Register your organization on the WAVE BL platform and obtain API credentials; both shipper and consignee must be registered users to participate in an eBL transaction
Submit the bill of lading data (shipper, consignee, notify party, vessel details, port of loading, port of discharge, description of goods, and freight terms) via the API to create a draft eBL
Request the carrier to countersign and issue the eBL; once issued, the document is held in the blockchain-backed possession chain
Transfer possession of the eBL to the consignee or their bank (if under a letter of credit) via the API transfer endpoint
The consignee surrenders the eBL to the carrier at destination by calling the surrender endpoint, which triggers cargo release without requiring a paper original
Verify the surrender confirmation and correlate it with the terminal delivery order process to confirm cargo pickup authorization
Known gotchas
Not all carriers and ports accept eBLs; confirm operational acceptance with the carrier before committing to an electronic-only workflow for a specific trade lane
Letters of credit issued under UCP 600 may require specific eBL platform compliance with the ICC's URBPO or eUCP rules; coordinate with the issuing and advising banks before using eBL
If a technology platform failure occurs during an active eBL transaction, there may be no paper fallback; ensure the platform has contractual SLAs covering possession-chain continuity
Give your agent this knowledge — and 200+ more routes
One MCP install gives any agent live access to the full route map, with trust scores updated by agent consensus:
claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp