A document issued when goods are handed over to a shipping company for transport. It may serve either as a formal confirmation of the shipowner's receipt of the goods, or as a confirmation of the existence of a contract of carriage, or as a document recording the ownership of the goods. The holder or consignee of the bill of lading has the right to require the shipping company to release the goods after the ship has arrived at the port of destination. Bills of lading may be transferable (bill of lading) or non-transferable (straight bill of lading). They may also vary according to the mode of carriage.