Freight claims are won and lost on two things: what was written on the delivery receipt, and whether the claim was filed on time. Most of the rest is paperwork. This guide walks the process from the dock to the appeal. It is educational, not legal advice, and the carrier's tariff and your contract govern any specific shipment.
What counts as a claim
A cargo claim is a formal request for compensation for freight that was lost, damaged, or shorted in transit. For interstate shipments in the United States it is broadly governed by the Carmack Amendment and by the carrier's limitation of liability in its rules tariff.
One distinction matters early. A damage notation on the delivery receipt is important evidence, but it is not a claim. A valid written claim generally must do three things:
- identify the shipment,
- assert that the carrier is liable for the loss or damage, and
- demand a specified or reasonably determinable amount of money.
Step 1: Note exceptions before you sign
Writing visible damage or a shortage on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery is one of the strongest pieces of evidence a claim can have. A clean, exception-free signature gives the carrier a strong basis to deny the claim later, because it suggests the freight was accepted in good condition.
Train whoever receives freight to inspect first and sign second, and to describe the problem specifically: "two cartons crushed, top left corner" rather than "damaged."
Step 2: Visible damage vs. concealed damage
- Visible at delivery: describe it on the delivery receipt before signing, photograph it immediately, keep the packaging and the freight, notify the carrier, and start the formal claim promptly.
- Concealed, found after delivery: notify the carrier immediately and follow that carrier's concealed-damage notification and inspection requirements. These often set a much shorter notification period than the formal claim deadline.
The concealed-damage notice and the formal claim deadline are two separate requirements. Meeting one does not satisfy the other.
Step 3: Know the deadlines
For interstate shipments subject to the Carmack Amendment, a carrier may not set a claim-filing period shorter than nine months. Carrier rules commonly run that period from the date of delivery or, for some non-delivery claims, from the date delivery should reasonably have occurred. Always confirm the specific carrier's tariff and your contract.
Treat nine months as an outside limit, not a working timeline. Missing the applicable window generally forfeits the claim regardless of its merit. A timely written claim that meets the requirements is safer than waiting until every supporting document is assembled. Where the carrier's procedures allow it, send the remaining documents as they become available.
Step 4: Assemble the documentation
- The bill of lading and the signed delivery receipt, with any exceptions noted.
- Photos of the damage or shortage, ideally taken before the freight is moved or unpacked further.
- An itemized invoice or other proof of the value of the goods.
- Repair estimates or salvage-value documentation if the goods were partly damaged.
- Correspondence with the carrier about the shipment, such as delay notices and tracing requests.
A free claims documentation checklist covers each of these.
Step 5: Understand what you can recover
The carrier's limitation of liability caps the recovery regardless of what the goods are worth. It is often expressed as a dollar-per-pound limit that can vary by freight class, commodity, condition, packaging, or declared or released value. A claim on light, high-value freight such as electronics may be capped well below replacement cost.
If you regularly ship higher-value goods, evaluate excess liability coverage or third-party cargo insurance before you need it. After a loss is too late.
What happens after you file
Under 49 CFR Part 370, a carrier generally must acknowledge a properly filed claim within 30 days and should pay it, decline it, or make a firm compromise offer within 120 days. If the claim is still open after that, periodic written status updates are generally required.
The deadline to file a claim is separate from the deadline to take legal action after a denial. Under the Carmack framework, a carrier may not set a period shorter than two years from its written notice of disallowance for bringing a civil action.
If the claim is denied
A denial is not necessarily the final answer. Legitimate grounds for appeal include:
- The denial relies on a clean delivery receipt that photos or internal receiving records contradict or clarify.
- The denial applies the wrong liability limit. Check it against the correct class and the carrier's published rules tariff.
- The denial argues inadequate packaging, and photos taken at pickup rebut it. See how to palletize LTL freight.
An appeal that cites specific tariff language and attaches evidence carries far more weight than a general request to reconsider.