Accompanying documents are drawn up in order to confirm the dispatch of the specified number of documents, goods and other material values. Also, the accompanying documents relating to the carriage of goods may contain other information.
Transmittal letter
The transmitted official documents are almost always accompanied by a cover letter. It contains the details of the sender, the addressee, a description of the documents and materials to be sent. It is also advisable to note how many sheets the sent document consists of. The cover letter is drawn up as a separate document on two sheets, one of which remains with the sender. In organizations, the outgoing number and date are stamped on the cover letters. These measures are necessary to ensure that all documents are received in complete safety by the addressee. It is also, to a certain extent, the sender's insurance.
Accompanying documents for the carriage of goods
When carrying out transportation, shipping documents serve as accompanying documents, as well as a written contract of transportation. They are presented in the form of a railway waybill for transportation by rail, a waybill for air transport, a waybill for road transport and a bill of lading for sea transport.
The necessary information about the cargo (its name, quantity, method of determining the weight, etc.), the consignor, the consignee, the distance of transportation, and its value are entered into the waybill. It is the main document of transportation and determines the relationship between the consignor, carrier and consignee.
The bill of lading is also a security confirming the right of its holder to dispose of the cargo specified in the bill of lading and receive the cargo after its transportation. On the basis of the shipping document, the carrier draws up a bill of lading, in which the consignor indicates the name of the sender and recipient, the necessary information about the shipped cargo, the amount of transportation (freight). For the inaccuracy of information and all the consequences associated with it, the consignor of the cargo is responsible to the carrier.
The bill of lading confirms the acceptance of the goods for transportation and accompanies it throughout the entire route. Further, it, together with the goods, is transferred by the carrier to the recipient.
A bill of lading in all types of transportation, except for rail, is drawn up in three or more copies so that each party has a copy of the bill of lading in case of disputes.
The consignor of the cargo must provide the carrier, in addition to the bill of lading, also all the documents that are required for sanitary, customs, quarantine and other rules.
