Weight on B/L differs from packing list by > 2%
• HS code description on B/L not matching commercial invoice → COTECNA rejection

Verification workflow

1. Receive draft B/L by email 2-3 days before loading
2. Cross-check with commercial invoice, packing list, COTECNA AV
3. Send corrections to shipper/forwarder within 24h
4. Receive final B/L original or Telex Release confirmation
5. Forward copy to your Dakar broker immediately for pre-declaration GAINDE

Telex Release vs Original B/L

• Original B/L: 3 paper originals issued, consignee presents one to release cargo. Slower but safer for L/C
• Telex Release: carrier notifies destination office electronically. Fast, no paper, used for trusted relationships or express service
• Sea Waybill: similar to Telex, no paper needed, increasingly standard

Bottom Line

The Bill of Lading is your title, your payment trigger, and your insurance anchor. Check all 18 fields on every B/L before payment, before customs filing, before insurance. Errors on any field can delay clearance by 5-15 days, trigger L/C rejection, or compromise your insurance claim in case of loss. Build a 10-minute B/L verification routine into every shipment — it saves thousands of dollars per year in avoided friction.