# Freight Claims Documentation > Site directory and reading guidance: [llms.txt](https://wiki.skusavvy.com/llms.txt). Canonical URL: https://wiki.skusavvy.com/article/freight-claims-documentation Published: 2026-11-04T04:03:50.418Z Last updated: 2026-11-04T04:30:21.783Z Category: Shipping > This article is AI-assisted reference material. Verify important or time-sensitive claims against the cited sources; AI review does not establish independent factual verification. ## Overview Freight claims documentation is the collection of records used to establish and evaluate a claim for cargo loss, shortage, damage, or, where applicable, delay during transportation. It connects a shipment to the parties involved, describes the alleged loss, and supports the amount requested. A claim file typically includes a bill of lading or other transport document, delivery records, photographs, commercial invoices, and a calculation of the loss. For claims governed by U.S. federal motor-carrier and freight-forwarder regulations, a [written claim must contain specified information](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.3); those rules apply only within the [scope of 49 CFR Part 370](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.1). Other modes, jurisdictions, contracts, and claimants may follow different requirements. Warehouse records, such as those generated during [purchase-order check-in](https://www.skusavvy.com/docs/guides/purchase-order-check-in), can provide supporting evidence of quantities and discrepancies, but they are not themselves a carrier claim. ## Etymology and Origins The phrase combines *freight*, goods carried for payment, with *claim*, a demand for something believed to be owed. The precise first documented use of the full phrase “freight claims documentation” is not established here. The underlying practice is older than the phrase: merchants and carriers relied on transport documents and receipts to record cargo received, delivered, or missing. The [bill of lading](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/80101), defined in U.S. law in connection with the receipt and carriage of goods, became a central record for identifying shipments and their terms. Modern U.S. motor-carrier claims terminology also reflects statutory language about liability for [actual loss or injury to property](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/14706). Rail carriers have a parallel but separate liability statute, [49 U.S.C. § 11706](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/11706). ## Historical Development Claims documentation developed alongside commercial carriage and the use of written shipping receipts. In the United States, the **Carmack Amendment**, enacted in **1906** as part of the Hepburn Act, created a federal liability framework for goods lost or damaged in certain interstate rail transportation. Its present rail codification is [49 U.S.C. § 11706](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/11706). Comparable motor-carrier liability is now stated in [49 U.S.C. § 14706](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/14706), which addresses recovery and limits the extent to which a carrier may shorten claim-filing and suit periods. The 1906 rail statute and the modern motor-carrier section should not be treated as the same enactment. The **Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA)**, approved on **April 16, 1936**, is a separate framework for covered ocean bills of lading in U.S. foreign trade. Its [notice-of-loss and time-for-suit provisions](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/46/30701), now carried as a statutory note to 46 U.S.C. § 30701, show why ocean-claim procedure cannot be copied from domestic motor-carrier rules. Under COGSA, notice of apparent loss or damage is generally due in writing before or at the time of removal of the goods; if the loss or damage is not apparent, notice is generally due within three days of delivery. Suit is generally barred unless brought within one year after delivery, or after the date when the goods should have been delivered. During the twentieth century, paper bills of lading, delivery receipts, inspection reports, and correspondence formed the core of many claim files. Federal regulations now specify procedures for the [processing of certain motor-carrier and freight-forwarder loss and damage claims](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370), including filing and response duties. Computerized shipment and warehouse records later made it easier to associate orders, scans, and delivery events with supporting documents. More recently, the [Digital Container Shipping Association](https://dcsa.org/) has published standards intended to make container-shipping information exchange more consistent. Electronic records can improve retrieval and collaboration, but they do not eliminate the need to establish authenticity, completeness, or compliance with the governing rules. ## Core Concepts ### Evidence and causation A claim file should establish what was tendered, what happened during transit or custody, what was received, and the resulting financial loss. Relevant evidence may include origin inspection records, carrier handoff scans, delivery exceptions, photographs, and a count of affected goods. A clean delivery receipt can be relevant evidence, but it does not necessarily resolve concealed damage or every dispute about liability. For covered U.S. motor-carrier and freight-forwarder claims, the [minimum filing requirements](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.3) include facts sufficient to identify the shipment, an assertion of carrier liability for the alleged loss, damage, injury, or delay, and a claim for payment of a specified or determinable amount. A notation on a delivery receipt, an inspection request, or a preliminary notice should not be assumed to satisfy those requirements by itself. ### Claim amount The claim amount should be supported by a worksheet showing affected quantities, unit values, and adjustments. Depending on the governing terms and facts, adjustments may include salvage, repair costs, credits, or other documented amounts. An invoice can support value, but invoice price is not automatically the legally recoverable amount. [Unit-of-measure records](https://www.skusavvy.com/docs/guides/products/unit-of-measure) help reconcile cases, pallets, and individual units when calculating a shortage. For example, if 12 units valued at $50 each are damaged and $120 is recovered through salvage, the preliminary net loss is $480: $600 less $120. The final recoverable amount depends on applicable liability rules, any released-value or limitation terms, and the evidence. A shortage calculation should also show the conversion between shipped and received units. For example, if a packing list states 10 cases of 24 units and the receiver counts 216 units, the apparent shortage is 24 units, or one case. Confirm the case pack before valuing the shortage; a documented [unit-of-measure conversion workflow](https://www.skusavvy.com/docs/workflows/unit-of-measure-conversion) can help make the calculation traceable. ## Essential Documents A file may contain the following, depending on the shipment and claim: - **Transport document:** Bill of lading, air waybill, sea waybill, or