Moving guide · 30 August 2026
What is a bilty (lorry receipt), and why should you ask for one?
Most people moving house have never heard the word "bilty" until a mover mentions it — and many movers hope you never ask. It is, quite simply, the most important piece of paper in your move. Here is what it is, in plain language.
The bilty, in one line
A bilty — formally a lorry receipt (LR) or consignment note — is the transport document issued when your goods are loaded onto a truck. It is legal proof that the transporter received your goods, in stated condition, for delivery to a stated address. No bilty, no proof.
What a proper bilty contains
- The transporter's name, address and GSTIN
- Consignor (you) and consignee (usually also you, at the destination) details
- Pickup and delivery addresses
- The truck's registration number
- Description of the consignment — typically "household goods" plus the number of packages, matching your packing list
- Declared value of the goods, which matters for any insurance claim
- Date, and the signature/stamp of the transporter
Why it protects you
If goods are lost or damaged in transit, the bilty plus your itemised packing list is the basis of any claim — with the transporter or with the insurer. Without it, you are legally arguing about goods nobody can prove were ever on the truck.
If there is a dispute about delivery, the bilty states what was to be delivered where. It is the document a consumer forum or insurer will ask for first.
If your employer is reimbursing the move, accounts teams routinely ask for the bilty and GST invoice together. Many reimbursements stall for the lack of one.
At state borders and checkpoints, a truck carrying household goods without proper consignment papers invites exactly the kind of delay you don't want your furniture sitting through.
The questions worth asking any mover
- "Will you issue a bilty in my name at loading?" — At loading. Not "we'll send it later". It should be handed over when the truck is sealed.
- "Whose GSTIN appears on it?" — It should be the transporter's own, matching the company you're actually paying.
- "Does the package count on the bilty match my packing list?" — Count the cartons yourself before signing. The numbers must match.
- "What declared value are you writing?" — Understand this number; it caps most claims.
A mover who answers these four questions without hesitation is a mover who runs a real operation. A mover who waves them off — "sir, sab ho jayega" — is asking you to move your household on trust alone.
How we handle it
At Defence Relocation Services, the bilty is issued at loading on every job that goes on a truck, local or intercity, and its package count is matched to the itemised packing list you sign. It's part of the same paper trail as the written quotation and the GST invoice — our FAQs explain the full set. If you're comparing movers, take this article's four questions to every one of them; you'll learn more from the answers than from any rate card.
Planning an intercity move from Gurgaon? That's where the bilty matters most.