A Blind Bill of Lading (BOL) is a specialized document used in when one or more parties in the supply chain should not know the identity of others involved—typically to protect confidentiality between the shipper, consignee, or third party.
A Blind Bill of Lading intentionally conceals certain shipment details—most commonly:
The shipper's name and address (from the receiver/consignee)
The receiver's name and address (from the shipper)
Sometimes, both parties are hidden from each other. This is often arranged by a third-party logistics provider (3PL) or freight broker.
Use Cases for a Blind BOL
Drop Shipping
Hide the identity of the supplier from the end customer.
Common in retail, e-commerce, and wholesale fulfillment.
Freight Broker / 3PL Protection
Prevent direct contact between the shipper and consignee or carrier and shipper.
Safeguards broker relationships and prevents being cut out.
Private Label / White Label Products
Conceal the true manufacturer to protect branding.
Maintains the illusion of exclusive production.
Confidentiality or Contractual Requirements
Comply with NDAs or supply chain contracts.
Ensures sensitive partner information remains private.
Double Blind Shipping
Hide both shipper and consignee from each other.
Full anonymity when broker wants to remain in full control.
Margin Protection
Prevent customers from bypassing resellers or distributors.
Protects pricing and profit structure in competitive markets.
How to Generate a Blind Bill of Lading
Super easy! Bill of Lading's are generated as soon as you add at least one Pickup and one Delivery to a load.
If you need a quick walkthrough on the load building process, please visit our How to Build a Load Help Guide, below.
How to Download, View or Send (Email) a Blind Bill of Lading
From the Load Management screen, right-click on the load you want to access the Blind BOL from (this action will display a Shortcut Menu), and click on the View or Send Load Docs
You will be taken to the following screen where you will see the Blind Bill of Lading.
Simply click on the Blind Bill of Lading. You will see the following options available to you:
Preview/Process Doc
Download Doc
Email Doc
Preview/Process Doc - allows you to preview the document and (optional) attach the document to additional entities within your AscendTMS
Download Doc - downloads the document to your computer (or any other device you're accessing AscendTMS from)
Email Doc - allows you to email the Blind BOL to any contacts/parties needed
How to Customize Your Blind Bill of Lading Documents
Note: Any changes made to the Terms and Conditions on your standard Bill of Lading will automatically apply to your Blind Bill of Lading as well. Both documents share the same settings.
Begin by locating the Settings tab within your AscendTMS main menu
From within Settings, locate the Report & Documents Section and click on Edit the Default Settings for Bill of Lading Documents
The following screen will appear, giving you the ability to customize the Terms and Conditions, along with the ability to customize the Footer of the Bill of Lading document
