You’re already familiar with the term Bill Of Lading (BOL) if you’ve ever shipped cargo before. The BOL is essentially a contract between you, the shipper, and the freight carrier to move goods from one destination to another. It also serves as a receipt for the cargo and often acts as proof of ownership. Freight release and telex release are two methods of handling a Bill Of Lading and transfer of cargo ownership.

But you must have a release to collect those goods. This release comes in one of two forms: freight release and telex release.

Freight Release and Telex Release

A freight release is an endorsement on a bill of lading. It states that the freight charges for the cargo have been paid and the goods can be released on arrival. If not on the bill of lading, you’ll then receive the freight release as a separate document. It serves the same purpose and should be presented at the pier to release your goods.

A telex release is another form of endorsement used to release your cargo. But it’s usually only issued when the original bill of lading isn’t sent with the actual shipment — or at least doesn’t arrive at the discharge port with the carrier.

The following circumstances could require a telex release:

Surrender of the Bill Of Lading

In some cases, you may need to surrender the original bill of lading at a port other than the discharge port, such as the port of loading. You’ll then need a telex release to claim your shipment.

Failure to Process Documentation

Sometimes, when the original bill of lading is issue to you the ship carrying your cargo is already en route to the discharge port. Chances are good that the necessary documentation won’t reach the port in time to clear, so the telex release would be issued in its place.

Change of Destination

You may purchase goods from one country but then find another buyer to purchase those goods in a country other than the original shipping destination. You then agree to a change of destination. A telex release would be issued to release the goods to the new buyer since the new bill of lading won’t likely arrive with the shipment.

Simply put, the release — be it freight or telex — provides instructions from the port of loading to the port of discharge on how to release the cargo. If you’d like to learn more about freight or telex release, or have been hit with unnecessary release charges in the past and would like to learn more, please feel free to contact us today. We’d be more than happy to answer your questions.