Electronic Bill of Lading

An electronic bill of lading (eBL) replicates the three functions of the paper bill, receipt, evidence of contract, and document of title, in a digital record. Title transfer is the hard part, because possession of a unique document is what a paper bill carries; platforms such as Bolero, essDOCS, edoxOnline, and WAVE solve it contractually through a rulebook, while the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 now gives a qualifying electronic record the same legal status as its paper equivalent. The DCSA targets full industry adoption by 2030.