Except as provided in this section, a common carrier issuing a bill of lading is liable for damages caused by nonreceipt by the carrier of any part of the goods by the date shown in the bill or by failure of the goods to correspond with the description contained in the bill. The carrier is liable to the owner of goods transported under a nonnegotiable bill (subject to the right of stoppage in transit) or to the holder of a negotiable bill if the owner or holder gave value in good faith relying on the description of the goods in the bill or on the shipment being made on the date shown in the bill.

A common carrier issuing a bill of lading is not liable under subsection (a) of this section—

(1) when the goods are loaded by the shipper;

when the bill—

(A) describes the goods in terms of marks or labels, or in a statement about kind, quantity, or condition; or

(B) is qualified by “contents or condition of contents of packages unknown”, “said to contain”, “shipper’s weight, load, and count”, or words of the same meaning; and

(3) to the extent the carrier does not know whether any part of the goods were received or conform to the description.

A common carrier issuing a bill of lading is not liable for damages caused by improper loading if—

(1) the shipper loads the goods; and

(2) the bill contains the words “shipper’s weight, load, and count”, or words of the same meaning indicating the shipper loaded the goods.

When bulk freight is loaded by a shipper that makes available to the common carrier adequate facilities for weighing the freight, the carrier must determine the kind and quantity of the freight within a reasonable time after receiving the written request of the shipper to make the determination. In that situation, inserting the words “shipper’s weight” or words of the same meaning in the bill of lading has no effect.

(1) When bulk freight is loaded by a shipper that makes available to the common carrier adequate facilities for weighing the freight, the carrier must determine the kind and quantity of the freight within a reasonable time after receiving the written request of the shipper to make the determination. In that situation, inserting the words “shipper’s weight” or words of the same meaning in the bill of lading has no effect.

(2) When goods are loaded by a common carrier, the carrier must count the packages of goods, if package freight, and determine the kind and quantity, if bulk freight. In that situation, inserting in the bill of lading or in a notice, receipt, contract, rule, or tariff, the words “shipper’s weight, load, and count” or words indicating that the shipper described and loaded the goods, has no effect except for freight concealed by packages.

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1351.)