Summary
In short
- A cargo damage report is a record used in KnowFleet that records damage to cargo discovered in transit or at delivery. It is built against Carmack Amendment and forms part of the Fleet and Driver Compliance programme.
- Raised at the point of discovery. Completed by the driver with photographs.
- The template holds 62 fields across 5 sections.
- Scoring is cost band, where high is bad.
- MAC is manual Handling Assessment Charts. The HSE colour banded tool for lifting, carrying and team handling.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Asset, Customer.
What it is
What it is
What is a cargo damage report?
A cargo damage report is a record used in KnowFleet that records damage to cargo discovered in transit or at delivery. It is built against Carmack Amendment and forms part of the Fleet and Driver Compliance programme.
When is a cargo damage report completed?
A cargo damage report is completed at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Raised at the point of discovery.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This record is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this record covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form CASE-2026-000
- You are running the Fleet and Driver Compliance programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links asset, customer
Not for
- Road Collision Report, which records a collision involving a company vehicle on public roads.
- Roadside Breakdown Record, which records a breakdown on the road, including cause, location and recovery.
- Near Miss Road Report, which records a close call on the road that did not result in a collision.
- Anything outside KnowFleet, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
MACManual Handling Assessment Charts
The HSE colour banded tool for lifting, carrying and team handling.
Carmack AmendmentCarmack Amendment
United States law governing carrier liability for loss or damage to freight.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the cargo damage report template based on?+
It is built against Carmack Amendment. MAC is manual Handling Assessment Charts. The HSE colour banded tool for lifting, carrying and team handling. Carmack Amendment is carmack Amendment. United States law governing carrier liability for loss or damage to freight.
What sections does the cargo damage report contain?+
There are 5 sections: header, the damage, cause, food safety, resolution. Together they hold 62 fields, 38 of which are required.
How often is a cargo damage report raised?+
A new record is raised at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Each one is given an ID in the form CASE-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the cargo damage report belong to?+
It is part of Fleet and Driver Compliance. An operator licence position you could defend at an audit tomorrow.
How is a cargo damage report scored?+
Scoring is cost band. High is bad. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the cargo damage report template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the cargo damage report library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowFleet — fleet and transport. Drivers, vehicles, hours, cargo securement and operator licence compliance.
Sources
Sources
- MAC — Manual Handling Assessment Charts
- Carmack Amendment — Carmack Amendment