A document issued by the carrier (or its agent) establishing the terms of carriage and acknowledging receipt of cargo. The B/L describes the kind and quantity of cargo being shipped; the name of the shipper, consignee, ports of loading and discharge, carrying vessel, and other shipping information. The Bill of Lading serves as: (1) The carrier receipt given to the shipper in exchange for cargo. (2) The document of title in the hands of a lawful possessor; this is not true of a non-negotiable B/L. (3) The contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier. (4) Evidence of the apparent condition of the cargo when received by the carrier. If the cargo shows damage, the Master will note exceptions on the B/L, e.g. all coils rusted or 13 bags broken and leaking. See: Commercial Set. Some examples of bills of lading are: Clean B/L: a B/L without notation of damage exceptions to the cargo or the packing. A clean B/L is prima facie evidence ofHouse B/L: a B/L issued by a freight forwarder or consolidator (acting as an NVOCC) to the shipper, when the actual transporter of the cargo issues its Master B/L to the NVOCC. Intermodal B/L: a through B/L covering cargo moving via two or more different modes of transportation; truck, train, airplane, or vessel. Also known as a Multimodal B/L or Combined Transport B/L. Master B/L: a B/L issued by the actual transporter of the cargo showing the shipper to be a freight forwarder or consolidator (acting as an NVOCC), when the NVOCC issues its House B/L to the shipper. Through B/L: a B/L covering the entire transit of cargo from its point of origin to its final destination and applying to all of the connecting carriers even though they are not parties to the contract