A bill of lading is a legal contract between a shipper and a carrier of goods that details the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being transported. The shipper is the seller or exporter of the goods, while the carrier is the company that transports the goods from one destination to another for a fee. A blank endorsement on a bill of lading indicates the seller has not specified a recipient or buyer for the goods. If a seller or exporter does not have a buyer for their goods at the time of shipment, they can indicate "to order" or "to order of" in the consignee section of the bill of lading. The carrier now becomes responsible for the delivery of the goods and for any ancillary costs related to the shipment.