Freight Claims

A freight claim is a shipper's or consignee's formal demand for compensation when a carrier loses, damages, or delivers fewer units than what was tendered. It's the financial remedy for cargo that doesn't arrive in the condition or quantity described on the bill of lading. Claims are governed by the Carmack Amendment for domestic U.S. surface freight and by the terms of the BOL or contract of carriage for other modes.

Filing a freight claim requires documentation: the original BOL showing what was shipped, the delivery receipt or proof of delivery noting the damage or shortage, photographs of damaged goods, an invoice showing the value of the affected product, and a formal claim letter stating the amount requested. Carriers typically have 30 days to acknowledge receipt and 120 days to resolve. Missing or incomplete documentation is the most common reason claims are denied or delayed.

For shippers handling temperature-sensitive freight – frozen food, dairy, produce – claims are a recurring cost of doing business. A reefer unit that loses temperature in transit can destroy an entire truckload, and the claim process to recover that value is often slow and adversarial. Effective claims management requires meticulous record-keeping: PODs with exception notes, temperature logs, and photos taken at delivery. Without that documentation trail, recovery rates plummet.

Proactive shippers track claims data over time to identify problem carriers, lanes, or facilities – turning claims from a reactive cost-recovery exercise into a strategic tool for improving carrier selection and packaging standards.