Freight Arrived Damaged: The First 48 Hours for Shippers

The pallet is off the truck, the wrapping is torn, and one corner is crushed — and the driver is already back in the cab waiting on a signature. What you do in the next 48 hours determines whether you recover full value for the damage or eat the loss entirely. Freight damage claims are won or lost at the moment of delivery, not weeks later when you file the paperwork.

Carriers deny an estimated 30–50% of freight damage claims outright, and the single biggest reason is inadequate documentation at the point of delivery, not a legitimate dispute about who caused the damage. Shippers who follow a consistent inspection-and-notation process at delivery recover meaningfully more often than those who sign first and figure out the paperwork later. Here's the exact sequence to follow.

What do I do the moment I see damage, before signing anything?

• Do not sign a clean delivery receipt. This is the single most important rule. If you sign "clean" (no exceptions noted) for freight with visible damage, the carrier can — and usually will — argue the damage happened after delivery, on your property.
• Write a specific damage notation before you sign. "Subject to inspection" is not a valid notation and courts have repeatedly ruled it doesn't preserve a claim. Instead write exactly what you see: "Northwest corner of pallet 2 crushed, carton torn, product visible."
• Photograph everything before you touch the freight. Wide shots of the pallet on the truck, close-ups of the damage, the shipping label, and the trailer interior if load-shift is a factor.
• Get the driver's acknowledgment in writing where possible — a driver signature on your own damage notation, in addition to the delivery receipt, strengthens your position.

What if the damage is inside the packaging, not visible from outside?

Concealed damage — where the outer packaging looks intact but the product inside is damaged — has a shorter, stricter window. Most carrier tariffs require concealed damage to be reported within 24 to 72 hours of delivery, and some require it the same day. As soon as you discover it:

• Stop unpacking further and photograph the product in place inside the original packaging
• Keep all packaging materials — the carrier or their inspector may need to examine them
• Call the carrier immediately to report concealed damage and request an inspection
• Follow up the phone call with written notice the same day, even if you already reported it verbally

The same rules apply if the driver has already left before you notice anything wrong — the wrapping looked intact, the driver was in a hurry, or the freight sat in a staging area before anyone inspected it closely. That doesn't mean you've lost your claim, but it does mean you're now working under these tighter concealed-damage rules rather than the more straightforward at-delivery process. Report it the same day if at all possible — every day of delay gives the carrier more room to argue the damage happened after their custody ended, and get a written acknowledgment from the carrier that you've reported it, even if a full inspection hasn't happened yet.

Who do I call first — the carrier, the broker, or my insurance?

The order matters because each party has different response times and different obligations:

• 1. The carrier, same day. They're legally obligated to acknowledge damage claims and are the primary party liable under most freight terms.
• 2. The broker, if one arranged the shipment. A broker won't typically pay the claim directly, but a good one will push the carrier and help you navigate their specific claims process.
• 3. Your own cargo insurance, within the week. If you carry shipper's interest or contingent cargo insurance, file a claim there in parallel — don't wait to see if the carrier pays first, since insurance claims also have filing deadlines.

How much money is actually at stake, and what will I be paid?

This depends heavily on what value was declared on the bill of lading at pickup:

• No declared value (released value): Carriers default to a minimum liability, often $0.60–$2 per pound — a $50,000 shipment weighing 2,000 lbs could be capped around $1,200–$4,000 in released value.
• Declared value on file: Recovery up to the full declared amount, minus any depreciation the carrier successfully argues for on used or non-new goods.
• Partial damage: Most claims settle on repair cost or diminished value rather than full replacement, unless the product is unsellable or unsafe to use.

A quick real-world comparison shows why the declared value field matters so much: a 1,500-pound shipment of electronics worth $30,000 that arrives crushed might settle around $900–$3,000 under released value at $0.60–$2 per pound. The same shipment with $30,000 declared and a small valuation charge paid up front could recover the full loss. The declared-value option typically costs a few hundred dollars in advance; the released-value gap costs tens of thousands after the fact.

Understanding what the BOL's value field actually protects is worth doing before your next shipment, not after a claim goes badly — our plain-English guide to reading a bill of lading breaks down declared value versus released value in detail.

Should I accept the carrier's first settlement offer?

Not automatically. Carriers, particularly larger ones, often open with a settlement calculated against released value or a depreciation formula that favors them — not necessarily the number you're actually entitled to under your declared value. Before accepting, verify the offer against what you declared on the BOL, request an itemized explanation for any deduction (such as salvage value or depreciation), and don't be afraid to push back with your own documentation if the numbers don't line up. Most carriers expect a counter on a first offer for anything beyond a minor claim, and a well-documented claim with clear photos and a proper damage notation has real negotiating weight.

What paperwork do I need to actually file the claim?

• The signed BOL from pickup, showing the freight's condition when tendered
• The delivery receipt with your damage notation
• Time-stamped photos from delivery
• Commercial invoice or proof of value for the goods
• A written claim letter itemizing the damage and dollar amount requested

For the step-by-step filing process, required forms, and the carrier's response timeline, see our full breakdown on how to file a freight claim in the USA.

What's the difference between filing against the carrier and my own cargo insurance?

Many shippers assume these are the same process; they aren't. A claim against the carrier is a liability claim — you're arguing the carrier is responsible for damage that happened in their custody, and their liability is capped by whatever value was declared on the BOL. A claim against your own cargo insurance (sometimes called shipper's interest insurance) is a first-party claim — your insurer pays out per your policy terms regardless of who's ultimately at fault, then may pursue the carrier themselves to recover their payout. If you carry your own coverage, filing with your insurer is often faster and less adversarial than waiting on a carrier's claims department, and it's worth doing in parallel rather than waiting to see how the carrier claim resolves first.

How do I reduce damage claims on future shipments?

• Note handling instructions explicitly on the BOL — "this side up," "do not stack" — since unwritten instructions aren't enforceable
• Declare full value on anything fragile or high-value rather than accepting default released-value coverage
• Photograph freight at origin, not just at delivery, so you have a before/after comparison
• Use carriers experienced with your commodity type — a flatbed specialist handling reefer freight, for example, is a mismatch worth avoiding

Want your freight handled with the documentation done right from pickup to delivery? Talk to the TRUCC dispatch desk — contact us to see how we match your freight with carriers who handle it the way it needs to be handled.