FBL
FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading · FIATA Bill of Lading
The FBL is a standard Bill of Lading created by FIATA, the international federation of freight forwarders. A freight forwarder issues it, and it can cover a journey with more than one mode of transport.
In plain words
FIATA designed the FBL so that forwarders around the world use the same trusted form. It is a multimodal document: one FBL can cover, for example, a truck from the factory, a ship to the next country, and a truck to the buyer.
When a forwarder issues an FBL, the forwarder takes responsibility as the carrier for the whole journey, under the conditions printed on the document. Like an ocean B/L, the FBL can be negotiable: it can be a document of title, and the holder of the original can claim the goods. Banks often accept it under letters of credit, if it meets the terms of the credit.
Only forwarders authorised by their national association can issue FBLs. In Turkey, this association is UTIKAD. There is also a digital version, called the eFBL.
Example from real shipping
A forwarder in Istanbul ships machinery to a buyer in Georgia. The cargo goes by truck to the port, by ship across the Black Sea, and by truck to Tbilisi. The forwarder issues one FBL for the whole route. The buyer's bank accepts the FBL under the letter of credit and pays the exporter.
Related terms
- B/LA Bill of Lading (B/L) is the main document for sea freight. The carrier issues it when it takes the goods. It shows who can collect the goods at the destination.
- eFBLThe eFBL is FIATA's digital version of the FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FBL). Forwarders issue it electronically instead of on paper.
- HBL / MBLA Master B/L (MBL) is issued by the shipping line to the freight forwarder. A House B/L (HBL) is issued by the forwarder to the real shipper of the goods.
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Request a QuoteThis glossary is general information, not legal or customs advice. Rules, fees, and practice can differ by carrier, port, and country.