A waybill or consignment note (UIC

International Union of Railways

The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...

) is a document issued by a carrier

Common carrier

A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...

 giving details and instructions relating to the shipment of a consignment

Consignment

Consignment the act of consigning, which is placing any material in the hand of another, but retaining ownership until the goods are sold or person is transferred. This may be done for shipping, transfer of prisoners, to auction, or for sale in a store Consignment the act of consigning, which is...

 of goods. Typically it will show the names of the consignor

Consignor

The consignor, in a contract of carriage, is the person sending a shipment to be delivered whether by land, sea or air. Some carriers, such as national postal entities, use the term "sender" or "shipper" but in the event of a legal dispute the proper and technical term "consignor" will generally be...

 and consignee

Consignee

In a contract of carriage, the consignee is the person to whom the shipment is to be delivered to whether by land, sea or air.-A brief statement of law:...

, the point of origin of the consignment, its destination, route

Route

Route may refer to:* Route or thoroughfare for transportation* Route number or road number*Trade route, a commonly used path for the passage of goods*Scenic route, a thoroughfare designated as scenic based on the scenery through which it passes...

, and method of shipment, and the amount charged for carriage. Unlike a bill of lading

Bill of lading

A bill of lading is a document issued by a carrier to a shipper, acknowledging that specified goods have been received on board as cargo for conveyance to a named place for delivery to the consignee who is usually identified...

, which includes much of the same information, a waybill is not a document of title

Title (property)

Title is a legal term for a bundle of rights in a piece of property in which a party may own either a legal interest or an equitable interest. The rights in the bundle may be separated and held by different parties. It may also refer to a formal document that serves as evidence of ownership...

.
Most Freight Forwarders and Trucking Companies use an in-house waybill called a House Bill. These typically contain 'Conditions of Contract of Carriage' terms on the back of the form. These terms cover limits to liability and other terms and conditions.

Most Airlines use a different form called an Air Waybill which lists additional items like Airport of Destination, Flight # and time.

Digital waybill

A digital waybill is an electronic version of a waybill, which has become very common as many shipments are ordered through the internet. The driving force behind the movement to the Digital Waybill has been the lowering of printing costs for shipping companies in the North American market. The European market has also benefited from cost savings through the reduction in telephone and fax costs due to the increased usage of the digital waybill. In some regions, it has been referred to as an e-Waybill however this is not the industry standard.