What this is
What is a freight claim record?
What is a freight claim record?
A freight claim record is the commercial instrument used to recover money from a carrier once a confirmed loss, damage, shortage or temperature failure in transit has been established. It documents the evidence, the basis for carrier liability, the filing and any settlement, and it exists separately from the operational report that first noticed the discrepancy.
What does the Carmack Amendment require?
For interstate carriage in the United States, the Carmack Amendment (49 U.S.C. §14706) makes a carrier liable for the actual loss or damage to goods it transports, largely regardless of fault, once the shipper shows the goods were tendered in good condition and arrived damaged or short. It also sets the framework for how a claim must be filed and how long a carrier has to acknowledge and resolve it.
Who can file a freight claim?
Whoever holds the right of recovery under the bill of lading, usually the shipper or the party that bore the risk of loss at the time of the incident. In practice it is filed by whichever party's transport administration function owns the carrier relationship, which is why the field exists on the record rather than being assumed.
Scope
When is a freight claim record required?
This is the commercial recovery instrument: the process of getting money back from a carrier once liability for loss or damage looks arguable. It is not the operational instrument that first records the discrepancy, and it is not the investigation into why a quantity gap happened when nobody is disputing who pays.
Use this template when
- A discrepancy has already been confirmed by an over, short and damaged report or a proof of delivery exception, and the carrier appears liable
- Concealed damage is discovered after unloading, and it is still inside the notice period stated in the bill of lading
- The shipment moved under a bill of lading or tariff with a defined liability regime, whether full value or released rate
- Formal filing is needed to preserve the legal right to recover, separate from any internal write-off of the loss
- A carrier has disputed or partially settled a claim and the escalation needs to be tracked to a decision
Do not use it for
- Over, Short and Damaged Report, which is the operational log made at the dock when the discrepancy is first noticed, before liability is argued
- Shortage Investigation Record, which investigates why a quantity gap happened at all, independent of who ultimately pays for it
- Carrier Service Failure Record, which covers a carrier failing to perform the service agreed, such as a late collection or missed delivery, not loss or damage to the goods
- Detention and Demurrage Log, which tracks time-based charges for a vehicle or container held beyond its free period
- A transit or cargo insurance claim, which runs against a different policy, different documentation and usually a different time limit than the carrier liability claim
Compliance mapping
Which Carmack Amendment requirements does this satisfy?
Carmack sets the liability standard for interstate carriage but leaves the claim's format open; what it does prescribe is minimum content for a valid claim, and the notice and suit windows that make a valid claim worth anything.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| 49 U.S.C. §14706(a) | Carrier liable for actual loss or damage to property it transports in interstate commerce | Basis |
| 49 CFR Part 1005 | Minimum filing requirements: written communication identifying the shipment, asserting liability, and claiming payment of a specified or determinable amount | Header |
| Carmack notice terms (bill of lading / tariff) | Written notice of claim within the period stated in the governing bill of lading, commonly nine months from delivery | Header |
| Carmack disallowance and suit limitation | Right to sue on a disallowed claim expires after the period stated in the bill of lading, commonly two years from written disallowance | Progress |
| 49 U.S.C. §14706(a) (burden of proof) | Shipper establishes prima facie case; carrier must then show it was free from negligence or an excepted cause applied | Basis |
| 49 CFR Part 1005 (carrier response) | Carrier acknowledges receipt of a claim and responds within a defined period | Progress |
| Common law duty to mitigate | Salvage value offered and properly handled is credited against the amount claimed | Progress |
| 49 U.S.C. §14706(c) | Liability may be limited to a released value where the shipper was offered and elected a released rate | Basis |
What it does not cover
- Over, Short and Damaged Report, which is the operational record made at the point of discovery, before anyone has decided the carrier is liable.
- Shortage Investigation Record, which establishes why a quantity discrepancy occurred, a question this record does not need to answer to pursue recovery.
- Carrier Service Failure Record, which belongs to a missed or late service rather than loss or damage to the freight itself.
- Detention and Demurrage Log, which recovers time-based charges rather than the value of lost or damaged goods.
- A cargo or transit insurance claim, which is a separate contract with its own notice period and evidence requirements, distinct from the carrier's Carmack liability.
Global
Freight Claim Record requirements by country
Carmack is a United States federal statute for interstate motor and rail carriage; nowhere else uses it, and the equivalent liability regime, notice period and time bar all differ by mode and geography.
Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. §14706; 49 CFR Part 1005
Federal carrier liability for interstate motor and rail carriage, with minimum filing requirements set by regulation.
Carmack preempts state-law claims for interstate carriage, so the claim has to be built to the federal standard and the bill of lading's stated notice and suit periods, not a state limitation period that feels more familiar.
Contract terms, commonly the RHA Conditions of Carriage
No domestic Carmack-equivalent statute; carrier liability and notice periods are set by the contract of carriage.
The notice period lives in the terms and conditions attached to the booking, not in a default statute, so the actual document has to be checked rather than assumed.
CMR Convention (Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road)
Apparent loss or damage requires notice at delivery; damage not apparent at delivery needs written notice within seven days.
The time bar to bring a claim is commonly one year, extended to three for wilful misconduct, both considerably shorter than the Carmack suit window.
Standard bill of lading conditions under provincial and federal transport law
No federal Carmack-equivalent; liability and notice periods are set by the standard conditions attached to the bill of lading.
The structure resembles Carmack in outline, but it is a contractual regime rather than a federal statute, so the governing bill of lading's own terms decide the deadline.
Contract of carriage and common law; state fair trading law where relevant
Domestic road carriage has no unified carrier liability statute; terms sit in the contract.
There is no default federal notice period to fall back on, which makes checking the actual carrier contract for domestic moves non-optional.
Hague-Visby Rules; COGSA-derived regimes
Carrier liability for the sea leg, with a one-year time bar to bring suit and short notice periods for apparent loss.
A claim touching an ocean leg is a different regime entirely from Carmack, and treating it as a road claim with a nine-month notice period will miss the one-year suit deadline that actually governs the sea carriage.
How to complete it
How to complete a freight claim record, step by step
The evidence and basis sections are largely yes or no. What they do not decide is the amount to claim, when the clock actually started, and when a declined claim needs to move rather than sit.
Claim value has to be actual loss: invoice value, or a documented replacement cost, not a retail figure with margin built in. An inflated claim gets negotiated down as a matter of course, and it makes the next claim against the same carrier harder to settle at face value, because the adjuster now discounts the number on principle.
Days to notify has to be measured against the period stated in the governing bill of lading or tariff, which runs from the date of loss. An internal SLA of thirty days to file feels safe until the tariff's actual window is sixty and the internal process assumed ninety; the field only protects the claim if someone checked the actual document rather than a habit.
The prima facie case rests on showing good condition at origin and damaged or short condition at destination, with the damage occurring while the goods were in the carrier's custody. A clean signed delivery receipt is powerful evidence against a later concealed-damage claim, and the basis section exists to force that custody question before anyone argues packaging adequacy or securement, which only matter once custody is established.
A declined claim is not resolved, it has a further window to sue, commonly two years from the written disallowance. The record needs the disallowance date diarised and an actual decision made about escalating to broker, counsel or insurer inside that window, rather than a closed status that quietly lets the suit deadline pass unmanaged.
What auditors find
Most common freight claim record findings
The document almost always exists once a claim is filed. The findings are about whether it was filed in time, whether the amount survives scrutiny, and whether a decline was actually managed rather than shelved.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Claim filed outside the notice period stated in the bill of lading or tariff. | Carmack notice terms | Calendar the notice deadline from the date of loss the day the discrepancy is confirmed, not from when the file is opened. |
| Claim amount unsupported by invoice or a documented replacement cost. | 49 U.S.C. §14706(a) | Attach the commercial invoice or a replacement quote before the claim is filed, not after the carrier asks. |
| No exception notation on the delivery document at the time of signing. | Prima facie case (burden of proof) | Require the driver's notation at signing, before the vehicle leaves, not a follow-up email describing what was seen. |
| Photographs taken well after discovery, after further unloading or repackaging. | Prima facie case (burden of proof) | Photograph before anything else is moved, and before damaged product is repackaged or discarded. |
| Temperature record not pulled for a claim alleging spoilage or a cold-chain failure. | Evidence held (record-specific) | Pull the reefer download or data logger before the claim is filed, not once the carrier asks for it. |
| Claim silent on whether the damage occurred within the carrier's custody window. | 49 U.S.C. §14706(a) | Establish the custody chain from bill of lading tender to delivery timestamp before arguing packaging or securement. |
| Released value election not checked before the full loss amount was claimed. | 49 U.S.C. §14706(c) | Confirm on the bill of lading whether a released rate was offered and elected before assuming full recovery. |
| Salvage not offered to the carrier, or handled without a documented value credited. | Common law duty to mitigate | Record the salvage offer and the value credited against the claim, even when the salvage was scrapped. |
| Claim closed without recording the amount recovered or the recovery percentage. | Feeds Carrier Scorecard (record-specific) | Capture amount recovered and recovery percent even where the outcome is a full decline, for the scorecard's sake. |
| Declined claim not escalated before the suit limitation period lapsed. | Carmack disallowance and suit limitation | Diarise the disallowance date and route the file to legal, broker or insurer before the window closes, not after. |
Case in point
Case in point: the claim that arrived nine weeks late
A distribution centre received a pallet of finished goods with visible crush damage on the shrink wrap. The driver noted 'one pallet damaged' on the proof of delivery, and receiving set the pallet aside pending a claim, which was correct so far.
