Why is a bill of lading required when dealing with a road transport company?

Why is a bill of lading required when dealing with a road transport company?

Road transport generally involves several stakeholders: an operator, an owner, a shipper and of course a driver. All these stakeholders are bound by contracts to protect their rights.

No road carrier can provide a performance obligation for the delivery of the goods. However, who is liable in the event of an incident that damages the goods? How can the owner be compensated? All possibilities are therefore considered and laid out in a contract called the bill of lading.

The bill of lading: a document that prevents abuse in the road transport sector

The bill of lading is an official document without which the freight company is not authorized to operate. This document establishes procedures and liability in the event of a problem during the transport of goods. Indeed, producing a bill of lading simplifies the compensation procedures for the contract parties if something should happen to the cargo. Without this document, the protection of stakeholders using a truck transport company’s services is at risk.

While the bill of lading is a document that is only used in rare situations involving a road transport incident, it allows the parties to guarantee their rights and interests. Consequently, the law in Quebec has made this document mandatory for all road transport contracts so that no abuse can be committed by road transport services. The bill of lading is therefore an integral part of many road transport services.

What information is required in the bill of lading?

As an official document, the bill of lading must be drafted according to certain criteria and conform to a specific format. The bill of lading must be drafted in a way that reflects the content of the contract between the parties. It must also contain certain statements that are minimum conditions for its application.

In particular, it must include a clear and distinct list of each of the goods covered by the bill of lading and intended for transport, a unique numerical code, the carrier’s liability, possible claims, remedies and exceptions and a whole series of protections listed in Annex 2 of the Regulation respecting the requirements for bills of lading.

Always require a bill of lading when shipping goods

Given all the useful information it contains and the responsibilities it formalizes in the event of an incident, it is not surprising that a bill of lading is required when a company is contracted to transport goods.

At Transport Econo Nord, we always take the time to carefully fill out all the necessary documents so that nothing is left unclear. Our transport services guarantee transparency and security. Contact us to entrust us with your shipments!