Course Detail

Masterclass on Bills of Lading Duration: 1 Week/s

Course Information

  • Course Price £4995 Plus VAT
  • Location UK Courses
  • Course Code MBL
  • Course Date 30 Sep - 4 Oct 2024

Course Objectives
Bill of Lading is perhaps the most important document used in international trade. Be it for ocean carriage or for trade finance, the bill of lading is the centre piece of the transactions. A thorough knowledge of the document is absolutely essential not only for the practitioners of ocean shipping but also for commodity traders and for practitioners of trade finance. Inadequate knowledge of bill of lading can lead to costly claims or ill will from customers. This course gives the participants a thorough knowledge of the bill of lading, its functions, different types of bills lading and to latest developments such as electronic bill of lading. The course also deals with the anatomy of the bill of lading, switch bills of lading and related documents such as letters of Indemnity and Delivery Order.

Who Should Attend?
Chartering Managers, Commercial managers, Commodity Traders, Operations Managers, Supervisors dealing with chartering, operations and trading functions and strategic planners.

Course Overview

  • International trade and the role of bill of lading

  • Who issues Bill of Lading and what does the document signify?

  • Detailed explanations on the functions of bill of lading

  • Switch bills of lading and split bills of lading

  • The anatomy of bills of lading.

  • Different types of bills of lading

  • Delivery order, Mates’ Receipt and other related documents

  • Letters of Indemnity and their implications.

  • Electronic bill of lading


  • Learning Goal
  • Participants should be able to understand the importance of Bill of Lading and appreciate the role it plays in international trade and ocean carriage

  • Thoroughly understand the functions of the bill of lading

  • Understand what is switch bill of lading and the pitfalls and risks in dealing with switch BL

  • Identify different types of Bills of Lading and what the various terms mean.

  • Understand the delivery order, the role it plays and other documents such as Mates’ receipt.

  • How Letters of Indemnity with relation of Bills of Lading operates

  • Electronic Bills of Lading and how they operate


  • Course Materials
    Course notes and Case studies