HBL

A House Bill of Lading (HBL) is a transport document issued by a freight forwarder or NVOCC to the underlying shipper (the exporter) of the cargo. It acts as both a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage between the forwarder and the shipper, and (in negotiable form) a document of title.

The HBL exists alongside the Master Bill of Lading (MBL) issued by the actual shipping line to the freight forwarder. Each HBL is reconciled against its parent MBL — typically multiple HBLs (one per LCL shipper) consolidate into a single MBL covering the full container.

HBLs can be issued in three forms: negotiable (Order BL — title transfers by endorsement), straight (Consignee BL — non-transferable), or express release (no physical document, telex release authorises delivery).