On the ops desk a sea waybill removes the document chase entirely: there are no originals to print, courier, or surrender, and the named consignee takes delivery without producing one. That makes it the routine choice for shipments between trusted parties, while a negotiable bill of lading is used when payment runs through the document, such as under a letter of credit, or when title may change hands in transit. It is not the same as a telex release, where originals are issued and then surrendered at origin; under a sea waybill, originals never exist. The forwarder makes this call per shipment, because the document type decides how the cargo is collected at destination.
Glossary
Sea Waybill
A non-negotiable transport document that acts as a receipt for the goods and evidence of the contract of carriage, but not as a document of title: no originals are issued, and the carrier releases the cargo to the named consignee without an original document being presented or surrendered.