The over, short and damaged report sat in a shared inbox for six weeks because the analyst who normally filed claims was on leave and nobody else owned the folder. By the time the claim was assembled, the photographs, the packing slip and the weight ticket had been forwarded between three people and partly reconstructed from memory of the incident. The carrier's tariff set a sixty day notice period, and the claim missed it by nine days.
The claim was factually strong and time-barred anyway. The failure was never in the evidence or the analysis, it was that nobody owned the clock from the moment the discrepancy was confirmed. The fix was not a stronger claim template, it was routing the discrepancy report straight to a named owner with the notice deadline visible from day one.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
5 sections
- Reference
- LOG-025
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- CLM-2026-000
- Scoring
- Claim recovery rate
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- Yes
- Basis
- Carmack Amendment
- Links
- Links OS and D Report and Carrier Scorecard
- Tags
- Claim, Carrier
- Sections
- 5
- Fields
- 50
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 6
Header
18 fieldsClaim ID*
Auto sequence. Format CLM-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Carrier*
Vendor ID*
Format VEN-0000.
Links to FDN-005 Vendor ID
Claim Type*
Loss, damage, temperature failure, delay, or shortage.
Load Or Consignment Reference*
Claim Value*
Date Of Loss*
Carrier Notified*
Days To Notify*
OS And D Report ID
Links to LOG-003 Report ID
POD Exception ID
Links to LOG-010 Exception ID
Within The Notice Period*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Claims Fail On Evidence And Deadlines
Carrier liability regimes carry short notice periods and shorter filing windows. A claim assembled three weeks later from an email chain is a claim that will be declined.
Evidence held
6 fieldsNotation On The Delivery Document*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Photographs At The Point Of Discovery*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Signed Proof Of Delivery*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Temperature Record*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Weight Or Count Evidence*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Commercial Invoice Or Value Evidence*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Basis
6 fieldsDamage Occurred In The Carrier Custody*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Packaging Was Adequate*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Load Was Correctly Secured*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Instructions Were Followed*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
No Contributory Failure By Us*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Liability Limit Understood*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Progress
6 fieldsClaim Filed Within The Window*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Acknowledged By The Carrier*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Additional Information Provided*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Salvage Handled Correctly*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Settlement Offered*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Escalated Where Declined*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Outcome
14 fieldsClaim Outcome*
Paid in full, part settled, declined, or withdrawn.
- Paid in fullnot scored
- Part settlednot scored
- Declinednot scored
- Withdrawnnot scored
Amount Recovered
Recovery Percent
Feeds Carrier Scorecard*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Service Failure ID
Links to LOG-027 Record ID
Process Change To Prevent Recurrence*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Transport Administration*
Signature*
Logistics Manager*
Second Signature*
LOG-025 · record IDs look like CLM-2026-000 · Links OS and D Report and Carrier Scorecard
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The claim itself is a document. What actually determines recovery is whether the deadline was visible from day one, whether the evidence was pulled before it decayed, and whether a decline was escalated instead of shelved.
Holds the claim register against the over, short and damaged report and the proof of delivery exception it descends from, and surfaces the notice deadline the day a discrepancy is confirmed.
Watches confirmed discrepancy records for the ones that have not yet become a claim, and flags approaching notice and suit deadlines before they lapse unmanaged.
