Freight Glossary
Blind Shipment
A blind shipment is a freight move where the bill of lading is structured so the receiver does not know the identity of the original shipper, or the shipper does not know the receiver, or both parties are hidden from each other. It is commonly used by distributors and brokers to protect supplier relationships. A double blind shipment hides both origin and destination parties, using the intermediary as the named entity on all documentation.
Why it matters
Blind shipments protect competitive supplier information but add complexity to carrier communications, claim resolution, and delivery confirmation, since the named parties on the BOL may not be the actual freight owners. A claim on a blind shipment can take twice as long to resolve because the intermediary must coordinate between hidden parties and the carrier.
When to use it
Use blind shipments when you are a distributor or intermediary who needs to ship product to an end customer without revealing your supplier, or when a manufacturer ships direct but wants the distributor branded as the origin. This is particularly common in food and beverage distribution where private label products ship from co-packers to retailers.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp supports standard BOL configurations that can accommodate blind shipment setups. The key is ensuring delivery and contact details are accurate so Orbit can monitor the move without disruption. The Warp driver app delivers to the address on the BOL regardless of named party, keeping blind logistics seamless at the point of delivery.