Glossary term
House Bill of Lading
A transport document issued by a forwarder or NVOCC to its customer, rather than by the actual carrier.
Issued by a freight forwarder or NVOCC to the shipper for cargo it has consolidated. The forwarder in turn holds a master bill from the ocean carrier covering the whole container.
The consequence is that the shipper’s contract is with the forwarder, not the shipping line, and a claim lies against the forwarder under its own terms. Banks sometimes refuse house bills under letters of credit for that reason.