Shipper's Letter of Instruction Generator
A shipper's letter of instruction tells your freight forwarder what to do. It is not a customs document and no authority reads it — but the forwarder will use it to book the vessel, raise the bill of lading and file the export declaration, so an error here propagates into documents that are read by authorities, and by then it costs money to correct.
| Item # | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | Pkgs | Pkg Type | Gross Wt (KG) | Vol (CBM) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The undersigned authorises to act as forwarding agent for export control and customs purposes, to prepare and file any export declaration required, and to sign any document relating to this consignment on our behalf. We certify that the particulars given above are true and complete.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents — the parties, ports, container and line items carry across.
Instructions to your forwarder, not a declaration to customs
The SLI is an internal instruction between shipper and forwarder. It authorises them to act on your behalf and tells them how. That authority is the point: without it, a forwarder filing an export declaration in your name is exposed, which is why most will not move without one. It commonly doubles as the power of attorney for that specific shipment.
What the forwarder actually needs from you
The parties, the routing, the Incoterm, the commodity with its HS code, gross and net weights, dimensions, the number of packages, and who pays the freight. Say explicitly which bill of lading you want — original or express release, and to whose order — because that decides whether the consignee can collect the goods without producing paper. Ambiguity here is the usual cause of cargo sitting at destination.
The errors are yours, not the forwarder's
A forwarder transcribes what you give them. If the HS code is wrong, the declaration is wrong and the penalty is the exporter's. If the weight is understated, the container may be refused under the VGM rules. Check the SLI against the commercial invoice and packing list before sending it — the three should agree on quantities, weights and description, and it is far cheaper to reconcile them now than after filing.
Want a blank one to complete by hand? Download the shipper's letter of instruction template →
Exporters
Issue the invoice, packing list and origin paperwork for a shipment in one sitting, without re-keying the consignee address four times.
Freight forwarders
Produce a clean set of documents for a client who sent you a spreadsheet, and hand back PDFs that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the particulars you already hold, without waiting on the shipper's software licence.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the shipment once, every document fills in | Yes | Re-key per document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| PDF built in your browser | Yes | Upload, then download |
| Works before you create an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+Is a shipper's letter of instruction legally required?
Not by customs, but most freight forwarders require one before they will act, because it is their authority to file and book on your behalf. In practice it is mandatory even though no regulation names it.
+What is the difference between an SLI and a bill of lading?
The SLI is your instruction to the forwarder before anything moves. The bill of lading is issued by the carrier afterwards and is a receipt, a contract of carriage and often a document of title. One tells someone what to do; the other records what was done.
+Who signs the shipper's letter of instruction?
The exporter, or someone authorised to act for them. Where the SLI also serves as power of attorney, the signatory needs actual authority to bind the company, since they are authorising customs filings in its name.
+What is express release and should I ask for it?
Express release means no original bill of lading is printed, so the named consignee can collect on identification alone. It is faster and removes the risk of couriering originals, and it suits shipments between related companies or on open account. Do not use it where you need payment before the goods are released, because you have given up the control that holding the originals provides.
+Does the SLI need to match the commercial invoice?
Yes. The forwarder builds the export declaration and the bill of lading from it, and those are checked against the invoice and packing list at destination. Descriptions, quantities and weights that disagree across the set are one of the most common causes of a shipment being held.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
The generator on this page is the product, prefilled and editable. Fill it in and download the finished PDF — then decide.
Create a shipper's letter of instruction