Freight Shipping Documents

Smooth freight shipments depend on documentation. Shipping documents confirm who’s shipping what, where the shipments are going, and under what terms. Clean, accurate paperwork helps prevent delays, customs holds, and invoice adjustments, and ensures the shippers, the carriers, the customs brokers, and the consignees all have accurate information.

In this section of the Freight Shipping Guide, you’ll find practical guidance on the core documents most shipments rely on (such as the Bill of Lading and shipping labels), what changes for cross-border freight (commercial or customs invoices and supporting documents), and what’s required in the cases of shipping hazardous materials. You’ll also learn what typically goes wrong when it comes to documentation, and how to avoid the most common causes of delays and extra charges.

This Shipping Documentation section has been created by Freightera’s logistics team (20+ years of combined experience in freight shipping) and reviewed by Freightera co-founder and editor-in-chief Zhenya Beck. Our goal is to give you clear, real-world information so that your shipments can move smoothly from pickup to delivery.