Legal Definitions - contents unknown

The term contents unknown refers to a specific statement placed on a shipping document, such as a bill of lading, by a carrier (the company transporting goods). This declaration indicates that the carrier has not inspected, verified, or confirmed the actual items or materials contained within a sealed package, container, or shipment unit.

Carriers use this phrase primarily to limit their potential legal responsibility for any damage or loss to the goods if they were not able to visually inspect or verify the contents at the time of pickup. By stating "contents unknown," the carrier signals that they are only acknowledging receipt of a sealed container or package, not the specific items inside it, thereby shifting the burden of proof regarding the condition or nature of the contents back to the shipper.

• Example 1: Electronics Manufacturer

  A company manufactures sensitive electronic components and ships them in sealed, opaque boxes to an assembly plant. When the freight carrier picks up 50 such boxes, they issue a bill of lading that includes the notation "contents unknown." If, upon arrival, some components are found to be damaged, the carrier can argue that they are not liable for the damage because they never verified what was inside the sealed boxes, nor did they have control over how the components were packed within those boxes by the manufacturer.

• Example 2: International Retail Shipment

  A large retail chain imports a full shipping container of various consumer goods (clothing, home decor, small appliances) from an overseas supplier. The supplier loads and seals the container at their factory. When the ocean carrier receives the sealed container at the port, they mark the bill of lading with "contents unknown." This means the carrier is acknowledging receipt of a sealed container with a specific weight and dimensions, but they are not confirming the quantity, quality, or specific type of merchandise packed inside by the supplier. Should a dispute arise later regarding missing or damaged items, the carrier's liability is limited because they did not inspect the individual items before transport.

• Example 3: Palletized Goods for Local Delivery

  A small business ships a pallet of custom-made, fragile ceramic items to a client. The items are carefully packed into individual boxes, and then the entire pallet is wrapped in opaque stretch film by the shipper. When the local trucking company picks up the pallet, their driver notes "contents unknown" on the delivery receipt. This indicates that while the driver confirmed receipt of one wrapped pallet, they did not inspect the individual ceramic items inside the boxes or under the film. If some ceramics arrive broken, the trucking company can use the "contents unknown" notation to argue that they were unaware of the fragile nature or specific count of the items within the sealed pallet and therefore their liability for internal damage is reduced.