How are split bills of lading handled?

How are split bills of lading handled?

A split bill of lading occurs when part of the cargo under a single bill of lading – whether one or more containers, or a portion of a container - is separated and transported on a different vessel, often due to container roll-over. The can affect:
  1. The shipping line bill only (Master Bill): Typically, in cases of direct bills of lading or when the entire house bill of lading is moved to another vessel.
  2. Both shipping line and freight forwarder bills (Master and House Bills): When part of the house bill, and consequently part of the master bill, is moved to another vessel.
Depending on their role, the shipping line and freight forwarder will need to update or issue new bills to reflect the split. 

Shipping Line Responsibilities
The shipping line is responsible for reflecting the split at the shipping line bill level. To minimize disruption to current procedures, NAIC supports the following options based on how the shipping line handles the split:
  1. Leave the original shipping line bill unchanged and submit another shipping line bill for the separated cargo, referencing the original bill.
  2. Update the original shipping line bill to reflect the split and submit another shipping line bill for the separated cargo, referencing the updated bill.
Freight Forwarder Responsibilities
If the split affects the shipping line bill only:
  1. The freight forwarder is recommended to submit a new version of the house bill of lading, referencing the split shipping line bill to ensure consistency between the master and house filings. 

If the split affects both the shipping line and freight forwarder bills, NAIC supports the following options based on how the freight forwarder handles the split:
  1. Leave the original forwarder bill unchanged and submit another forwarder bill for the separated cargo, referencing the original forwarder bill and the split shipping line bill.
  2. Update the original forwarder bill to reflect the split and submit another forwarder bill for the separated cargo, referencing the updated forwarder bill and the split shipping line bill.