Ties the claim back to the specific load, lane and equipment, so a pattern of claims on one route or trailer type surfaces before the next tender decision.
Rolls the claim's outcome and recovery percentage into the Carrier Scorecard, so a carrier's claim history is visible before the next contract renewal, not discovered after.
This template lives in KnowLogistics — supply chain execution. Inbound, outbound, inventory, yard, claims, supplier lifecycle and customs.
Glossary
Freight Claim Record definitions and key terms
- Prima facie case
- The shipper's initial burden under Carmack: goods tendered in good condition, arrived damaged or short, and the amount of the resulting loss.
- Carmack Amendment
- United States federal law, 49 U.S.C. §14706, setting carrier liability for loss or damage to goods in interstate motor and rail carriage.
- Bill of lading
- The contract of carriage and receipt for the goods, which also carries the notice period and liability terms that govern a claim.
- Notice of claim
- The written communication required within the bill of lading's stated period, identifying the shipment and asserting a specific or determinable claim amount.
- Concealed damage
- Damage not apparent until the goods are unpacked, which still needs to be reported within the notice period even though it was not visible at delivery.
- Released rate
- A lower shipping rate offered in exchange for a capped liability value, which limits recovery regardless of the actual loss if the shipper elected it.
- Salvage
- The residual value of damaged goods, which reduces the amount recoverable when offered to the carrier and properly credited.
- Disallowance
- The carrier's written rejection or partial rejection of a claim, which starts the clock on the further, separate window to sue.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about freight claim record
How long do we have to file a freight claim?+
It depends on the bill of lading or tariff governing the shipment, but nine months from delivery is a common notice period under Carmack-governed carriage. There is no universal number; the governing document has to be checked, because a shorter or longer period written into that specific contract controls.
How long do we have to sue after a carrier declines a claim?+
Commonly two years from the date of written disallowance under Carmack-governed terms. This is a separate clock from the notice period, and it only starts once the carrier has actually declined the claim in writing, which is why the disallowance date needs to be captured, not just the outcome.
Do we have to prove the carrier was negligent?+
No. Once the shipper establishes the prima facie case, good condition at origin, damaged or short condition at destination, and the amount of loss, the burden shifts to the carrier to show it was free from negligence or that an excepted cause applied. This is close to strict liability in practice.
What if the delivery receipt was signed clean?+
It makes a concealed damage claim considerably harder, though not automatically fatal. Damage not apparent until unpacking can still be claimed if notice is given promptly within the notice period, but a clean signature is strong evidence the carrier will use to argue the damage happened after delivery.
Should claim value be replacement cost or invoice value?+
Invoice or documented actual value, not retail. A carrier's adjuster will negotiate an inflated claim down as routine practice, and it damages the credibility of the next claim filed against the same carrier, which matters when the relationship is ongoing.
What if the carrier offered a released rate?+
If the shipper was offered a choice of rates in exchange for a capped liability and elected the released rate, recovery is limited to that released value regardless of the actual loss. The basis section exists precisely to force this check before anyone assumes full recovery is on the table.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Outbound and Despatch
Load Securement Check
Confirms the load is secured correctly for its type, weight and journey
Weight and Axle Check
Records gross weight and axle loading against legal limits
Load Tender Record
Records a load offered to a carrier, the rate agreed and whether it was accepted or refused
Dispatch Release Check
The final check before a load leaves, covering documents, temperature, securement, seal and count
Shipping Document Check
Verifies the bill of lading, packing list, certificates and any regulated documentation before the vehicle moves
Proof of Delivery Exception
Records a delivery that did not complete cleanly: refused, short, damaged, late or signed with a notation
More in Claims and Exceptions
Detention and Demurrage Log
Records time a vehicle or container spent beyond its free period, why, and who is liable
Carrier Service Failure Record
Records a carrier failing to deliver the service agreed, covering late collection, missed delivery, refusal or a damaged load
Shortage Investigation Record
Investigates stock that left as one quantity and arrived as another, before anybody assumes theft
Returns and RMA Record
Authorises and tracks product coming back from a customer, from the request through to disposition
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. §14706
- 49 CFR Part 1005, minimum filing requirements for loss and damage claims
- CMR Convention, articles 30 and 32 (notice and time bar for international road carriage)
- Hague-Visby Rules, one-year time bar for claims against an ocean carrier
- RHA Conditions of Carriage (United Kingdom domestic road haulage)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.