How to file a freight claim

Last updated: September 7, 2026 · Written by the GET Express freight desk

You win or lose most freight claims in the first five minutes at the delivery dock, long before anyone fills out a form. The carrier’s liability runs from the moment its driver signs the bill of lading at pickup to the moment your receiver signs the delivery receipt. What that second signature says decides almost everything that follows.

Step 1: Inspect before you sign

Count the pieces and look at the freight while the driver is there. Open cartons if anything looks crushed, wet, or re-taped. Drivers are on a schedule and will push to leave; a two-minute look is your right, and it is the cheapest insurance in freight.

Step 2: Write it on the delivery receipt

Note every shortage and every sign of damage on the receipt before you sign it, in specific words: two cartons crushed, one pallet short, wrap torn on the left side. A clean signature says the freight arrived in good order. Vague words like “subject to inspection” help far less than a plain description of what you saw.

Step 3: Photograph and keep everything

Photograph the freight, the packaging, the pallet, and the labels before anything is moved or thrown away. Keep the goods and the packaging until the claim is decided; the carrier can ask to inspect them. Throwing out a broken carton can throw out the claim with it.

Step 4: Tell us the same day

Email initial.quotes@get-express.com with the PRO number, what you found, and the photos. Concealed damage found after the driver left should be reported within five business days of delivery, and the sooner the better. Late notice is the carrier’s favorite reason to decline.

Step 5: Send the documents

The bill of lading, the noted delivery receipt, the photos, the invoice or other proof of what the goods were worth, and a repair estimate or the replacement cost. We tell you exactly what is missing. A claim is a demand for a specific amount, so the number has to be supported: the cost of the goods rather than their retail price, plus the freight paid on the damaged portion.

Step 6: We file and chase

We prepare the claim, file it with the carrier, and follow it to a decision. Carriers acknowledge a claim within 30 days and must pay, decline, or make an offer within 120 days. We keep you posted at each step. If a carrier declines, we go back with the evidence; if it offers a compromise, we walk you through whether to take it.

The freight claim deadline, in one place

Event	Window	Why it matters
Damage or shortage visible at delivery	Note it before signing	The receipt is the primary evidence
Concealed damage	Report within five business days	Later reports invite the argument that it happened after delivery
Filing the claim	Within nine months of delivery	The minimum window carriers must allow; after it, the claim is barred
Carrier acknowledgement	30 days from filing	Confirms the claim is on file
Carrier decision	120 days from filing	Pay, decline, or offer a compromise

These are the general rules for interstate motor carriers in the United States. A carrier’s own tariff can be more generous but not shorter than the nine-month filing window. Ask us about the limit that applies on your lane before you ship anything high-value.

Most damage claims trace back to packaging: a pallet not wrapped tightly, cartons overhanging the edge, no corner boards, fragile goods shipped LTL through four terminals. If you are shipping something that cannot be replaced, read LTL vs. FTL vs. volume before you book, and tell us the value so we can price the right protection in.