Air Waybill Explained: Master vs House AWB, Key Fields and e-AWB

What an air waybill is

An air waybill (AWB) is the document that evidences the contract of carriage between the shipper and the airline and confirms that the airline received the goods. It also works as the freight bill and the reference number used to track and recover the shipment.

It matters for security too. Federal security rules define cargo as "property tendered for air transportation accounted for on an air waybill" (49 CFR 1540.5). Freight without an AWB is not ready to fly.

The AWB number

An AWB number has 11 digits in the format 000-00000000. The first three digits are the airline's prefix, and the last digit is a check digit calculated with an unweighted modulus 7 (IATA). If a number is mistyped, the check digit usually fails, which is a quick way to catch errors before you drive to the wrong terminal.

The prefix tells you which airline owns the shipment, and therefore which cargo terminal to go to for tender or recovery.

Master vs house air waybill

When a forwarder consolidates several customers' freight into one airline shipment, two layers of paperwork exist.

For a driver this distinction is practical. At the airline terminal, recovery is done against the master number, usually with a release from the forwarder. The house number is what the end customer and the forwarder track. Ask your dispatcher for both, and confirm which one the terminal needs.

A shipment booked directly with an airline, with no forwarder consolidation, has only an airline AWB.

Key fields and what goes wrong

Liability and declared value

The AWB carries the airline's conditions of contract. For international carriage under the Montreal Convention, the cargo liability limit became 26 Special Drawing Rights per kilogram on December 28, 2024, up from 22 (FIATA). The shipper can raise that limit by declaring a higher value for carriage on the AWB, usually for an added charge.

On US domestic shipments, liability follows the airline's own contract. Southwest Cargo's domestic contract, for example, deems shipments to have a declared value of not more than $0.50 per pound unless a higher value is declared and paid for, and Alaska Air Cargo's rules use $0.50 per pound with a $50 minimum per shipment. For a light, expensive part, that default is close to nothing.

Claim deadlines

IATA's standard conditions of contract (Resolution 600b) set written complaint deadlines that many airlines use:

• Damage: immediately after discovery, and at the latest within 14 days of receipt of the cargo.
• Delay: within 21 days from the date the cargo was placed at the disposal of the person entitled to delivery.
• Non-delivery: within 120 days from the date the AWB was issued.

As the recovering driver, note any visible damage on the delivery receipt before you leave the terminal and photograph it. That record supports the claim the shipper or forwarder files.

The electronic AWB (e-AWB)

The e-AWB replaces the paper contract with an electronic message. Under IATA's Multilateral e-AWB Agreement (Resolution 672), airlines and forwarders sign once with IATA and can then exchange e-AWBs with every other party to the agreement. A forwarder may start tendering e-AWB shipments to a particular airline only after that airline sends it an activation notice for the location.

For a trucker this mostly means less paper at the counter, but you still need the AWB number, piece count and any printed labels or dangerous goods documents the shipment requires.

Air waybill vs bill of lading

When a truck carries freight to or from the airport, there may be a trucking BOL or delivery receipt for the road leg in addition to the AWB. Keep both. If a broker is involved on the road leg, the rate confirmation sets your pay terms; the AWB does not.

Driver checklist for tender and recovery

• Before tender: AWB number, airline and terminal address, piece count, gross weight, and any dangerous goods paperwork the forwarder says must travel with the freight.
• At tender: get a signed or stamped receipt showing the AWB number, pieces received and time. Note any piece the airline refuses and why.
• Before recovery: master AWB number, the forwarder's release or delivery order if the terminal requires one, and the name of the consignee or agent you are collecting for.
• At recovery: count pieces against the AWB, check for visible damage, and write exceptions on the delivery receipt before signing.
• After delivery: send the signed proof of delivery to whoever is paying you the same day. Many forwarders will not pay a delivery without it.

Common mistakes

• Bringing the house number to the airline. The terminal releases against the master AWB.
• Accepting freight with a piece count that does not match. Count at pickup and note any shortage on your receipt.
• Vague descriptions. "Spare parts" on a carton of lithium batteries is an undeclared hazmat shipment. See hazmat and lithium batteries.
• No declared value on high-value freight. Default limits per pound or per kilogram are low.
• Missing claim deadlines. Fourteen days for damage goes fast when freight sits in a warehouse.

Questions

Is an air waybill the same as a tracking number?

The 11-digit AWB number is used to track the shipment with the airline, but the AWB itself is the contract of carriage and receipt. A house AWB from a forwarder has its own reference used for tracking with that forwarder.

Who issues the master air waybill?

The airline or its authorized agent, typically the forwarder acting as agent and using the airline's AWB number stock. The forwarder issues house air waybills to its own customers.

Is an air waybill negotiable?

No. An air waybill is not a document of title and cannot be endorsed to transfer the goods. The cargo is delivered to the consignee named on it.

Do I still need paper if the shipment uses an e-AWB?

The contract can be electronic, but other documents such as dangerous goods declarations and labels may still be required. Ask the forwarder what must travel with the freight.

How long do I have to report damage on air freight?

Under IATA's standard conditions, a written complaint for damage must be made immediately after discovery and at the latest within 14 days of receipt. Check the airline's own conditions.