House Bill of Lading

Definitions #

A document issued by a freight forwarder or NVOCC to the shipper, covering the actual cargo in the forwarder’s own container.

Technical A contract of carriage issued by a non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) that is not the actual vessel operator, often used to consolidate LCL shipments.

Example The forwarder issued a house bill of lading to cover the groupage container destined for Rotterdam.

Etymology #

From 'house' indicating a non-carrier intermediary (freight forwarder) issuing its own document, as opposed to the carrier's master bill.

Collocations #

HBL vs MBL House bill 与 master bill 的对比：HBL 由货代签发，MBL 由船公司签发
surrender of HBL 交回正本 HBL 以换单或提货
telex release of HBL 电放 HBL，免寄正本

Real Business Examples #

The importer cannot clear the cargo without surrendering the house bill of lading to the forwarder’s agent.
Under LCL terms, the mother vessel operator issues an MBL to the forwarder, while the forwarder issues an HBL to the buyer.

Register & Variants #

Register: formal
BrE/AmE: 全球通用，多见于亚洲贸易

Synonyms & Antonyms #

Antonyms: Master Bill of Lading

Common Errors #

把 HBL 当作船公司提单直接向船公司提货 HBL 只能向签发它的货代或其代理提货；船公司只认 MBL
忽略 HBL 的物权风险，在未收到货款时电放务必确认收款后再电放或交单，否则可能丧失货权

Confusable Terms #

Master Bill of Lading (MBL) vs House Bill of Lading: MBL 由船公司签发，证明运输合同；HBL 由货代签发，货代对船公司承担合同义务
Forwarder’s cargo receipt (FCR) vs House Bill of Lading: FCR 不是物权凭证，HBL 是可转让的提单

Frequently Asked Questions

HBL 和 MBL 哪个是正本？?

两者都可签发正本；实际提货时需以船公司认可的 MBL 或 HBL 的流程为准，通常 HBL 需经货代换单

收到 HBL 后如何提货？?

需向货代或其在目的港的代理交回正本 HBL 并换单（通常换取 D/O 或 MBL）

Published: 2026-09-22 Category: Documentation