What is a VICS bill of lading?
A VICS bill of lading (VICS BOL) is a standardized bill of lading format that big-box retailers require carriers and suppliers to use on inbound freight. It puts the same information in the same place on every shipment, so a retailer's receiving dock can process a truckload from hundreds of different vendors without guessing where the purchase order number or carton count lives.
"VICS" stands for the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Standards association, the retail-industry group that originally published the format. The standard was later folded into GS1 US, but the document is still universally called a "VICS BOL." If you ship into Walmart, Target, Costco, Loblaw, Home Depot, or a similar retailer, their routing guide almost certainly names the VICS bill of lading as the required paperwork that must travel with the freight.
Why retailers require the VICS format
A big-box distribution center receives freight from thousands of suppliers, each of whom might otherwise design their own paperwork. The VICS BOL solves that by fixing the layout. Because every field sits in a predictable position, receiving staff can:
- Scan the shipment barcodes (BOL number and, where used, a PRO number) at the door.
- Match the freight to the correct purchase order using the Customer Order Information section.
- Verify handling-unit and carton counts against what was ordered.
- Route non-compliant loads for chargebacks quickly and consistently.
Getting the BOL right is not just a paperwork nicety. Retailers issue compliance chargebacks for missing, illegible, or non-standard bills of lading, and those deductions come straight off the supplier's invoice. A clean VICS BOL is one of the cheapest ways to avoid a fine.
The main sections of a VICS BOL
Although the exact template varies slightly by retailer, almost every VICS bill of lading contains the same blocks:
| Section | What it captures |
|---|---|
| Ship From | Name and address of the origin (your warehouse or DC), plus the SID (shipper identification) number and often a D-U-N-S number. |
| Ship To | Destination name and address, the CID (consignee identification) number, and the store or DC number. |
| Third Party Freight Charges Bill To | Who pays the carrier when the term is "3rd party" — used heavily in retailer routing programs. |
| Carrier Information | Carrier name, SCAC code, trailer and seal numbers, and the PRO/tracking number. |
| Customer Order Information | One row per purchase order: PO number, number of packages, weight, and whether it is palletized. |
| Carrier Information (commodities) | Handling-unit and package quantities, weight, hazardous-material flag, commodity description, NMFC number, and freight class. |
| Freight charge terms | Prepaid, collect, or 3rd party — and a "Master BOL" indicator when several orders ship under one master. |
SID, CID, SCAC, PRO and other codes explained
- SID # (Shipper ID): the shipper's reference number for the load.
- CID # (Consignee ID): the receiver's reference number, assigned by the retailer.
- SCAC: the Standard Carrier Alpha Code that uniquely identifies the carrier.
- PRO number: the carrier's own tracking number for the shipment.
- NMFC # and freight class: the National Motor Freight Classification item and the LTL class that together drive the freight rate. If you are unsure of the class, our freight class calculator estimates it from density.
VICS BOL vs. a standard (straight) bill of lading
Every bill of lading does three jobs: it is a receipt for the goods, a contract of carriage, and (sometimes) a document of title. A plain "straight" BOL does all three but has no fixed layout. The VICS BOL is a straight bill of lading with a retail-specific, standardized layout and extra fields — SID/CID numbers, store numbers, master-BOL handling — that retailers need. If you want the fundamentals first, read our bill of lading explained guide, then come back here for the retail specifics.
How to create a VICS bill of lading
You have three practical options:
- Fill a blank template by hand. Fine for a one-off, but slow and error-prone once you ship regularly.
- Use a free online generator. Our free VICS bill of lading generator walks you through Ship From, Ship To, carrier, and commodities, then downloads a retailer-compliant PDF — no account required.
- Run shipping software. If you produce BOLs every day, software pulls the fields straight from saved customer and carrier records, adds carton labels and dispatch, and tracks the shipment to delivery.
Generate a compliant VICS BOL free
Create a retailer-ready VICS bill of lading PDF in under two minutes. No account, no cost.
Open the free BOL generatorCommon VICS BOL mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the SID/CID or store number blank — retailers match on these.
- Guessing the freight class instead of calculating it from density.
- Using the wrong freight charge terms, which mis-routes the carrier's invoice.
- Illegible handwriting or a low-contrast scan at the receiving door.
Once your BOL is right, the rest of the shipment gets easier: carton labels that scan, a dispatch manifest for the driver, and a tracking link your customer can open without logging in. That is what Aeson Retail Solutions is built to do. When you are ready, create a free account and turn each BOL into a tracked shipment.