Freight claim
A freight claim is a demand for compensation when cargo is lost, damaged or delayed, usually initiated by an exception noted on the delivery receipt.
Last reviewed · by the Fleetchart team
The signed bill of lading is the primary evidence. A clean signature makes a later damage claim substantially harder to sustain against the carrier; an exception noted at delivery starts the process.
Photographs at pickup and delivery, temperature records on reefer freight, and seal numbers are the supporting documentation that decides most disputes.
For example, say a receiver notes 3 damaged pallets on a 26-pallet load, and each pallet is worth $1,200. The claim is 3 × $1,200 = $3,600. If your cargo deductible is $1,000, you pay the first $1,000 and the insurer covers the other $3,600 − $1,000 = $2,600. If the load paid $2,000, that one claim took half the gross pay before any fuel was bought.
Good paperwork can stop a claim before it starts. If the driver photographed the load sealed and secured at pickup, and the seal number on the bill of lading matches at delivery, it is much harder to say the damage happened on your truck. Claims also follow you, because insurers look at your claim history when they price your policy.