Use Word if you want a clean blank bill of lading that prints nicely. Use Excel if you need math, repeated shipments, or lists that change often. That is the simple answer. The annoying part is that both can betray you at print time.
TLDR: Word is best for a polished, one-page shipping document with neat boxes and labels. Excel is better when you ship often and need item rows, totals, weights, or reusable data. For example, a small warehouse sending 40 shipments per week may save 20% to 30% of prep time with an Excel template. A local shop sending 5 shipments per month will probably be happier with Word.
What Is a Blank Bill of Lading?
A blank bill of lading is a shipping form you fill in before goods move. Think of it as a travel ticket for freight. It shows who ships the goods, who receives them, what is inside, and who carries it.
It may include:
- Shipper name and address
- Receiver name and address
- Carrier details
- Freight description
- Quantity and weight
- Handling notes
- Signatures
- Date and reference numbers
It sounds boring. It is boring. Until a pallet goes missing. Then this form becomes the star of the show.
Image not found in postmetaWord: Best for Clean Forms
Microsoft Word is great for forms that need to look official. You can build a neat layout with tables, borders, and text boxes. You can add a logo. You can lock parts of the form. You can leave empty lines for handwriting.
Word feels natural for a document like this. A bill of lading is mostly text. Names. Addresses. Terms. Notes. Signatures. Word handles that well.
Honestly, it feels like Word was built for “please print this and sign here” documents.
Why Word Works Well
- Better print control: Pages usually look the same on screen and paper.
- Cleaner design: Tables and headings are easy to format.
- Good for signatures: Signature lines are simple to add.
- Easy to read: Forms look less like a spreadsheet.
- Good for PDFs: Exporting to PDF is usually smooth.
Word is also friendly for teams that just need to type and print. Open the file. Fill the blanks. Save as PDF. Send it. Done.
Where Word Gets Annoying
Word is not great with repeated item rows. If your shipment has 3 items, fine. If it has 35 items, brace yourself.
Rows can jump. Page breaks can act weird. A line that fit yesterday may spill onto page two today. It drives me crazy that moving one text box can shift another box by a few pixels for no clear reason.
Word also does not love calculations. You can add fields, yes. But most people do not want to fight Word formulas while packing freight.
Excel: Best for Data and Repeated Shipments
Excel is great when your bill of lading needs numbers. It shines with item lists, quantities, weights, classes, and totals. If you ship often, Excel can save real time.
For example, you can create a drop-down list of carriers. You can auto-fill addresses. You can calculate total weight. You can number rows. You can even pull item data from another sheet.
That makes Excel a good fit for warehouses, wholesalers, and import teams.
Why Excel Works Well
- Easy item rows: Add more freight lines without much pain.
- Built-in math: Totals, weights, and counts are simple.
- Reusable data: Store customer and carrier details on another sheet.
- Fast copying: Duplicate old shipments and update the details.
- Good filters: Sort and check shipment records later.
If your team ships 10 similar loads each day, Excel starts to feel useful fast. You can build a sheet once, then reuse it again and again.
Image not found in postmetaWhere Excel Gets Annoying
Excel can be ugly. There, I said it. It loves gridlines. It loves tiny cells. It loves hiding content if the column is too narrow.
The worst part is printing. One extra column can push your bill of lading onto two pages. A driver does not want page two with only a signature box on it. Nobody wants that.
Expect to waste time on print area settings. You may set margins. Then reset scaling. Then print a test. Then sigh. Then print again.
Word vs Excel: Quick Comparison
| Need | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clean printed form | Word | Better page layout and spacing |
| Many item lines | Excel | Rows are easier to manage |
| Automatic totals | Excel | Formulas do the math |
| Signature-heavy form | Word | Cleaner signature areas |
| Repeating weekly shipments | Excel | Data can be reused faster |
| PDF for customers | Word | Usually looks more polished |
When You Should Choose Word
Choose Word if your bill of lading is more form than spreadsheet. This means the main goal is a tidy document.
Word is a smart choice when:
- You print each document for hand signatures.
- You send PDFs to customers or carriers.
- Your shipments have only a few line items.
- You care about branding and presentation.
- Your team dislikes spreadsheets.
A small furniture maker is a good example. Maybe it ships 8 custom orders per week. Each load has a few pieces. The form needs pickup details, delivery notes, and signatures. Word wins.
When You Should Choose Excel
Choose Excel if your bill of lading is part form and part calculator. This means the shipment has lots of data.
Excel is a smart choice when:
- You list many products or pallets.
- You need total weights or quantities.
- You repeat the same customers often.
- You want drop-down menus.
- You store shipment records in the same file.
A warehouse shipping 60 pallet loads per week is a strong Excel case. If each load has 15 to 25 line items, manual typing gets old fast. Excel can cut errors by using preset lists and formulas.
Image not found in postmetaCan You Use Both?
Yes. And sometimes that is the best move.
You can manage shipment data in Excel. Then copy the final details into a Word bill of lading. This gives you math plus a clean final document.
You can also use mail merge. Excel holds the data. Word creates the finished forms. This is handy for batch shipping. It takes setup time, but it can save hours later.
For example, if you create 25 bills of lading every Friday, mail merge can turn a boring job into a few clicks. That feels nice. Almost suspiciously nice.
Tips for a Better Blank Bill of Lading Template
No matter which tool you choose, keep the form simple. A messy document causes mistakes. Mistakes cause phone calls. Phone calls cause headaches.
- Use clear labels. Do not make people guess.
- Leave enough space. Tiny fields invite bad handwriting.
- Freeze the layout. Protect cells in Excel or restrict editing in Word.
- Add required fields. Mark them with Required or an asterisk.
- Test print it. Print before using it with real freight.
- Save a blank copy. Someone will overwrite it. Someone always does.
- Export to PDF. PDFs reduce layout drama when sharing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not make the form too fancy. A bill of lading is not a party invitation. It must be clear, fast, and reliable.
Avoid these traps:
- Using tiny fonts to cram everything onto one page
- Forgetting carrier signature space
- Leaving out shipment dates
- Not listing package count
- Hiding key notes in small print
- Using Excel without checking page breaks
- Using Word tables that break across pages
The Final Pick
Pick Word for beauty. Pick Excel for brains. That is the easiest way to remember it.
If your blank bill of lading should look clean and print perfectly, Word is the safer choice. If your shipping document needs rows, formulas, and repeat data, Excel is the stronger tool.
For many small teams, the best setup is simple. Use Excel to track shipping data. Use Word to create the final bill of lading. Then save it as a PDF. The driver gets a clean copy. The office keeps useful data. Everyone spends less time swearing at page margins.
