Consignee
The consignee is the party receiving the freight, named on the bill of lading, and the one whose signature at delivery becomes the proof of delivery.
Last reviewed · by the Fleetchart team
The consignee's signature closes the carriage contract and starts the payment clock. An exception noted at that moment — shortage, damage, refusal — becomes a claim.
Receivers vary enormously in how long they hold a truck, which is why detention terms and dock reputation belong in a lane assessment.
For example, say a receiver signs for a load of 20 cases worth $500 each, but writes 2 cases damaged on the delivery copy. That note can turn into a claim of 2 × $500 = $1,000. A clean signature with no notes is what protects you.
Slow receivers cost money too. Say one receiver unloads you in 1 hour and another takes 5, with 2 hours free and $50 an hour after that. At the slow one you might collect (5 − 2) × $50 = $150 in detention, but you lose most of a day of driving that the fast receiver would have left you. The consignee's signature also starts your payment, so get a clear, signed copy before the truck leaves the dock.