A bill of lading is the document that lists the goods loaded for a shipment. Lading is an old word for loading or cargo, so the term is literally the list of what was loaded.
In fuel, the bill of lading is the receipt the terminal gives you when product goes onto your truck. It states the fuel, the gallons, and the taxes for that load.
It matters because every record after it is built from it. The invoice you send a customer comes off the bill of lading, so an error there becomes an error on the bill. It is the anchor for the whole paper trail from the rack to the customer.
Turning it into an accurate invoice quickly, with freight and tax applied, is the core daily work of a jobber’s office.
In useThe driver turns in the bill of lading for an 8,500 gallon load, and the office builds the dealer’s invoice from it, with freight and tax, the same afternoon.
Where the word comes from
Lading is an old English word for loading or cargo, from the same root as to lade, to load. A bill of lading has been a shipper’s list of loaded goods for centuries, long before fuel.