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Delivery Order (D.O.)
Definition
A delivery order (D.O.) is a document issued by the consignee or its customs broker that authorizes the release of import cargo to the inland carrier who will pick it up.
In simple English
It is the note that tells the terminal and the trucker which trucking company may collect an import container. It does not clear the cargo on its own: the ocean line and customs still have to release it.
What it means
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's truckers guidebook defines a delivery order as "a document issued by the consignee or a customs broker as authority to release the cargo to the inland carrier."[1]
A delivery order sits alongside the other releases an import needs, not in place of them. For an import pickup the same guidebook lists a freight release form, the container number and the bill of lading number, and tells truckers to make sure there are no holds on the container (freight, customer, demurrage, customs and others) before they come for it.[1]
Who issues a delivery order?
The consignee, or a customs broker acting for it, issues the D.O., and the party it authorizes is the inland carrier.[1] On a container import that inland carrier is usually the drayage company hired to pull the box from the terminal.
The ocean line does not issue the delivery order in this definition. Its part is the freight release: the guidebook's list of top trouble tickets includes "Bill of Lading held by line operator" and tells truckers to check the bill of lading for a freight release on the terminal website or terminal information system before arriving.[1]
Delivery order vs. bill of lading
| Document | Who it comes from | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of lading | Contract between the shipper and the ocean carrier | A receipt for the cargo and the contract of carriage, used as a document of ownership[1] |
| Freight release | The ocean line | Shows the line has released the cargo; without it the bill of lading is held[1] |
| Customs release | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Clears customs holds; a container on a customs hold cannot leave until released[1] |
| Delivery order | The consignee or its customs broker | Authorizes release of the cargo to a named inland carrier[1] |
The guidebook describes an original bill of lading as a contract of carriage that serves as title to the cargo and confirms the carrier received it, issued as a set of three originals that together form one contract.[1] The delivery order carries no title. It is an instruction about who collects the freight.
U.S. federal bill of lading law shows why title matters. A bill stating that goods go "to the order of" a consignee is negotiable; one stating that goods go to a named consignee is nonnegotiable.[3] The carrier delivers to the consignee named in a nonnegotiable bill, or to the holder of a negotiable bill made out or indorsed to that holder.[4] That chapter covers domestic and outbound bills, not inbound ocean bills,[2] but the logic is the same at the terminal: until the bill of lading is settled with the line, a delivery order alone will not get the container out.
What does a trucker need to pick up a container?
The Port Authority's list of what to have before arriving at the gate:[1]
- An appointment, at terminals that require one.
- Driver credentials: a valid driver's license, a TWIC card and SeaLink, plus a valid RFID tag on the driver's side mirror.
- Company standing: proof of registration under the UIIA and proof of valid insurance and credit with the steamship lines being hauled for.
- For an import pickup: the freight release form, the container number and the bill of lading number.
Holds stop the move even when the paperwork is in order. One terminal's appointment FAQ in the guidebook says a container with a customs or freight hold cannot be booked; it must be fully available first. The trouble-ticket list also names an expired trucker contract with the line operator and demurrage paid only through a certain date as reasons a pickup fails.[1] The full Port Newark checklist is in what a trucker needs to pick up a container at Port Newark.
Why it matters
If the delivery order goes to the wrong trucker, or arrives after the appointment is booked, the container can sit at the terminal while free time runs out. RapidShips operates a 24/7 dock in East Brunswick, NJ but runs no trucks, so for a container delivering to us the D.O. goes to whichever drayage carrier the importer hires to bring it in.
Example
Illustrative only: an importer's 40-ft container is discharged at a Port Newark terminal, and its customs broker sends the chosen drayage company a delivery order. The trucker checks the terminal website, sees a freight hold because the ocean freight is unpaid, and waits. When the line issues the freight release and the hold clears, the trucker books an appointment and sends a driver with the container number and bill of lading number.
Common confusions
- D.O. vs. freight release. The freight release comes from the ocean line; the D.O. comes from the cargo side. A pickup needs both.[1]
- D.O. vs. customs clearance. A delivery order does not lift a customs hold. See container holds explained.
- The clock keeps running. Issuing a D.O. does not stop demurrage or free time counting; only the pickup and the empty return do.
Related
Related terms
- Bill of LadingA bill of lading (BOL) is the document a carrier issues for freight it receives: a receipt for the goods and...Glossary
- DrayageDrayage is the short-distance truck move of ocean or rail freight, usually a container hauled on a chassis...Glossary
- Customs BrokerA customs broker is a person or company licensed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct...Glossary
- ConsigneeThe consignee is the party a shipment is sent to, usually the buyer; the receiver is the facility where it is...Glossary
- DemurrageDemurrage is a daily charge for a loaded container that stays at the marine terminal after its free time runs...Glossary
- Free TimeFree time is the number of days a container can stay at the terminal, or stay out with the importer or...Glossary
- UIIAThe UIIA (Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement) is the standard contract that...Glossary
- TWICA TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) is the federal credential that workers, including...Glossary
Related questions
- What Happens After a Container Arrives at Port Newark?After the vessel discharges, the container has to be released by both Customs and the ocean carrier before...Answer
- What Does a Trucker Need to Pick Up a Container at Port Newark?At the Port Newark and Elizabeth terminals, the driver needs a valid Class A commercial driver's license, a...Answer
- What Are the Different Types of Container Holds?A line hold is a hold the ocean carrier (the steamship line) places on an import container at the terminal...Answer
- What Documents Are Needed to Import a Container into the U.S.?For a typical ocean import: an Importer Security Filing made before the container is loaded abroad, the bill...Answer
- Master vs. House Bill of Lading: What Is the Difference?When an NVOCC or forwarder consolidates several shipments, the ocean carrier issues one master bill of lading...Answer
Frequently asked questions
What is a delivery order in shipping?
Delivery order vs. bill of lading: what is the difference?
Who issues a delivery order?
What does a trucker need to pick up a container?
Sources
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, “Port Truckers Resource Guidebook (revised August 2025),” Port authority guidance. Published August 2025. Accessed October 5, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 U.S. Code § 80102, Application (bills of lading),” Federal statute. Accessed October 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 U.S. Code § 80103, Negotiable and nonnegotiable bills,” Federal statute. Accessed October 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 U.S. Code § 80110, Duty to deliver goods,” Federal statute. Accessed October 2026.
General operational information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Rules and rates change; confirm current requirements with the agency, carrier or contract that governs your shipment.