Which document typically represents the right to receive goods from a shipper and defines the responsibilities of the carrier?

• A. Warehouse receipt
• B. Bill of lading
• C. Primary liability
• D. Implied warranty of title

Answer: (B)

The bill of lading serves as the carrier’s receipt for goods and as the contract of carriage, and it often functions as the document of title to the goods in transit. When a shipper hands over cargo to a carrier, this document is issued to acknowledge receipt and to outline what the carrier must do—properly load, care for, transport, and deliver the goods to the named consignee in accordance with the agreed terms. Because it can be a negotiable instrument, it may even transfer ownership of the goods as the document of title, depending on the form used.

This document explicitly defines the carrier’s responsibilities, including duties to exercise due care, to follow the agreed routing and timeliness, and to handle the goods in a manner consistent with the contract of carriage. It also spell out the limits of liability or the basis for liability in case of loss or damage, as governed by the applicable law, tariffs, and any stated terms.

Other documents have different purposes. A warehouse receipt is issued by a warehouse operator to show goods are stored and to give the holder rights to redeem or transfer those stored goods, not to govern a shipment in transit. The concepts of primary liability or implied warranty of title concern liability or title in transactions, not the document used to receive and transport goods.