Parties
Shipper and consignee blocks stay separate
Carrier, shipper, notify party, and consignee data can be extracted into named fields instead of buried inside page text.
Bill of lading OCR API
Logistics OCR API
Extract bill of lading data without rebuilding every shipment document by hand.
Bills of lading combine logistics metadata, party blocks, vessel references, and dense tabular cargo details. LeapOCR helps teams turn those documents into schema-fit JSON for TMS, customs, and operations workflows while keeping markdown available for review.
Why teams use this
Capture shipper, consignee, carrier, vessel, booking, and cargo details from BOLs.
Support scanned documents, freight forwarder PDFs, and image-heavy shipment paperwork.
Return line-level cargo data in JSON that fits downstream logistics systems.
Shipment data extraction
Logistics teams usually need one object for shipment metadata and another array for cargo lines or package details.
BOL request
{ "url": "https://example.com/bill-of-lading.pdf", "file_name": "bill-of-lading.pdf", "format": "structured", "instructions": "Extract shipper, consignee, carrier, vessel, booking number, and cargo line details.", "schema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "bol_number": { "type": "string" }, "shipper": { "type": "string" }, "consignee": { "type": "string" }, "cargo_lines": { "type": "array" } } }}
Why it works
What matters in bill of lading workflows
The useful question is whether the shipment data lands in a clean structure for operations, customs, and tracking systems.
Cargo
Cargo details stay row-oriented
Package counts, weights, container references, and commodity details can be returned in structured arrays for downstream systems.
Operations
One OCR layer for review and handoff
Markdown supports manual checks while structured output powers TMS, customs, and shipment workflows.
What you control
The core data teams usually need
Bills of lading vary by carrier and lane, but the downstream fields tend to repeat.
parties
Shipment actors
Shipper, consignee, and carrier
These party blocks need to stay distinct because they drive customs, routing, and downstream operations.
routing
Transport metadata
Vessel, booking, and routing details
Useful logistics workflows pull vessel names, booking references, and other routing metadata into named fields.
cargo
Line array
Package, weight, and commodity lines
The payload should preserve cargo rows so downstream systems can use the result without reparsing the page.
review
Readable output
Markdown for shipment exceptions
Markdown gives operators a readable version of the BOL when they need to verify a shipment detail or correct an exception.
Examples
Two common BOL workflows
Most teams either need shipment-ready JSON for systems or a readable logistics document for human review.
TMS handoff
Extract shipment metadata and cargo lines into JSON
This is the common pattern for logistics and freight teams pushing BOL data into TMS, customs, or internal tracking systems.
BOL result
json
{ "bol_number": "BOL-77419", "shipper": "Harbor Parts Ltd.", "consignee": "Northwind Distribution", "carrier": "Blue Ocean Freight", "booking_number": "BK-440182", "cargo_lines": [ { "description": "Industrial bearings", "packages": 12, "gross_weight_kg": 640.0 }, { "description": "Hydraulic seals", "packages": 6, "gross_weight_kg": 88.0 } ]}
Ops review
Keep a readable bill of lading for checks and disputes
When shipment exceptions happen, operations teams still need a readable document view alongside the structured output.
Markdown excerpt
md
# Bill of lading BOL-77419- Shipper: Harbor Parts Ltd.- Consignee: Northwind Distribution- Carrier: Blue Ocean Freight- Booking number: BK-440182## Cargo lines| Description | Packages | Gross weight (kg) || --- | ---: | ---: || Industrial bearings | 12 | 640.0 || Hydraulic seals | 6 | 88.0 |
FAQ
Questions teams ask before wiring this up
Straight answers for teams evaluating how this workflow fits into production.
Can LeapOCR extract carrier and cargo data from bills of lading?
Yes. Bill of lading workflows can return shipper, consignee, carrier, routing metadata, and cargo lines in a structured payload.
Why use a dedicated BOL OCR page instead of generic OCR?
Because logistics workflows usually need shipment-ready objects with party blocks and cargo rows, not just page text that still needs to be restructured.
Can BOL extraction support human review too?
Yes. Markdown can remain available for manual checks while JSON powers the downstream logistics workflow.
Ready to test
See how your bill of lading workflow holds up on real shipment documents
Use a real freight document and check whether the result fits your TMS or customs workflow without another parsing layer.