The evolution of the bill of lading

Extracted from text ... THE EVOLUTION OF THE BILL OF LADING SF du Toit (University of Johannesburg) 1 Introduction1 While it may seem a bit unwarranted to devote an article to the history of the bill of lading during an age where the emphasis must surely fall on its demateialisation and the replacement of it by electronic means, there are nevertheless some lessons to be learnt from a study of the bill of lading's origins. The functions of the bill of lading were gradually created by the practical needs and technical developments of a certain time, and to study these functions, it is ..