LTL Freight and Bill of Lading Documentation
Preparation and verification of less than truckload freight shipments and their bill of lading, covering NMFC freight class and description accuracy, declared weight and dimensions, handling unit and pallet count verification, driver check-in and check-out, seal recording, and the exception notations that protect the facility against freight claims and carrier reweigh and reclass charges.
- Audience
- Shipping associates, dock personnel, shipping clerks, and shipping supervisors
- Review cycle
- semiannual
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- Revision
- 1
What is in the procedure
8 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure establishes how less than truckload freight is prepared, documented, verified, and tendered at this facility.
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis procedure applies to every less than truckload and volume LTL shipment tendered from this facility, and to every associate who builds an LTL handling unit, weighs or measures freight, prepares or signs a bill of...
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedShipping associates build and wrap the handling units, apply pallet placards, and stage the shipment as one intact lot in a marked LTL lane.
- 04
Procedure: Building the Handling Unit and Determining Freight Class
FixedThe handling unit is what the carrier counts and what the class describes, so build it before you document it.
- 05
Procedure: Bill of Lading Accuracy and Verification
CustomizedVerify the document against the freight, not against the order.
- 06
Procedure: Driver Check-In, Count Verification, Seal Record, and Check-Out
CustomizedThe count is agreed at the dock, in front of the driver, before the freight leaves.
- 07
Exception and Discrepancy Handling
CustomizedStop and resolve before tender whenever any of the following occurs: the physical handling unit count does not match the bill of lading, a pallet placard sequence is incomplete, the scale weight does not match the...
- 08
References
Fixed29 CFR 1910.176 Handling materials, general.
OSHA references
LTL Freight and Bill of Lading Documentation: 29 CFR 1910.176(b)
Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.176(b) | Handling materials, general: secure storage | Storage of material must not create a hazard. Bags, containers, bundles, and other material stored in tiers must be stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height so that the storage is stable and secure against sliding or collapse. |
| 29 CFR 1910.176(a) | Handling materials, general: use of mechanical equipment | Where mechanical handling equipment is used, sufficient safe clearance must be allowed for aisles, at loading docks, through doorways, and wherever turns must be made. Aisles and passageways must be kept clear, in good repair, and free of obstruction that could create a hazard, and permanent aisles and passageways must be appropriately marked. |
| 29 CFR 1910.176(c) | Handling materials, general: housekeeping | Storage areas must be kept free from accumulation of materials that constitute hazards from tripping, fire, explosion, or pest harborage, and vegetation control must be exercised where necessary. |
| 29 CFR 1910.22(a) | Walking-working surfaces: general requirements: housekeeping | Walking-working surfaces must be kept clean, orderly, and sanitary, kept clean and dry so far as the work allows, and kept free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, spills, and debris that create slip, trip, or fall hazards. |
Compliance checklist
What an inspector looks for
Handling units are stacked, wrapped, and banded so they are stable and secure against sliding or collapse, with no pallet overhang
29 CFR 1910.176(b)
LTL staging lanes leave safe clearance at the dock and keep aisles and passageways clear and in good repair
29 CFR 1910.176(a)
Staging areas are kept free from accumulated wrap, banding, dunnage, and broken pallets
29 CFR 1910.176(c)
Dock and staging surfaces are kept clean, dry, and free of debris and protruding objects after every tender
29 CFR 1910.22(a)
Each handling unit is weighed on a certified scale and measured, and the declared weight, dimensions, NMFC item, and class on the bill of lading match the freight as built
The handling unit count is verified with the driver present and the driver signs for that count before the freight is released
Seal numbers, pro numbers, and driver signatures are recorded on the document and in the facility system the same day
Waitlist
Generate this SOP for your facility
At launch you answer the facility questionnaire once and this template comes back with your equipment, your titles, and your sign-off sheet attached.
This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.