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The Waybill and the bill of lading are both vital instruments in undertaking global trade. These are the only documents that permit one to get involved in maritime transport both locally and globally. Often, people get confused about the functions between the two documents as each serves to accomplish unique purposes. 

The key contrast between the two is that the waybill shows proof the consignee is in contract with the shipper to transport goods to a specific destination while the bill of lading indicates title. The Sea Waybill only serves as evidence hence the carrier is permitted to deliver the goods to the individual mentioned in the document.

The primary features of the bill of lading are; the transport company or the ship’s captain are the ones with the responsibility of giving out the bill of lading. It acts as a reciept for the cargo being transported on the ship as well as indicates the state of its condition. It also represents evidence of a transport contract. The ownership of the shipped goods is assumed to be the holder of the bill of lading who is responsible for receiving the cargo at the destination port.

On the other hand, a sea waybill replaces the bill of lading if a representative title of the cargo being shipped is not required as well as the right to dispose them does not necessarily need to be included. Various unique features of the document include; it is applied if the shipper decides to transfer control of the goods urgently. It hence allows the merchandise to be received by the entity mentioned in the document without necessarily having them hand out a document to claim the goods.

 Also, as goods are on transit, the shipper or sender acquires the sea waybill for reference purposes only. In such a scenario, neither the shipper nor the receiver is required to submit any additional documents to the carrier hence the cargo is released immediately after it arrives at the port. It is recommended to implement the sea waybill if the shipper has a long-term relationship with the consignee of the merchandise in the event the cargo will not be sold during transportation or it is waged to an account with accepted credit.

importance of an Arrival Notice

A valid bill of lading ought to include various information such as; the title and address of the shipper, the title and address of the company and title and nationality of the ship, the dispatching and unloading ports, the identity and address of the entity to be informed of the goods arrival, the condition and state of the merchandise including the quantity, weight, and pieces of the goods as well as the place, date, and signature of the carrier, ship captain or the shipping firm as well as the specific terms regarding locations and payments.

Some of the benefits of carriers using a bill of lading include, it makes control over the transportation and delivery of merchandise more flexible.  Carriers can retain control of shipment and are able to pass on the right to ownership at their own will. They are also important in processing shipments under a letter of credit as they facilitate the rights to ownership and payments.  On the other hand, the primary benefits of a sea waybill are; they do not require one to send documents abroad as it is not compulsory to submit them at the arriving port. Also, they minimize delays for the receiver of the goods as they do not have to wait for the actual bill of lading from the carrier to possess the goods.

To sum it up, the bill of lading and the sea waybills are the two main documents required in facilitating the transportation of ocean cargo. While both serve as receipts of cargo, the bill of lading indicates who owns the merchandise and its holder is the sole decider of how the merchandise is passed on from one individual to the other. On the other hand, a sea waybill presents evidence of an agreement between the carrier and the shipping company. Carriers need to choose the appropriate type of document that will lead to facilitating the freight of cargo hence streamlining and enhancing the security across the supply chain.

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