Completing a Bill of Lading     

          Shipment Affiliation & Location Information

1. In the “Requester Affiliation” section, enter your affiliation to the shipment requesting pickup. If you are shipping freight, select the “Shipper” checkbox. If you are receiving the shipment, select the “Consignee” checkbox. Also in this section, select whether the shipment will be “Prepaid” or “Collect”.
2. In the “Requester Information” section, you may enter your contact information including name, e-mail address, and phone number. This information is only required if you are not the Shipper, Consignee, or Third Party. 
3. Fill in the Shipper Information.
4. Fill in the Consignee Information.
5. Fill in the Third Party Information if needed. 
6. In the “COD Remit-To” section, enter the COD amount in U.S. dollars, select whether the COD fee will be prepaid or collect, and check whether a company check is acceptable. Enter the company name and address information in the spaces provided.
7. In the “Commodities” section, enter the number and type of handling units for the shipment. For example, if you are shipping 2 pallets with a total of 50 cartons you will enter 2 PLT, 50 CTN. You may also enter the weight in pounds of the shipment. You may either select a class, enter the item and sub of the National Motor Freight Classification number, or a description of the freight you are shipping.  If you are unsure of what to enter as a description, you may get help by using the “Lookup Item” function.  Enter the type and quantity of packaging units.  For example, if you are shipping a pallet with boxes on it, boxes should be selected as the packaging NOT the pallet.  Also, if you are shipping 2 pallets containing 50 boxes, 50 should be selected as the number of packages NOT 2.
8. Be sure to check “Hazmat” if your shipment is hazardous.
9. Click the "Add Another Commodity to Handling Unit" link to add another commodity.  If you have more than one commodity line, you can click “Remove Item” to remove that particular commodity line.  Click "Add Another Handling Unit" link to add another handling unit.
10. In the “Shipment Specifics” section, select the date at which the shipment will be picked up. You can do this by entering the date or by clicking on the calendar icon and selecting the desired date. If available, enter your ABF pro number and special instructions that might be needed for this shipment.  Also, indicate if this shipment will be TimeKeeper.
11. In the “Reference Numbers” section, enter the bill of lading number for the shipment. Enter any other reference numbers that you would like to refer to this bill of lading including the bill of lading number, purchase order numbers, and/or customer reference numbers. Click “+” to enter additional reference numbers.
12. In the “Additional Service Options” section, check all additional service options (special services or accessorials) that apply to your shipment.
13. In the “Copy” section, you may select the party or parties that should receive a copy of the bill of lading via e-mail. Simply select the parties (shipper, consignee, or third party) that should receive a copy. Note that you will have to provide these e-mail addresses in the previous “Location” sections for each party. You may also enter an additional e-mail address to receive a copy.
14. In the “Shipping Labels” section, you may enter the quantity of labels to create shipping labels with this bill of lading.  
15. In the "Pro Numbers Labels" section, you may enter the quantity of labels to create Pro Number labels with this bill of lading.
16. In the “File Format of BOL / Shipping Labels” section, select the file format you would like to view the bill of lading and/or shipping labels with: PDF, RTF, or plain HTML. The PDF format will render a very clear document. This format requires a free application (Adobe Acrobat Reader) that is available for download on the return page after clicking “Create BOL”. The RTF format will create a document that you can view in Microsoft word processors such as MS Word. Both file types may be downloaded and saved to your hard drive. The HTML format will render a bill of lading as a standard Web page.
17. Click the “Create BOL” button to view your bill of lading.

How can I use my templates or previous bills of lading?

You must logon to the ABF Web site with your ABF account number and password. If you need a password, follow the link on the home page to the password request page or contact your ABF account manager.

Do I need to enter information for every field?

No. All required fields are indicated in red and marked with an asterisk, also the tool will let you know if you have left something out.

Can I submit a pickup request after I complete the bill of lading?

Yes. After you submit a Bill of Lading you may click the "Request a Pickup" button to go to the pickup request form.

Can I send a bill of lading to someone or to an ABF Service Center?

Yes. In the Copy section check the box that applies to that person's affiliation with the shipment. If they are not the Shipper, Consignee, or Third Party you may also enter their e-mail address in the field provided.

What is the Adobe PDF format?

PDF is Adobe's Portable Document Format which must be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. This format allows you to print a clearer bill of lading.

What is the rich text format?

This format allows you to print a clearer bill of lading, but not as clear as the PDF format mentioned above. In addition, it will allow you to alter the bill of lading before printing or saving. This format can also be viewed within Microsoft Word or WordPad.

How can I fax a copy of my Bill of Lading?

You can send a fax of your Bill of Lading by clicking Internet Explorer's "File" menu (Alt-F) and selecting the "Print" (CTL-P) option. You must previously set you printer options to point to your fax machine.

What is the format of shipping labels?

Shipping Labels are created to fit Avery 5264 labels. Each label is 3 1/3'' x 4'' in size.

What if I do not know the zip code or the exact name of a city?

In all sections of the ABF Web site that require a location entry, you may provide a zip code or the city/state combination. If you do not know the zip code or the exact spelling of the city, simply enter the first few letters of the city and select the state. After you submit the form, you will be given a list of city/state combinations to select from that match your entry.