In international trade, goods are being sent from one country to another country or countries. It is required to determine the responsibilities and liabilities of the shipper and the carrier. These are determined by the carriage documents. Therefore the carriage documents must have the following features:

   - These should be issued and executed by the carrier or its agency.

   - The shipment date of the goods must be indicated. This date is important in determining the submission of the collecting documents to the bank; commence of the validity of the insurance, and in determining whether the damage and loss risks of the goods are on the seller or the buyer. 

   - Carriage documents must be clean.

   - i.e. it should not cover any statement that the packaging of the goods loaded were out of order, or that the goods had any leak etc. Carriage documents covering such statements are named "dirty". 

   - Carriage documents must not be stale. i.e.

   - These should reach the buyer in due time. 

   - These should be submitted to the bank in due time. 

   - The carriage documents should not have any note for any notice. i.e.

   - The consignee or those acting on behalf of the consignee should be indicated in the "notify" section.

   - It should not be indicted in the sea bill of lading that the goods have loaded on the deck. 

   - Certain carriage documents need to be issued in an original set covering more than one original. In such cases the number of each original has to be indicated (like 1/3, 2/3, 3/3). 

   - It has to be indicated on the document whether the freight has been paid.