diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.module.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.module.ts
index 4b3e3bcca..96ed3b701 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.module.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.module.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { RuleEngineModule } from '../rule-engine/rule-engine.module';
 import { FileUploadSettingsModule } from '../file-upload-settings/file-upload-settings.module';
 import { SignaturesModule } from '../signatures/signatures.module';
 import { BillingModule } from '../billing/billing.module';
+import { DocumentsModule } from '../billing/documents/documents.module';
 import { FirstMileModule } from '../first-mile/first-mile.module';
 import { LastMileModule } from '../last-mile/last-mile.module';
 import { BookingContractService } from './booking-contract.service';
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ import { VehiclesModule } from "../vehicles/vehicles.module";
       CustomerTruckContainer,
     ]),
     BillingModule,
+    DocumentsModule,
     NotificationsModule,
     NotificationInboxModule,
     forwardRef(() => FirstMileModule),
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts
index dac739fbf..9f72c7409 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/bookings/bookings.service.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ import { Booking } from './entities/booking.entity';
 import { BookingContainerAllocation } from './entities/booking-container-allocation.entity';
 import { FileRecord } from '../files/entities/file.entity';
 import { CustomerTruckAssignmentDto } from './dto/customer-truck-assignment.dto';
-import { ContractPdfService } from '../../contracts/contract-pdf.service';
+import { PdfRenderService } from '../billing/documents/pdf-render.service';
+import { buildTabularFallbackPdf } from '../billing/documents/styled-pdf.util';
 
 /** Paginated booking list: flat `total` (backoffice) + `meta` block (portal). */
 export interface PaginatedBookings {
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ export class BookingsService {
     private readonly containerTypesService: ContainerTypesService,
     private readonly consolidationService: ConsolidationService,
     private readonly vehiclesService: VehiclesService,
-    private readonly contractPdfService: ContractPdfService,
+    private readonly pdfRender: PdfRenderService,
     private readonly events: EventEmitter2,
   ) {}
 
@@ -170,7 +171,12 @@ export class BookingsService {
     );
 
     const html = this.buildCustomerTruckFreightOrderHtml(booking, trucks);
-    const buffer = await this.contractPdfService.htmlToPdfBuffer(html);
+    // Chromium when available; otherwise the styled tabular fallback (never the
+    // generic text dump — the freight order is an outward-facing gate document).
+    const buffer = await this.pdfRender.htmlToPdfBuffer(html, {
+      label: 'freight order',
+      fallback: (prepared) => buildTabularFallbackPdf(prepared),
+    });
     return {
       filename: `freight-order-${booking.reference.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9_-]+/g, '-')}.pdf`,
       buffer,
@@ -262,21 +268,10 @@ export class BookingsService {
       containers: string | null;
     }>,
   ): string {
+    const esc = (v: unknown) => this.escapeHtml(String(v ?? '-'));
     const assignedAt = booking.customerTruckAssignedAt
       ? new Date(booking.customerTruckAssignedAt).toLocaleString('en-GB')
       : '-';
-    const bookingRows: Array<[string, string | null | undefined]> = [
-      ['Booking Reference', booking.reference],
-      ['Client Name', booking.company?.name],
-      ['Client ID', booking.companyId],
-      ['Trade Direction', booking.tradeDirection],
-      ['Freight Type', booking.freightType],
-      ['Assigned At', assignedAt],
-      ['Booking Status', booking.status],
-    ];
-    const bookingRowHtml = bookingRows
-      .map(([label, value]) => `<tr><th>${this.escapeHtml(label)}</th><td>${this.escapeHtml(value || '-')}</td></tr>`)
-      .join('');
 
     // Fall back to the legacy single-truck booking columns when there are no
     // multi-truck rows (bookings assigned before the multi-truck feature).
@@ -297,44 +292,63 @@ export class BookingsService {
             ]
           : [];
 
-    const truckBlocks = truckList
-      .map((t, i) => {
-        const rows: Array<[string, string | null | undefined]> = [
-          ['Truck Plate Number', t.plateNumber],
-          ['Driver Name', t.driverName],
-          ['Truck Type', t.truckType],
-          ['Containers Loaded', t.containers],
-          [
-            'Arrival',
-            t.arrivedAt ? new Date(t.arrivedAt).toLocaleString('en-GB') : 'Awaiting arrival',
-          ],
-        ];
-        const html = rows
-          .map(
-            ([label, value]) =>
-              `<tr><th>${this.escapeHtml(label)}</th><td>${this.escapeHtml(value || '-')}</td></tr>`,
-          )
-          .join('');
-        return `<div class="truck"><h2>Truck ${i + 1}</h2><table>${html}</table></div>`;
-      })
+    const truckRows = truckList
+      .map(
+        (t, i) => `<tr>
+          <td class="num">${i + 1}</td>
+          <td>${esc(t.plateNumber)}</td>
+          <td>${esc(t.driverName)}</td>
+          <td>${esc(t.truckType)}</td>
+          <td>${esc(t.containers)}</td>
+          <td>${t.arrivedAt ? esc(new Date(t.arrivedAt).toLocaleString('en-GB')) : 'Awaiting arrival'}</td>
+        </tr>`,
+      )
       .join('');
 
