A bill of lading is a document of title — the moment an original B/L is issued, it represents real money on the line, and a single wrong word in a telex-release confirmation email can cost tens of thousands of dollars. SBK manages all three document types — ocean bill of lading (B/L), sea waybill (SWB) and air waybill (AWB) — in one place, closing the loop with draft approval, telex-release / original-document control and end-to-end arrival tracking.
Draft approval + telex-release control + original issuance + arrival tracking
Unified management of B/L ocean bills (Master / House), SWB sea waybills, AWB air waybills and RWB rail waybills
When the forwarder sends a B/L draft, the salesperson checks it and routes it for approval, avoiding amendment fees caused by typos or wrong details
Telex-release confirmation emails can only be sent after approval, while signed receipts for original B/Ls are archived — keeping title secure
Track ETD departure date, ETA arrival date and ATA actual arrival date end-to-end, with automatic updates via carrier APIs
Electronic B/L PDFs are auto-archived to the order timeline, so all five negotiation documents can be retrieved in one click
Amendment fee rates by carrier are kept in a library, so salespeople see the cost before submitting an amendment and decide carefully
draft auto-diff against system data
When the forwarder sends a B/L draft, the salesperson must check every word — Shipper / Consignee / Notify Party / Marks & Numbers / Description — because a single wrong letter can lead the customer to reject the bill. SBK turns draft review into a workflow: salesperson checks → supervisor reviews → customer confirms → forwarder issues the official bill, with every step logged.
Telex-release OA approval flow
A telex release means the forwarder releases cargo to the customer on the strength of a carrier confirmation cable, without an original B/L. If the telex-release confirmation email goes to the wrong person, the cargo can be fraudulently collected at heavy cost. SBK routes telex-release requests through an OA approval flow, and only releases once the finance manager confirms the payment has been received.
MSC OSCAR / 2603W → Rotterdam
Sailing delays are routine — weather, carriers and port congestion can all push the ETA back a week. SBK connects to carrier APIs to sync real-time vessel position and ETA, automatically notifying salespeople and customers to adjust receiving plans so no one is caught off-guard at the port.
Once the customer's balance payment arrives, finance confirms it → the telex-release request is approved → the forwarder receives the telex-release confirmation email → the customer takes delivery against a copy.
The original B/L is couriered by the forwarder to the exporter → the exporter presents it with the other documents to the negotiating bank → the bank negotiates and pays.
The customer changes the consignee to a third-party trading company at the last minute; the system flags a USD 50 amendment fee, and the salesperson decides to amend after informing the customer.
The vessel is stuck for 4 days in the Suez Canal; the system automatically emails the customer with the new ETA and an apology — the customer appreciates the proactive transparency.
From booking to negotiation to FX collection, the bill of lading is a key node
The forwarder issues the B/L after booking and departure
The original B/L is the core document for negotiation
Finance confirms the balance receipt before telex release
Real-time ETA prediction from vessel GPS / port congestion
Sign up to try B/L approval / telex-release control / ETA tracking for free