In order to ensure the safe handover of import and export goods, various documents need to be prepared during the whole transportation process. Each of these documents has its specific purpose, and there is an interdependent relationship between them. They not only connect the ship, port and cargo parties together, but also distinguish their respective rights and businesses.
Introduce some main shipping documents according to the actual business procedures. 　

托运单（BOOKING NOTE）
The consignment note, commonly known as "delivery note", is a document filled in by the shipper according to the terms of the trade contract and the letter of credit, and used to handle the consignment of goods to the carrier or its agent. The carrier shall accept the consignment after considering the contents of the consignment note and the conditions such as the ship's route, port of call, shipping date and shipping space as appropriate. 　

装货单（SHIPPING ORDER）
A shipping order is a document issued to the shipper by the shipping company that has accepted the shipper's application for shipment and orders the captain to ship the goods carried. The shipping order can be used as the basis for shipment, and it is also one of the main documents by which the shipper can handle the declaration procedures of export goods to the customs. Therefore, the shipping order is also called "Customs order". For the shipper, the shipping order is the certificate of completing the consignment of goods. For the shipping company or its agent, the shipping order is the instruction document informing the ship to accept the shipment of this batch of goods

收货单（MATES RECEIPT）
The mates order, also known as the chief officer's receipt, is the receipt of the ship's receipt of the goods and the certificate that the goods have been loaded on board. The first mate on board shall sign the first mate's receipt according to the date, number of pieces and shipping space endorsed by the tallyman on the bill of lading, and after checking with the shipping order. The shipper shall exchange the on board bill of lading with the carrier or its agent with the first mate's receipt signed by the first mate. 　

Since the main items of the above three documents are basically the same, the practice of some major ports in China is to combine the consignment note, loading note, receipt note, freight notice, etc. into a document of up to 9 copies. The functions of each copy are as follows: the first copy is reserved by the Booker for the preparation of shipping documents. The second and third copies are freight notices, one of which is retained, and the other is attached to the account to collect freight from the shipper. The fourth copy of the shipping order can only be received and loaded after being stamped with the release seal by the customs. The fifth receipt and the sixth receipt shall be kept by the cabin allocator. The seventh and eighth sheets are the cabin allocation receipt. The ninth page is the application for payment of port charges for export goods. After the goods are loaded on board, the port area can collect port incidental charges from the shipper.

海运提单（BILL OF LADING）
Bill of lading is a document of ownership of goods. The holder of the bill of lading can take delivery of the goods, or bill of exchange with the bank, or transfer the goods before the carrying vessel arrives at the port of destination for delivery. 

　
装货清单（LODING LIST）
The loading list is a summary list of the loading list prepared by the carrier according to the order of voyage and port of call, which classifies the goods to be loaded on the whole ship according to the port of destination and the nature of the goods, and includes the number of the loading list, the name of the goods, the number of pieces, the form of packaging, the gross weight, the estimated size, and the description of the shipping requirements or precautions of special goods. The loading list is the main basis for the chief mate to prepare the stowage plan, and it is also a business document for the on-site tally personnel to tally, the port side to arrange lightering, enter and leave the warehouse, and the carrier to master the situation.

舱单（MANIFEST）
The manifest is a summary list of goods carried by the whole ship according to the cargo port. It is prepared by the shipping company according to the receipt or bill of lading after the goods are loaded. The main contents include the details of the goods, the port of loading and unloading, the bill of lading number, the name of the ship, the name and mark number of the shipper and consignee, etc. this document is used as a certificate for the ship to carry the listed goods. 　

货物积载图（CARGO PLAN）
Cargo stowage plan is a cargo plan prepared according to the actual loading of cargo. It is the reference for the ship to carry out cargo transportation, storage and unloading, and it is also the document for the unloading port to tally cargo, arrange berths, and enter cargo holds.

提货单（DELIVERY ORDER）
The bill of lading is a certificate that the consignee can pick up the goods from the port handling department in exchange for the carrier or its agent with the original bill of lading or the duplicate bill of lading together with the valid guarantee.

Attachment: type of bill of lading

Shipped or board b/l refers to the shipped Bill of lading issued by the carrier to the shipper.

Received for shipping b/l refers to the bill of lading issued when the carrier has received the goods but has not yet loaded the ship.

Direct b/l refers to the bill of lading issued when the goods are shipped from the loading port and sail directly to the unloading port for unloading without changing the ship.

THROUGH B/L  refers to the bill of lading issued by the carrier at the port of loading, which can be transshipped halfway to the port of destination.

MT b/l refers to the bill of lading applicable to the whole transportation signed for the combined transportation of goods by sea, inland river, railway, highway, air and other two or more modes of transportation.

Liner b/l liner is a ship engaged in continuous freight transportation between specified ports on a certain route according to the published schedule. Liner can be divided into regular and irregular routing.

Charter party b/l generally refers to the bill of lading signed by the owner to the charterer, or the bill of lading issued by the owner or the charterer, which does not ship all the goods of the charterer.

STRAIGHT B/L: only the consignee named on the bill of lading can take delivery of the goods, which is generally not negotiable.

ORDER B/L  usually has an unlisted instruction (order only), and a listing instruction (order of supplier or order of designation**company; order of * * bank). Such bill of lading can be transferred after being endorsed by the instructing party.

BLANK B/L or OPEN B/L, that is, any holder of the bill of lading has the right to pick up the goods.

CLEAN B/L:When the goods are delivered, they appear to be in good condition. The carrier issued the bill of lading without any cargo damage, poor packaging or other comments that hinder the settlement of foreign exchange.

FOUL B/L :when the goods are delivered, the package and surface state are not solid and complete, and the ship can annotate it, that is, unclean bill of lading.

PARCLE RECEIPT or NON-NEGOTIABLE RECEIPT  is applicable to a small amount of goods, luggage or samples.

 MINMUM B/L : freight does not reach the minimum amount specified in this regulation, but is charged according to the specified minimum freight.

OMNIBUS B/L or COMBINED B/L:  different batches of goods are combined on one bill of lading, or different batches of the same liquid goods are loaded in one oil tank. When several bills of lading are issued, the former is called combined bill of lading, and the latter is called assembled bill of lading.

SAPARATE B/L: A batch of goods, that is, the goods in the same shipping order, can be divided into two or more sets of bills of lading according to the requirements of the shipper.

STALE B/L: The date when the exporter presents documents to the bank for settlement of foreign exchange is too long from the date of shipment and sailing, so that it cannot be delivered to the consignee at the port of destination before the ship arrives at the destination. Banks generally do not accept this kind of bill of lading.

SWITCH B/L：It refers to another set of bills of lading issued against the original bill of lading. Under the condition of direct transportation, at the request of the shipper, the carrier undertakes to exchange another set of bills of lading issued at the port of departure at a specified midway port, taking the midway port as the port of departure.

 ANTE-DATED B/L：At the request of the shipper, the date of issuance of the bill of lading is earlier than the actual completion date of shipment after the goods are loaded.

ADVANCED B/L： the bill of lading advanced b/l is a bill of lading issued by the shipper with a letter of guarantee requiring the carrier to advance even if the goods fail to be loaded even if the shipment date and foreign exchange settlement date specified in the letter of credit expire, but the goods have been under the control of the carrier or have begun to be loaded.

ON DECK B/L refers to the bill of lading with goods loaded on the open deck of the ship and marked with "on deck".
House b/l bill of lading issued by the freight forwarder. Bills of lading are often issued when the goods are transported from inland to inland. This kind of bill of lading lacks the validity of the bill of lading technically and strictly in the legal sense.