Documents Needed for an LTL Freight Claim

For a U.S. LTL cargo claim, start with a written claim that identifies the shipment, says the carrier is responsible for the alleged loss or damage, and asks for a specific or determinable dollar amount. Then support it with the shipping record, delivery record, proof of value, photographs, and any repair, inspection, or non-delivery evidence that fits the loss.

That distinction matters: a damage notation on a delivery receipt, photographs, or an inspection report may be important evidence, but none of them alone is a properly filed claim under the federal minimum filing rule in 49 CFR 370.3.

This guide addresses general documentation for U.S. commercial motor-freight claims. The governing bill of lading, contract, tariff, carrier rules, insurance policy, and facts of the shipment may require something different. It is educational information, not legal advice. For a high-value, disputed, cross-border, or deadline-sensitive matter, check the current controlling terms and consult qualified counsel.

The short checklist

Build one claim file with these categories:

1. The written claim or carrier claim form. Identify the shipment, describe the loss or damage, assert carrier liability, and state a specific or determinable amount.
2. Shipment records. Include the bill of lading or shipping receipt, PRO or tracking number, ship date, origin, destination, shipper, consignee, and commodity description.
3. Delivery records. Keep the proof of delivery or delivery receipt, including specific shortage or damage exceptions recorded at delivery when applicable.
4. Proof of value and amount claimed. Use the vendor or manufacturer invoice, purchase invoice, repair invoice or estimate, statement of non-repair, and calculations that connect the evidence to the dollar demand.
5. Condition evidence. Include photographs of the freight and packaging, an inspection report if one exists, and factual notes showing when and how the condition was discovered.
6. Supporting commercial records. Add the freight bill or evidence of freight charges when applicable, packing slips, purchase orders, piece-count records, and proof of the claimant’s financial interest if requested.
7. Submission and correspondence records. Preserve the portal confirmation, sent email, claim number, acknowledgment, requests for more information, and every later submission.

Not every claim requires every item. A total non-delivery, visible damage, concealed damage, and shortage each need a different evidentiary emphasis. The carrier’s current instructions control the submission method and its requested attachments.

What makes the written claim sufficient

For claims within its scope, 49 CFR Part 370 governs how covered motor carriers and freight forwarders process claims for loss, damage, injury, or delay to cargo in interstate or foreign commerce. Section 370.3 says the written communication must:

• Contain enough facts to identify the shipment.
• Assert liability for the alleged loss, damage, injury, or delay.
• Demand payment of a specified or determinable amount.

A message that says only “shipment damaged” may fail the third element. A delivery receipt marked “two cartons crushed” records a delivery exception, but the regulation expressly says that a damage or shortage notation on a freight bill or delivery receipt, an appraisal, or an inspection report does not by itself satisfy the minimum claim-filing requirements.

Use the carrier’s current claim form or portal when available because it organizes the information the carrier expects. If a deadline is approaching, however, do not assume that collecting photos or notifying a salesperson has filed the claim. Confirm that the proper carrier received a written claim containing the required elements through an accepted channel, and keep proof of receipt.

Shipment and delivery records

Bill of lading or shipping receipt

The bill of lading connects the claim to the transportation record. Preserve the complete version used for the shipment, including all pages and incorporated terms available to you. Useful fields include:

• BOL and PRO numbers.
• Shipper and consignee.
• Pickup and delivery locations.
• Number and type of handling units.
• Commodity description, weight, and freight class when shown.
• Declared or released-value information when applicable.
• Signatures, dates, and recorded exceptions.

Do not treat a missing bill of lading as automatic proof that no claim exists. Federal law says a covered carrier’s failure to issue a receipt or bill of lading does not eliminate the liability created by 49 U.S.C. 14706. The absence still creates a documentation problem, so preserve other records that identify what the carrier accepted.

Proof of delivery or delivery receipt

Keep the signed paper or electronic delivery record. For visible damage or shortage, a specific contemporaneous notation can help establish what was observable at delivery. Record facts such as “one of four cartons missing” or “right side of crate punctured” rather than a conclusion about who caused it.

A clean delivery receipt does not answer every concealed-damage question, and an exception notation does not establish the amount owed. It is one record in the larger file.

Freight bill and charge evidence

49 CFR 370.7 identifies the bill of lading, evidence of freight charges when applicable, and invoice or certified value evidence as supporting documents that may be necessary to an investigation. Keep the carrier invoice, proof of payment if the carrier requests it, and any separate charge records relevant to the claimed amount.

Do not withhold or offset freight charges based solely on a cargo claim without checking the contract and obtaining appropriate advice. A loss-and-damage claim and a billing dispute are different processes.

