Invoice price
The commercial price of the goods may matter to the sale or accounting process. It is not automatically the value statement a carrier needs on the BOL.
Valuation fields
Declared value on a bill of lading: use the field carefully
A declared-value field can be relevant to a carrier’s tariff or release-rate process, but it is not a universal insurance switch. Use the exact wording and valuation process the carrier or contract calls for, rather than entering a general shipment price by habit.
A declared value is not automatically cargo insurance
A BOL’s declared-value or released-value area can record a value statement when a carrier’s tariff, NMFC item, or written agreement calls for one. Its meaning depends on the applicable transportation terms and may be expressed per pound, per article, or in another specified format.
Do not treat this field as a blanket guarantee of recovery, a replacement for cargo insurance, or a classification decision. Before entering a value, obtain the carrier’s current requirements, any associated rate or limitation, and the exact form of statement it expects.
Use the carrier’s current language, not a generic value
Released-value provisions can be commodity- and tariff-specific. If the carrier or NMFC entry requires a particular statement, unit, signature, rate, or advance arrangement, follow that current requirement or get qualified advice before tendering.
Separate four things that are often mixed together
Declared or released value
This is a carrier-process term that can be tied to a particular tariff, NMFC item, or agreement. Use the carrier’s required unit and wording.
Cargo insurance
Insurance is a separate product or contractual arrangement. Do not assume entering a BOL value creates, changes, or confirms insurance coverage.
Freight class
Some classification entries can be affected by released-value provisions, but a value field does not assign the class. Confirm the current NMFC and carrier requirements.
Before entering a value statement
- 1Ask the carrier or broker whether this shipment needs a declared- or released-value entry.
- 2Use the exact unit, limit, wording, and signature process supplied for the relevant tariff, agreement, or NMFC item.
- 3Check whether a valuation choice changes the rate, documentation, or advance approval needed.
- 4Keep an invoice, insurance record, and BOL value statement in their separate workflows.
- 5Do not use a generic BOL field to resolve a coverage, claims, or classification question.
Declared-value questions
Should I enter the sale price as declared value?
Only if the carrier’s written process specifically calls for that value and format. A sale price, released value, and insurance amount can be different numbers with different purposes.
Does a declared value change freight class?
It can matter for specific classifications or carrier terms, but it does not determine class by itself. Verify the current NMFC item and the carrier’s rules.
Is declared value legal or insurance advice?
No. It is a document field with carrier- and contract-specific implications. Consult the carrier, broker, insurer, or qualified adviser for the decision that applies to your shipment.
Related guides
Sources & scope
Updated August 22, 2026. Scope: U.S. domestic general freight. Released-value and declared-value rules vary by current tariff, carrier, agreement, commodity, NMFC item, and insurance arrangement. This is orientation, not legal, insurance, rate, or claims advice.
- NMFTA Freight Classification Docket 2026-1 — examples of item-specific released-value statements
- NMFTA classification standards — current-classification confirmation boundary
Keep an approved value statement with the shipment record
DockBOL provides an optional declared-value field in the document’s closing area. Use it for the carrier-approved statement—not as a substitute for confirmation or coverage.
Free · no account · review your printed BOL before tendering