Shipping documents, their types and content

The movement of goods from suppliers to buyers is accompanied by the compilation of various documents. They have all the information about the movement of the cargo. Let's consider in detail the shipping documents, their types and contents.

General information

The accompanying documents, the list of which will be presented below, are in most cases drawn up in a similar manner to banking ones. There are various requirements for the execution of securities. In particular, filling in shipping documents, authorized persons should avoid blots, corrections, erasures, inaccuracies, etc. In trading activities, of an external economic nature, including, all payments are made on the basis of securities. Information from them is used in accounting and reporting. In practice, part of the penalties, delinquencies and fines, breaches of obligations arise precisely because shipping documents have not been submitted in time. The list of securities that must be provided with the goods / cargo may be different, depending on the nature of the transactions performed. However, a single rule applies to all participants in economic activity. All shipping documents must be filled flawlessly.

Technical papers

What are these shipping documents? Samples of such papers are used to convey information about the technical condition of the goods. They include: descriptions and forms of products, drawings, technical certificates, instructions for installation, commissioning, operation and repair. The required volume of such papers is stipulated by the terms of the contract. Due to the fact that the technical shipping documents are prepared, as a rule, directly by the manufacturer, only the most important of them must be included in the contract. In some cases, there is an indication of warranty service in such papers. Such information is usually placed by domestic manufacturers. Due to the fact that the Russian manufacturer does not have a repair and maintenance network abroad, the guarantees will only operate on the territory of the Russian Federation. This moment needs to be coordinated with foreign partners. If necessary or at the request of the customer, shipping documents of a technical nature may be drawn up in a foreign language.

Certificates

These shipping documents are used for economic activities both within the country and abroad. Certificates are different. For example, they can confirm compliance of product quality with established standards. Certificates of origin, veterinary and radiation certificates are presented as shipping documents when exporting or importing goods. In the first, the state in which the produce was produced is indicated. Radiation and veterinary certificates can also be presented as shipping documents when importing or exporting products abroad. The quantity of shipped products is indicated in the picking list, packing list and shipping specification. These papers are compulsory shipping documents. The Customs Union has strict rules concerning the registration of goods. In the absence of securities, objects may be arrested or returned to the sender.

Transport documents

With their help, the relationship between the sender and the carrier is regulated. Such shipping documents - this is evidence of the fact of the reception of objects by the transport company. This category of securities include overhead (motor transport, rail), baggage receipts, insurance policy, bill of lading. The latter is a contract for the transportation of goods. It is directly between the owner of the facilities and the carrier. The bill of lading also acts as a receipt of the master of the ship in receiving the cargo.

Design Features

A bill of lading is usually made in two copies. If necessary, they can be more. In this case, all of them will be originals of the bill of lading. The registration and copies are allowed. However, they will no longer act as shipping documents. The required details are:

1. Name of the vessel.
2. The place where the loading took place.
3. Name of the sender.
4. Name of the recipient.

Nuances

It is important to take into account that the bill of lading will not be accepted by the insurer if it does not contain the name of the vessel. This is due to the fact that the degree of risk and, accordingly, the amount of the contribution is determined on the basis of information about the state of the ship. Signing of a bill of lading is carried out in the same place where loading is performed. If it is determined by the terms of the contract, then it should be indicated in the application for a letter of credit. The bank will not accept the bill of lading if it does not contain information about the place of loading.

additional information

The consignor by the bill of lading is usually the seller. Registration of freight and shipment is carried out, as a rule, by the exporter, even when transportation is performed at the expense of the acquirer. The buyer compensates for the costs of this after receiving. There are different types of bills of lading. For example, a document may specify a buyer as the consignee of the goods. Such a bill of lading is called nominal. The recipient can be a forwarding company of the acquirer. In this case, the bill of lading is order. Also the document can be made out to the bearer. When the bill of lading is transferred, the property rights to the objects shipped on it are transferred. Along with this, all the originals of the document have the same force. In this regard, the bank will require all copies of the bill of lading. It is more profitable for the exporter to issue a document to the bearer. In the event that the purchaser refuses to pay, receipt of the goods under the order and nominal bills of lading will turn into a real problem for the carrier. In this regard, experts recommend writing out such documents only with absolute certainty in the commercial reliability of the acquirer. Although in this case, no one is immune to risks. Upon presentation of one of the original bills of lading, the other copies lose their validity.

Railway invoice

It records information about the cargo, the destination and departure stations, the route of destination, the addressee and the owner are indicated. Railway bill of lading is always written for a specific (one) recipient. She accompanies the cargo on the way. When accepting objects at the departure station, a contract is concluded. After the arrival, the consignee is given the goods and the invoice. At the same time, he will have to pay the prescribed amount. To ensure the fulfillment of this obligation, the carrier has a lien on the goods. Similar rules apply to motor waybills.

Settlement papers

Any payment document acts as a requirement of one person to pay the cost of the goods delivered to another entity. When carrying out foreign economic activity, invoices are most often drawn up. Banks make payments only with these shipping documents. The list of GOST includes other settlement papers. For example, it includes a payment request.

Invoicing

As mandatory requisites for such documents are:

1. Date of discharge.
2. Name of the payer.
3. Account number.
4. The state and the city in which the payer is located.
5. Information about the shipment.
6. Information about the goods (name, unit cost, total price of the lot).
7. Name and signature of the supplier.

All information that is entered in the invoice must completely coincide with the information present in the contract.

Payment Features

Regardless of the currency in which payment is made, the accounts under export contracts are issued in the money in which the value of the goods in the contract is established. If they do not coincide, the rules of the recount are introduced into the document. In some cases, the amount may be non-fixed. For example, it can depend on the volume of supplies, it can take into account surcharges and discounts and so on. In such situations, the full base cost of the batch is entered in the invoice, as well as the amount of deductions from it.

Insurance policy

When shipping cargo by sea, there is a risk of loss or damage to the cargo. In this regard, the goods transported are accepted to be insured. This is beneficial to both the seller and the purchaser of the facilities. Insurance policy will allow you to easily compensate for losses. The fact is that in practice it is quite difficult to recover damages from the carrier, and in some cases it is expressly prohibited in the law. For example, a transport company is not responsible for navigational miscalculations of employees. The contract usually specifies the need for insurance. Compensation for losses is carried out by a special company. With it is a separate insurance agreement. In accordance with it, the responsibility of this company comes from the moment of signing the contract. The insurance policy can be made out for one or all of the transportation carried out during a fixed period. In the latter case, it will be referred to as general. When applying to a specialized company, remember that the cargo can not be insured for an amount greater than its contract value. The amount of contribution is established by the insurer. In determining its value, the cost and nature of the cargo, the data on the vessel to be transported, the features of the route and a number of other circumstances are taken into account. When transferring ownership of the transported objects, the rights of the insured are not automatically transferred to the acquirer. The law allows for assignment. It is carried out by direct transfer of the policy to the new owner of the goods. The insurance document, therefore, must necessarily be present in the package of accompanying papers.

Conclusion

The shipping documentation is of great practical importance when dealing with economic entities. In fact, it contains all the basic and reliable information about the cargo being moved. In order to avoid problems with control bodies, as well as contractors, it is necessary to strictly comply with the requirements of the legislation established with regard to the procedure for processing shipping documentation. It should be remembered that inaccuracies in the information, committed even without intent, can turn into big problems. The information from the documents is used by the accounting department, banks, insurance companies. Inaccuracies or errors in them can lead to serious consequences. They, in turn, can become the basis for termination of contracts, the loss of customers, the weakening of positions in the market. It is also important that the likely complications often negatively affect the reputation of the supplier.