LTL (less than truckload) freight claims must be filed within 9 months of the delivery date. Carriers have 30 days to acknowledge the claim and 120 days from the date of acknowledgment to come to a decision. Concealed damage or shortage claims must have notification given to the carrier within 5 business days of delivery.
If the claim is declined, the claimant can file an appeal. If it's approved, the carrier will send payment to the claimant's company. Here are some other things to know:
- If damage is concealed, the carrier must be notified within 5 business days of delivery.
- The carrier may request an inspection of the shipment.
- If the claim isn't resolved within 120 days, the carrier must provide status updates every 60 days.
- The carrier is protected from liability in certain situations, such as an Act of God, an act of terror or war, or the nature of the goods being shipped.
- The type of insurance coverage your carrier holds and how well you have documented your freight classification will determine how much you are reimbursed.
- You can contact the representative who helped you book the load for assistance.
- If your customer has not signed the BOL with some type of noted damage either concealed or non-concealed, this will be an easy way for your freight claim to be denied by the carrier.
- Poor packaging will be another thing carriers will use to deny the claim so make sure that the freight is packaged well to ship via LTL as there is a lot of handling involved moving via LTL carrier.