The shipper is the sending party, the consignee is the receiving party, and a third-party payer may pay for transportation without physically handling the goods. A single company can occupy more than one role, but the role names should not be used as substitutes for actual addresses and contacts.
These distinctions matter when you arrange a supplier pickup, deliver directly to your customer or pay for an order travelling between two other businesses. The NMFTA freight glossary is a reference for common shipment-party terminology.
Keep three questions separate
Where are the goods collected? Where are they delivered? Who has agreed to pay? The answers can be three different businesses. A billing address does not establish where the driver should go, and a delivery signature does not by itself explain the agreed billing arrangement.
| Role in the shipment | Information to provide | Avoid assuming |
|---|---|---|
| Releasing shipper | Physical collection address, contact, release reference | Its head office is the pickup point |
| Receiving consignee | Delivery address, receiving contact, access | The purchasing office accepts freight |
| Booking customer | Person authorised to arrange or amend transport | Any supplier employee can change the booking |
| Payer | Agreed billing details and applicable approval | The consignee automatically pays |
Use the carrier’s accepted documents and account arrangement to confirm responsibility. This worksheet organises the information; it does not replace contractual terms.
Example: you buy, a supplier releases, your customer receives
Imagine a distributor purchases a packed pump from a manufacturer and asks for delivery directly to an installation contractor. The manufacturer supplies the release details. The contractor supplies the receiving instructions. The distributor requests the quote and authorises the freight charge.
Putting the distributor’s office in every address field would misdirect the shipment. Instead, connect the three parties through a common order or shipment reference and identify who can answer a question at each location. The example is illustrative and does not represent a named WTM customer.
Plan for disagreements before collection
Ask who can approve a destination change and who should be contacted when goods are not ready. Include a backup receiving contact where appropriate. Do not pass bank or card details through a public shipment note; payment belongs in the agreed payment process.
When a receiver asks the driver to continue to another location, that is a change to the physical job. It should be reviewed through dispatch rather than treated as an incidental address correction. The same principle applies when a supplier adds unquoted handling units.
Check the documents against the roles
Before dispatch, compare the shipment brief with the issued bill of lading and the accepted quote. After delivery, match the record to the same shipment reference. An invoice may be addressed to a payer who does not appear as the physical receiver; that can be correct when it matches the accepted arrangement.
Send WTM the actual collection, receiving and billing details when requesting commercial freight transportation. Clear roles make it easier to provide the right quote and keep the shipment moving.
