Inspect before signing
Count the pieces against the delivery paperwork and look at every side of the freight. Take the extra minute even if the driver is in a hurry — they are required to wait for a reasonable inspection.
Most carriers hand your claim to a third-party adjuster and stop returning calls. We assess and settle ours ourselves, and your coordinator stays on the file until it's paid or properly explained.
A cargo claim is a formal request for compensation when freight arrives damaged, short, or doesn't arrive at all. It's a legal process with strict deadlines — and the single biggest reason claims fail is not the merits, it's paperwork that wasn't completed at the moment of delivery.
That's why the section below matters more than any other part of this page. Two minutes at the door protects your entire claim. If a driver is standing in front of you and something looks wrong, read it before you sign.
Claims against our own all-risk cargo coverage are assessed and settled in-house. Where the loss happened with a partner carrier, a terminal or an airline, we file against them on your behalf and keep you updated — you don't chase anyone.
Note the damage on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves. Write what you see — "carton 3 crushed", "2 cartons short", "pallet wrapping torn, contents shifted" — and make sure the driver signs or initials it too.
A clean signed receipt is legally treated as confirmation that the freight arrived in good condition. Recovering after that is significantly harder, and in some cases impossible. Signing "subject to inspection" alone is not generally sufficient.
Whether it's a pallet, a container or a parcel — this is the sequence that protects you.
Count the pieces against the delivery paperwork and look at every side of the freight. Take the extra minute even if the driver is in a hurry — they are required to wait for a reasonable inspection.
Describe the damage or shortage specifically on the delivery receipt or bill of lading, and have the driver sign it. Vague notes like "damaged" carry far less weight than "2 of 6 cartons crushed on top face".
Photograph the freight on the truck if you can, then the packaging, the damage itself, and the labels. Wide shots and close-ups. Keep the damaged packaging — don't throw it away until the claim closes.
Call your coordinator or email the claims desk. Early notice lets us secure the driver's account and the terminal records while they're fresh, which materially strengthens your position.
These are statutory and contractual limits. Miss one and recovery may be barred entirely, however strong the claim is.
| Mode | Notice of damage | Written claim | Deadline to sue | Governed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road (US domestic) | At delivery, on the receipt. Concealed damage: 5 days | 9 months from delivery | 2 years from claim denial | Carmack Amendment 49 CFR Part 370 |
| Air (international) | 14 days from receipt for damage 21 days for delay |
Within the notice period above | 2 years from arrival | Montreal Convention |
| Ocean (US import/export) | At delivery if apparent 3 days if concealed |
As soon as practicable | 1 year from delivery | COGSA / Hague-Visby |
| Warehousing | On discovery, in writing | Per your storage agreement | Per your storage agreement | UCC Art. 7 & contract |
Every figure in this table is legally operative. The periods shown reflect the general statutory framework, but your actual deadlines depend on your bill of lading terms, your tariff, the specific carrier's conditions of carriage, and which convention applies to the routing.
Have your transport attorney confirm each row against your own documents before publishing. Publishing a deadline more generous than your terms may bind you to it; publishing one shorter than the law allows may be unenforceable and will damage trust. Also add a line stating these are summaries and that the governing contract prevails.
Send what you have straight away rather than waiting to assemble everything — we'll tell you what's still missing. The clock on our 15-day commitment starts once the file is complete.
The copy showing the damage or shortage noted at delivery, with the driver's signature or initials. This is the single most important document in the file.
RequiredWide shots and close-ups of the damage, the packaging, the labels and the freight in position if possible. More is better — we can't ask for a photo of something already discarded.
RequiredThe supplier invoice or sales invoice establishing what the goods are actually worth. Claims are settled on documented value, not on replacement cost or lost margin.
RequiredThe original transport document for the shipment. If we moved it, we already hold this — but send it if you have a version with annotations on it.
RequiredNeeded for shortage claims especially — it establishes what was supposed to be in the shipment and how it was packed.
If applicableWhere goods are repairable, a written estimate. Where they're a total loss, any salvage valuation. This lets us settle on the correct basis rather than defaulting to full value.
If applicableNo black box. You'll know who has your file and where it sits at every stage.
You get a claim reference number and the name and direct line of the handler assigned to it, plus a list of anything still missing from the file.
Within 2 business daysWe pull the scan history, driver notes, terminal records and any partner carrier reports, and match them against your documentation to establish where the loss occurred.
Typically 5–10 daysYou get a written decision with the reasoning and the settlement basis. If we're declining, we explain why in plain English and tell you what your options are.
Within 15 business daysPayment issued by ACH or applied as an account credit, whichever you prefer. Salvage arrangements are agreed with you first, not decided for you.
Payment within 10 days of agreementSubmit what you have now — you can send the rest later. Filing early protects your position even if the file isn't complete.
Our claims desk is staffed Monday to Friday, and your usual coordinator can open a file for you at any hour. If your deadline is close, call rather than email — we'll log it immediately and collect the paperwork after.
Fields marked * are required.
Call anyway. We'd rather spend ten minutes telling you there's nothing to claim than have you miss a deadline because you weren't certain.
Air, sea, road and warehousing under one manifest. Moving American freight since 1997.