Glossary / Delivery Order
Delivery Order — explained
A delivery order is the delivery document issued by the carrier or shipping agent, against presentation of the bill of lading, that allows goods to be actually collected from customs/the terminal in an import. In Türkiye the document is still commonly called an "ordino".
The term "ordino" is a holdover from the former Customs Law No. 1615; the currently applicable Customs Law No. 4458 does not use this name, and instead provides for a delivery arrangement based on presentation of the bill of lading. In carriage, port and agency practice, however, the document continues to be issued today with the same function and under the same name, against presentation of the bill of lading.
There is no single, legally set fee for a delivery order that applies across all carriers; the charge varies by carrier, mode of carriage, port/terminal, and the additional services applied.
A delivery order fee is not a public charge — it is a commercial service fee set by the carrier or agent, separate from customs duty and the amounts paid to the customs administration. Having paid the customs duty does not remove the obligation to pay the delivery order fee; the two are independent charges.
When You Encounter It
In imports, once the container or cargo reaches the port, the goods are not handed over directly even after the customs declaration has been registered and duties paid — actually collecting them from the warehouse or terminal additionally requires a delivery order. Cases where the customs process appears complete but the goods cannot be collected because the delivery order has not been obtained arise from failing to realise that these two processes — customs, and the carrier/agent — operate independently of each other.
A delivery order is issued against presentation of the bill of lading (the transport document) to the carrier or agent; if the bill of lading has been lost or is not in hand, the delivery order process is also delayed.
What It Doesn't Cover
- A delivery order is not a customs authority document; it is the commercial document of the carrier or agent. Consequently, the party to approach for an objection or to negotiate the fee is not the customs administration but the relevant carrier/agent.
Often Confused With
| Comparison | Difference |
|---|---|
| Delivery Order vs Bill of Lading | Bill of lading is evidence of the contract of carriage and of the ownership/delivery right over the goods. A delivery order, on the other hand, is a separate document issued by the carrier or agent against presentation of that bill of lading, which enables actual delivery — the two are not the same document. |
Sample Documents
In Preparation
Sample Delivery Order Document
A sample delivery order (D/O) document, issued by the carrier or agent against presentation of the bill of lading, that authorises the actual collection of goods from customs/the warehouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays the delivery order fee, and what is it for?+
The fee is generally paid by the importer collecting the goods, to the carrier or shipping agent. In return, once the bill of lading has been presented, the goods are actually delivered from the warehouse/terminal — it is a charge independent of customs duty.
Is the delivery order fee lawful?+
A delivery order fee is not a public charge; it is a commercial service fee set by the carrier or agent. Because there is no single tariff fixed by legislation that applies across all carriers, giving a one-sentence ruling on whether it is "lawful" would be misleading — the reasonableness of the fee is sometimes a matter of dispute, but that is a question of commercial transparency, not a claim of unlawfulness.
How is the delivery order fee calculated?+
There is no fixed formula; the carrier, mode of carriage, port/terminal, and any additional services applied determine the fee. Asking in writing which items are included when getting a quote is the most practical protection.
Can goods be collected from customs without a delivery order?+
No. Even once the customs declaration has been registered and duties paid, actually collecting the goods from the warehouse or terminal additionally requires the delivery order issued by the carrier/agent; these two processes operate independently of each other.
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Related Terms
Where This Term Comes Up in Our Work
Delivery Order is one of the documents we track in our logistics and transportation service.
Logistics and TransportationContracted warehouses, container loading, and inland transport organisation.Source
UTİKAD — International Cargo Delivery Process and the Delivery Order Document — A publication of the Association of International Forwarding and Logistics Service Providers (UTİKAD); it explains the status of the term 'ordino' in the transition from the former Customs Law No. 1615 to the current Customs Law No. 4458.
Last updated: August 16, 2026