A bill of lading is used in sea freight shipments. A bill of lading is issued by a carrier to a shipper confirming that the goods were received in an acceptable condition and ready to be shipped. If original bills of lading are used, the receiver cannot take possession of the goods without having the original bills of lading. You can also use express bills of lading, where only an electronic copy of the bill of lading is required. The equivalent for air freight shipments is an Air Waybill. Certified Air waybills and bills of lading can also be supplied by your freight forwarder to use as Proof of Shipment for your records.