When does the carrier issue a delivery order?

Once the transport document is released — original bill surrendered, waybill issued or telex release sent — the import manifest is filed, and all prepaid and collect charges are paid.

Who issues the delivery order in the US?

In US practice described by the FMC, the consignee's customs broker issues it to the trucking company, while the carrier separately confirms its release once its charges are paid.

Term

Delivery order (D/O)

A delivery order (D/O) is the release a shipping line or its agent issues at the destination port so the consignee or its haulier can collect an import container. The carrier issues it once the freight and charges are paid and the original bill of lading is surrendered — or the cargo moves on a waybill or telex release.

Also called D/O, DO, container release order, cargo release orderUpdated 13 October 2026

What it is

Maersk describes the delivery order as a document released at the destination port to the consignee or its agent that allows the goods through the port procedures. How the consignee gets one depends on the transport document: with an original bill, it must present the original to the carrier; with a sea waybill, a copy and proof of identity; with a telex release, the shipper has already surrendered the original at origin.

What has to be green first

The waybill or bill of lading issued — and, for an original bill, surrendered.
The import manifest submitted to customs.
Prepaid charges paid.
Collect charges paid.

That is the checklist on Maersk's online release; only when all four are complete can the consignee request the delivery order. Some carriers charge for it: Hapag-Lloyd's 2026 local charges include EUR 8 a container to prepare a delivery order in Thessaloniki.

Worked example: an import release in Dubai

The original bill of lading, endorsed by every relevant party — the bank, if the consignee is a bank; the shipper, if it was issued "to order".
If the cargo is released to a third party, the consignee's letter and an indemnity to the carrier.
A copy of the collecting person's Emirates ID and the carrier's official payment receipt.
The agent issues the delivery order; the haulier presents it at the terminal.

How it differs by country

In the US, an FMC report described the consignee's customs broker issuing the delivery order to the trucker, with the carrier separately giving a release once freight and fees are paid and any original bill surrendered. In Rotterdam, Portbase delivers the container release digitally instead of by email with a PIN. In Saudi Arabia, shipping agents submit delivery orders electronically to customs through the Fasah single window.

The mistake people make

Sending the truck before the release exists. Free time keeps running while a delivery order waits on an unpaid charge or an unendorsed bill, so settle the charges and documents while the ship is still at sea.

FAQ