Most cargo claims fail for procedural reasons, not because the damage was disputed. The cargo arrives broken, the consignee signs a clean delivery receipt, nobody notices for a fortnight, and by the time anyone writes it down the notice deadline has passed. The process below is dull, and following it is the difference between a payout and a write-off.
What to do in the first 48 hours
- Do not sign a clean delivery receipt. Note the damage on the delivery document before signing, in writing, however rushed the driver is. A clean receipt is evidence the cargo arrived in good order, and it is the single most common reason claims are refused.
- Photograph everything before unpacking further — the container seal and its number, the container interior, the load as it sits, the damaged cartons closed, then opened. Wide shots and close shots.
- Keep the damaged goods and the packaging. Surveyors need to inspect them; disposing of them ends the claim.
- Give written notice immediately to the carrier and your insurer, even before you know the value. A holding notice preserves your position.
The notice deadlines that actually bind
| Situation | Typical notice requirement |
|---|---|
| Visible damage, ocean | Note on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery |
| Concealed damage, ocean | Commonly within 3 days of delivery |
| Air freight, damage | Commonly within 14 days of receipt |
| Air freight, delay | Commonly within 21 days of the goods being placed at your disposal |
| Time limit to sue | Frequently 1 year from delivery, or from when the goods should have been delivered |
These are the common conventions rather than universal rules. The binding periods are in the contract of carriage — the bill of lading or air waybill terms, and your forwarder's trading conditions — and they vary by route, mode and convention. Read yours, and treat the shortest applicable one as your deadline.
Carrier liability pays far less than the cargo is worth
This is the part shippers discover at the worst possible moment. Carrier liability is limited by weight or by package, not by the value of your goods. A pallet of electronics and a pallet of sand of the same weight attract the same maximum liability.
The practical consequence: on most damaged consignments, carrier liability pays a fraction of the loss. Cargo insurance is what makes you whole, and it is priced on value rather than weight — see why carrier liability is never enough and estimate a premium with the cargo insurance calculator.
If you have insurance, claim on the policy first and let the insurer pursue the carrier. That is what subrogation is for, and insurers are far better at it than you are.
The claim file
Assemble all of this before you submit. A partial file gets parked, and parked claims run into their time limit:
- Commercial invoice and packing list for the affected goods
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- Delivery receipt with the damage noted
- Photographs, dated, including the seal and container number
- Survey report where the value justifies a surveyor — for significant losses, appoint one immediately
- A written statement of the claimed amount and how you calculated it
- Repair quotes, or evidence of salvage value and disposal costs
- Your insurance policy or certificate
Calculating the claim
Claim the actual loss, documented. Typically that is the CIF value of the damaged goods plus the freight paid on them, plus survey and disposal costs, less any salvage value recovered. Do not include lost profit or consequential loss in the headline figure — most policies and all carrier liability regimes exclude it, and including it invites the whole claim to be treated as inflated.
Three mistakes that end claims
- Signing clean, then complaining later. Once the receipt says the goods arrived in apparent good order, you are arguing against your own document.
- Disposing of the damaged goods before a surveyor has seen them, usually because warehouse space was needed.
- Missing the notice window while gathering evidence. Notify first, quantify later — the two are separate steps.
Preventing the next one
Claims cluster around the same causes: inadequate packaging for the mode, cargo that was not secured inside the container, and moisture on long ocean transits. Export packaging and palletisation covers the specification side, and supplier cargo readiness covers what to check before the container is sealed.
Also worth agreeing in advance: who your forwarder appoints as surveyor, and how quickly. How to choose a freight forwarder includes the questions.
Find forwarders on your lane, or post a request and ask each about their claims handling.
