The Straight Bill of Lading is a widely used legal document in the transportation and logistics industry. It serves as a contract, receipt, and title document for the transport of goods from one location to another. In order to provide an estimate of how many people fill out Straight Bill of Lading documents each year, we need to consider various factors and statistics.
1. Global Trade Volume: As the Bill of Lading is primarily used for international trade, we can look at the global trade volume as an indicator. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), global merchandise exports in 2020 were worth around $19.0 trillion. This suggests that there is a substantial number of shipments requiring Bill of Lading documentation.
2. Transportation Modes: The Bill of Lading is used in various modes of transportation, including sea, land, and air. A significant number of goods are transported through each mode annually. For example, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the global seaborne trade volume in 2020 reached 11.9 billion tons. This implies a considerable amount of Bill of Lading documents being filled out for maritime shipments alone.
3. Industry Analysis: To obtain a more specific estimate, we can delve into industry statistics. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) reported that in 2020, the U.S. trucking industry moved 72.5% of America's total freight by weight. This suggests that a substantial number of shippers, carriers, and brokers in the United States fill out Straight Bill of Lading documents for their shipments.
4. Regional Considerations: Bill of Lading usage may vary by region, depending on factors such as trade volume, transport infrastructure, and economic development. For instance, countries with significant manufacturing and exporting industries, such as China and Germany, are likely to generate a high number of Bill of Lading documents.
Given the above information, it is challenging to provide an exact number of how many people fill out Straight Bill of Lading documents each year globally or regionally. However, we can conclude that the number is substantial, considering the immense volume of global trade and the widespread use of the Bill of Lading in various modes of transportation.