comparable record identifying the shipment, carrier or contracting party, origin, destination, and terms. - **Delivery evidence:** Signed proof of delivery and any contemporaneous exceptions for visible damage or shortage. - **Quantity records:** Packing list, purchase order, receiving count, and relevant [inventory records](https://www.skusavvy.com/visual-inventory-management-system). - **Condition evidence:** Dated photographs of the goods, packaging, labels, seals, and damage; inspection or survey reports when obtained. - **Value evidence:** Commercial invoice, repair estimate, salvage or credit documentation, and a calculation of the amount sought. - **Correspondence:** The formal claim, acknowledgment, inspection requests, follow-ups, and settlement or denial. Keep original records or reliable copies and preserve metadata where possible. The [U.S. claim-filing regulation](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.3) calls for supporting documents where available; documents that are not available should be identified, with an explanation, rather than silently omitted. Bad-order reports, seal records, and temperature logs may also matter for particular commodities, but they are not required in every file. ## Claims Workflow and Best Practices 1. **Inspect and document receipt.** Count handling units and note visible exceptions accurately on the delivery record. Photograph the shipment, packaging, labels, and seals before unloading or unpacking when practical. 2. **Protect the evidence.** Separate affected goods, retain packaging and labels, and arrange an inspection if required. Avoid disposal before the relevant carrier or insurer has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect, subject to safety, spoilage, and contractual requirements. 3. **Notify the appropriate parties.** Identify the contracting carrier and, where applicable, the insurer, broker, seller, or buyer. Notice to one party is not necessarily a formal claim against another, and a cargo-insurance notice is not a substitute for a carrier claim. 4. **Submit a complete claim.** State the shipment identifiers, the basis for liability, and a specified or determinable amount; attach available evidence. Retain proof of submission and any acknowledgment. 5. **Track the response and mitigation.** Record inspection outcomes, repair or salvage decisions, outstanding requests, and settlement or denial. Apply payments and credits so the same loss is not recovered twice. For claims subject to 49 CFR Part 370, the carrier must [acknowledge receipt of a properly filed claim within 30 days](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.5), unless the claim is paid or declined within that period. Within 120 days after receipt, the carrier must pay, decline, or make a firm compromise settlement offer in writing; if it cannot dispose of the claim in that time, it must give a written status explanation, and [further status notices are due at the end of each succeeding 60-day period](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.9) while the claim remains pending. Receiving processes such as [purchase-order check-in](https://www.skusavvy.com/docs/guides/purchase-order-check-in) can help capture discrepancies early, but they do not replace a formal carrier claim. ## Deadlines, Liability, and Modes Deadlines are not universal. For certain claims under the U.S. motor-carrier Carmack framework, a carrier may not provide by rule or contract for a claim-filing period shorter than **nine months**, or a civil-action period shorter than **two years**, under the conditions in [49 U.S.C. § 14706(e)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/14706). These are limits on how short a carrier may make the applicable periods. They are not a guarantee that every shipment has the same deadline, and the two-year suit period runs from the carrier’s written notice disallowing any part of the claim, not automatically from the delivery date. A parallel minimum-period rule for rail appears in [49 U.S.C. § 11706](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/11706). Ocean, air, parcel, domestic road, rail, and multimodal shipments may be governed by different statutes, international conventions, tariffs, or contracts. The [Carriage of Goods by Sea Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/46/30701) uses the notice and one-year suit structure described above for covered ocean shipments. Air cargo may instead be governed by the Montreal Convention or by contract, and parcel or brokered shipments may allocate responsibility differently from a through motor bill of lading. A cargo insurance claim is distinct from a carrier-liability claim and may have separate notification, survey, and proof-of-loss requirements. Preserve every potentially applicable deadline while determining which rules govern. The [Federal Maritime Commission](https://www.fmc.gov/) oversees aspects of U.S. ocean transportation, but its general public resources do not replace analysis of the bill of lading, tariff, and applicable law. For complex or high-value matters, obtain legal or insurance advice. ## Common Challenges and Controls **Missing or inconsistent records** can make it difficult to reconcile the bill of lading, delivery receipt, and invoice. Use a common shipment identifier and record discrepancies at the point of receipt. Barcode-supported workflows can assist with identifying goods and locations; see [warehouse barcode guidance](https://www.skusavvy.com/docs/guides/barcodes). **Concealed damage** may be discovered only after a clean receipt is signed. Document when and how it was found, preserve packaging, and promptly follow the applicable notice and inspection requirements. A clean receipt is evidence, not an automatic waiver, and late notice is not automatically fatal in every legal regime. **Unclear valuation or responsibility** can delay settlement. Separate the calculation of loss from the argument about who is liable, record salvage and credits, and retain correspondence with each party. A complete [written claim](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-370/section-370.3) under Part 370 should state a specified or determinable amount even when investigation is continuing. **Mitigation and double recovery** are recurring disputes. Retain repair-versus-replacement comparisons, salvage bids, and insurer or customer credits. Documentation should show what was done to reduce the loss and which party has already been paid. ## Source links - [49 CFR § 370.3 — Filing of claims]() - [Purchase Order Check-In Guide]() - [49 U.S.C. § 80101 — Definitions]() - [49 U.S.C. § 14706 — Liability of carriers under receipts and bills of lading]() - [49 CFR Part 370 — Principles and practices for the investigation and voluntary disposition of loss and damage claims]() - [Digital Container Shipping Association]() - [Unit of Measure Guide]() - [Visual Inventory Management System]() - [49 CFR § 370.5 — Processing of claims]() - [Federal Maritime Commission]() - [Barcodes Guide]() - [46 U.S.C. § 30701 — Note on Carriage of Goods by Sea Act]() - [Unit of Measure Conversion Workflow]() - [49 CFR § 370.9 — Disposition of claims]() - [49 CFR § 370.1 — Applicability of loss and damage claim regulations]() - [49 U.S.C. § 11706 — Liability of rail carriers under receipts and bills of lading]()