Shipping Order (SO)

What is a Shipping Order (SO)?

A Shipping Order (SO) is a document issued by the carrier that confirms a shipment's booking on a vessel. An SO will contain the location of the empty container for pickup, and may also contain booking details like the vessel number and sailing time.

How does a shipping order work?

After a carrier accepts a booking, it issues the SO to the shipper or its freight forwarder. The shipper's trucker uses the SO to pick up the empty container from the depot named on it, load it, and deliver it to the terminal before the container yard cutoff date.

The SO ties together the booking number, the vessel and voyage, the ports of loading and discharge, and the cutoff times. Check each detail against your booking when you receive it, since a wrong port or date can mean a missed sailing. A shipping order isn't the same as a bill of lading, which the carrier issues later as the contract of carriage and cargo receipt.

Related terms: Bill of Lading (BOL or B/L) and CY (Container Yard) Cutoff.

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