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Fuel Delivery Documents FAQ
What is a bill of lading in fuel delivery?
A bill of lading (BOL) is the document issued at a pickup stop declaring what product, and how much of it, was actually loaded onto the truck. Fuel cannot move by road without a shipping paper under federal hazmat rules, and the terminal BOL is that paper. In bulk liquid it is issued per pickup stop, so one order can carry several. It records what went on the truck; the delivery ticket records what came off it.
Sources: Glossary: Bill of lading (BOL), How to read a fuel delivery ticket, 49 CFR 177.817: shipping paper required
What is the difference between a bill of lading and a delivery ticket?
They are the two ends of one movement. The bill of lading is created at the terminal at pickup, records what went onto the truck, and is signed by the loading terminal and driver. The delivery ticket is created at your site at the drop, records what came off, and is usually signed by the receiving party. Your invoice should be built from the delivery ticket.
Sources: How to read a fuel delivery ticket, Glossary: Delivery ticket, NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Weights and Measures Law §17
What is the difference between gross and net gallons?
Gross gallons are the volume of fuel as physically measured at its actual temperature. Net gallons are that same volume mathematically corrected to a standard 60°F, because petroleum products expand when warm and contract when cold. Both are legitimate billing bases where state law allows them. What matters is that your invoice uses the basis your contract is written on.
Sources: Glossary: Gross vs net gallons, Why your fuel invoice doesn't match what you ordered, Texas Comptroller, Motor Fuels Audit Manual, ch. 9, NIST Handbook 44, §3.31
Why doesn't my fuel invoice match the gallons I ordered?
You are billed for what was delivered, not what was ordered, and the two rarely match exactly. Three things move the gallons: temperature, because fuel takes up more space when warm; compartment capacity, because loads fill to the compartment; and room in your tank on the day. On many rack or index contracts the total can also differ, because the price is set at lift rather than at order.
Sources: Why your fuel invoice doesn't match what you ordered, Texas Comptroller, Motor Fuels Audit Manual, ch. 9
Why is a fuel invoice with a round-number quantity worth questioning?
A real delivery is metered as the fuel discharges, so it rarely lands on a round figure. An invoice quantity that exactly matches the order suggests it was built from the order paperwork rather than from the delivery. Ask for the signed delivery ticket and check that the invoice quantity is the quantity measured at your site.
Sources: Why your fuel invoice doesn't match what you ordered, How to read a fuel delivery ticket, NIST Handbook 44, §3.31 UR.2.2
What should I check on a fuel invoice before paying it?
Check four things. The invoice quantity should match the delivery ticket signed at your site. The billing basis, gross or net, should match your contract. On a rack or index contract, check the pricing date: many price on the lift date, not the order date. And if your drop was one stop of a split load, your share was allocated from the loaded quantity, and the last stop is where discrepancies usually surface.
Sources: Why your fuel invoice doesn't match what you ordered, NIST Handbook 44, §3.31
Which field on a fuel delivery ticket matters most?
The delivered quantity. It is metered at the truck as the fuel discharges and is the billable figure, so it is the number your invoice must match; check it before paying. Also check gross versus net against your contract, the product grade, which tank was filled, and the BOL reference that ties the drop back to the load it was lifted on.
Sources: How to read a fuel delivery ticket, NIST Handbook 44, §3.31 UR.2.2, NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Weights and Measures Law §17