     const copy = (watermark: string) => `
       <section class="copy">
-        <div class="watermark">${this.escapeHtml(watermark)}</div>
-        <header>
+        <div class="watermark">${esc(watermark)}</div>
+        <div class="top">
           <div>
+            <div class="brand">Ethio-Djibouti Railway S.C.</div>
             <h1>Freight Order</h1>
-            <p>Customer external truck assignment — ${truckList.length} truck${truckList.length !== 1 ? 's' : ''}</p>
+            <div class="subtitle">Customer external truck assignment — ${truckList.length} truck${truckList.length !== 1 ? 's' : ''}</div>
           </div>
-          <strong>${this.escapeHtml(booking.reference)}</strong>
-        </header>
-        <table>${bookingRowHtml}</table>
-        ${truckBlocks}
+          <div class="meta">
+            Booking
+            <strong>${esc(booking.reference)}</strong>
+            Generated: ${esc(new Date().toLocaleString('en-GB'))}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <div class="summary">
+          <div class="tile"><span>Client</span><strong>${esc(booking.company?.name)}</strong></div>
+          <div class="tile"><span>Client ID</span><strong>${esc(booking.companyId)}</strong></div>
+          <div class="tile"><span>Trade direction</span><strong>${esc(booking.tradeDirection)}</strong></div>
+          <div class="tile"><span>Freight type</span><strong>${esc(booking.freightType)}</strong></div>
+          <div class="tile"><span>Assigned at</span><strong>${esc(assignedAt)}</strong></div>
+          <div class="tile"><span>Booking status</span><strong>${esc(booking.status)}</strong></div>
+        </div>
+        <table>
+          <thead>
+            <tr>
+              <th class="num">#</th>
+              <th>Truck plate</th>
+              <th>Driver</th>
+              <th>Truck type</th>
+              <th>Containers loaded</th>
+              <th>Arrival</th>
+            </tr>
+          </thead>
+          <tbody>${truckRows}</tbody>
+        </table>
+        <div class="notice">
+          Present this freight order at the warehouse gate. Each truck may only collect the
+          containers listed against it; the handover must be signed before any truck leaves.
+        </div>
         <div class="signatures">
-          <div>Customer / Carrier Signature</div>
-          <div>Port Operations Verification</div>
-          <div>Gate Security Verification</div>
+          <div class="line">Customer / Carrier signature — date</div>
+          <div class="line">Port operations verification — date</div>
+          <div class="line">Gate security verification — date</div>
         </div>
       </section>`;
 
@@ -342,21 +356,30 @@ export class BookingsService {
       <html>
         <head>
           <meta charset="utf-8" />
+          <title>Freight Order</title>
           <style>
-            body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #10202f; margin: 0; }
-            .copy { position: relative; min-height: 46vh; padding: 28px 32px; page-break-inside: avoid; border-bottom: 1px dashed #94a3b8; }
-            .watermark { position: absolute; inset: 0; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 34px; font-weight: 800; color: rgba(16, 32, 47, 0.08); transform: rotate(-18deg); pointer-events: none; }
-            header { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: flex-start; border-bottom: 3px solid #0a9f6a; padding-bottom: 14px; margin-bottom: 18px; }
-            h1 { margin: 0; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: 0; }
-            h2 { margin: 18px 0 8px; font-size: 14px; color: #0a6f4d; }
-            p { margin: 4px 0 0; color: #64748b; }
-            strong { font-size: 16px; color: #0a9f6a; }
-            table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; position: relative; z-index: 1; margin-bottom: 6px; }
-            th, td { border: 1px solid #cbd5e1; padding: 9px 10px; text-align: left; font-size: 12px; }
-            th { width: 34%; background: #f1f5f9; }
-            .truck { page-break-inside: avoid; }
-            .signatures { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 16px; margin-top: 34px; font-size: 11px; color: #475569; position: relative; z-index: 1; }
-            .signatures div { border-top: 1px solid #334155; padding-top: 8px; min-height: 28px; }
+            @page { size: A4 portrait; margin: 10mm; }
+            * { box-sizing: border-box; }
+            body { margin: 0; color: #0f172a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; }
+            .copy { position: relative; padding: 24px 28px; page-break-inside: avoid; border-bottom: 1px dashed #94a3b8; }
+            .watermark { position: absolute; inset: 0; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 800; color: rgba(15, 23, 42, 0.07); transform: rotate(-18deg); pointer-events: none; }
+            .top { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; border-bottom: 3px solid #0f766e; padding-bottom: 10px; gap: 24px; }
+            .brand { font-size: 11px; color: #475569; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .08em; font-weight: 700; }
+            h1 { margin: 6px 0 0; font-size: 25px; line-height: 1.05; }
+            .subtitle { margin-top: 4px; color: #64748b; font-size: 12px; }
+            .meta { text-align: right; font-size: 11px; color: #475569; min-width: 210px; }
+            .meta strong { display: block; margin: 4px 0; color: #0f172a; font-size: 15px; }
+            .summary { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 8px; margin: 14px 0; }
+            .tile { border: 1px solid #cbd5e1; padding: 8px; min-height: 48px; }
+            .tile span { display: block; color: #64748b; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .05em; margin-bottom: 4px; }
+            .tile strong { font-size: 11px; }
+            table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; position: relative; z-index: 1; }
+            th { background: #f8fafc; color: #475569; text-align: left; }
+            th, td { border: 1px solid #cbd5e1; padding: 6px 7px; font-size: 10.5px; vertical-align: top; }
+            .num { text-align: right; width: 26px; }
+            .notice { margin-top: 10px; border-left: 4px solid #0f766e; background: #f0fdfa; padding: 8px 10px; font-size: 10px; color: #134e4a; }
+            .signatures { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 18px; margin-top: 30px; position: relative; z-index: 1; }
+            .line { border-top: 1px solid #334155; padding-top: 7px; font-size: 9px; color: #475569; min-height: 30px; }
           </style>
         </head>
         <body>