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Shipper Load and Count (SLC)
Definition
Shipper load and count (SLC or SL&C) is a bill of lading notation meaning the shipper loaded and counted the freight without the carrier's driver checking it.
What it means
The notation has legal weight. Under the federal bills of lading law, a carrier is not liable for damage caused by improper loading if the shipper loaded the goods and the bill contains "shipper's weight, load, and count" or words of the same meaning; if the carrier does the loading, the notation has no effect except for freight concealed by packages.[1]
Carriers write it into their rules. FedEx Freight's tariff, for example, says its driver will note "SL&C" on the bill of lading when the shipper counted and loaded without the driver watching, and that the shipper will block and brace the freight.[2] The FHWA glossary lists the related abbreviations SLSC (shipper load, shipper count) and SLDC (shipper load, driver count).[3]
Why it matters
On a sealed, shipper-loaded trailer the driver often cannot see the load, and the driver's en-route inspection duty does not apply to a sealed load the driver was ordered not to open.[4] If that load arrives shifted or short, the notation points back to how it was loaded and counted.
Example
A manufacturer loads and seals a trailer at its own dock while the driver waits in the cab. The bill of lading is marked SL&C and carries the seal number, so the receiver checks the seal before the doors are opened.
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
- Container SealA container seal is a numbered, tamper-evident device locked through a container's door hardware after...Glossary
- Overages, Shortages and DamagesOverages, shortages and damages (OS&D) is the receiving record of freight that arrived over the expected...Glossary
- Cargo SecurementCargo securement is restraining freight on or inside a vehicle, with walls, blocking, bracing, dunnage or...Glossary
- Carmack AmendmentThe Carmack Amendment (49 U.S.C. 14706) is the federal law that makes interstate motor carriers liable for...Glossary
Related freight problems
Sources
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 U.S. Code § 80113, Liability for nonreceipt, misdescription, and improper loading,” Federal statute. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- FedEx Freight, “FedEx Freight 100-Y Rules Tariff (effective January 5, 2026),” Carrier rules tariff. Published January 5, 2026. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations, “Freight Glossary,” Government glossary. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 CFR § 392.9, Inspection of cargo and cargo securement devices,” Federal regulation. Accessed September 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.