(A) Introduction

4.1 As discussed in Chapter 1, the bill of lading originated as a receipt for the goods actually shipped. It contained a statement by the carrier that he had received particular goods into his charge. In practical terms the bill of lading’s receipt function is still one of its most important aspects: transferees of bills are unlikely to read them in detail. They are particularly unlikely to read the detailed terms on the back of the bill. To the contrary, they can be expected to pay attention to the front of the bill, which contains the most important information, namely details of the date and nature of the shipment.