Proof of value and the claimed amount

The carrier needs evidence that explains what the affected goods were worth and how the claimant calculated the demand. Depending on the loss, that may include:

• The original vendor, manufacturer, or purchase invoice showing the actual transaction price and discounts.
• A packing slip or purchase order that connects the goods to the shipment.
• An itemized repair estimate or paid repair invoice showing parts, labor, and the affected item.
• A written statement of non-repair when repair is not feasible.
• Replacement records when they are relevant under the governing terms.
• A salvage credit, discount, or other mitigation record used in the calculation.
• A simple worksheet tying each affected item to its quantity, supported value, repair cost, salvage, and amount claimed.

An invoice is not interchangeable with a retail list price, and a replacement quote does not necessarily establish the legally recoverable amount. 49 CFR 370.7 addresses invoices, certified prices or values, discounts, allowances, deductions, and depreciation because the investigation must connect the claim to the value actually at issue. The governing liability terms may limit recovery even when the underlying loss is larger.

Current carrier checklists illustrate the variation. XPO lists a vendor invoice for the product or its repair as required and also asks for an inspection report, photographs of the shipment and packaging at delivery, and other supporting information. FedEx Freight lists original manufacturer or purchase invoices, repair estimates or a statement of non-repair, photographs, packing slips, and purchase orders as examples of relevant supporting documents. Estes asks for proof of payment of the freight bill, a copy of the bill of lading, and an invoice showing the cost of the goods or applicable repair parts and labor.

Those are carrier-specific examples, not a single universal attachment list.

Photographs, packaging, and inspection evidence

For visible damage, photograph the condition before the freight is reconfigured when that can be done safely. Capture:

• The full pallet, crate, carton stack, or other handling unit.
• A medium view connecting each damaged area to that unit.
• Close views of punctures, crushing, tears, wet areas, broken components, or missing pieces.
• The outer packaging, inner cushioning, pallet, wrap, bands, and other securement.
• The affected contents as found, if opening the packaging is safe and permitted.
• Shipment identifiers needed to connect the images to the claim.
• The completed delivery record.

For concealed damage, preserve the unpacking state and photograph the relationship between the outer packaging, inner protection, and damaged product. Contact the carrier promptly and follow its current notice and inspection instructions. Do not turn one carrier’s concealed-damage notice period into a universal federal deadline.

Keep the damaged goods and packaging in substantially the condition in which the loss was found, as far as safety and reasonable mitigation allow. FedEx Freight says it will tell a claimant when an inspection is required and asks the claimant to retain the original packaging until the claim is resolved. If the freight creates a safety, contamination, or spoilage risk, protect people and property first, document the condition and necessary action, and contact the appropriate carrier, insurer, and safety personnel.

An inspection report can strengthen the factual record, but it does not replace the written claim. Do not discard, repair, salvage, or perform destructive testing before obtaining written direction when that step could eliminate evidence.

Match the documents to the type of loss

Claim type	Evidence to emphasize
Visible damage	Specific delivery exception, overview-to-detail photographs, packaging, affected contents, invoice, repair or non-repair evidence
Concealed damage	Clean delivery record, prompt carrier notice, unpacking sequence, outer and inner packaging, discovery notes, invoice, inspection material if requested
Shortage	BOL and packing slip counts, delivery-receipt shortage notation, pallet or carton count, seal or handling records when relevant
Total non-delivery	BOL or shipping receipt, pickup evidence, tracking history, consignee statement if requested, invoice and itemized value
Partial loss	Item-level packing and invoice records, delivered-versus-missing count, photographs, value calculation
Repairable damage	Invoice showing value, repair estimate or invoice, photographs, statement connecting the repair to transit damage

This table is an organization guide. It does not decide carrier liability or override the governing terms.

Control the deadline separately from the document hunt

Do not wait for every supporting attachment if doing so risks missing the claim-filing deadline. File a sufficient written claim on time through the correct channel, then respond promptly to documented requests for additional evidence.

For covered claims, 49 U.S.C. 14706 says a carrier may not set a period shorter than nine months for filing a claim. That is a federal minimum protection, not a universal statement that every claim is due exactly nine months after the same event. The applicable bill of lading or contract determines the operative period and trigger within the law’s limits.

Carrier instructions can phrase the deadline differently. FedEx Freight currently says its cargo claim may be filed up to nine months from the shipment date. Estes currently says claims must be received within nine months of delivery, or within a reasonable time from shipment for non-delivery. Verify the rule for the carrier and shipment rather than borrowing either example.

Create a deadline sheet that records:

• Delivery, tender, or shipment date relevant under the governing terms.
• Date damage or shortage was discovered.
• Any carrier notice or inspection-request deadline.
• Formal claim-filing deadline and its source.
• Date and method the written claim was submitted.
• Carrier claim number and acknowledgment date.
• Any deadline in a written request for additional information.

The federal minimum civil-action period is a separate issue. It does not give extra time to file the underlying claim.

A practical file structure

Use one folder named with the PRO number and keep originals unchanged. A simple structure is:

• 01-written-claim
• 02-bol-and-shipping-records
• 03-delivery-record
• 04-value-and-amount
• 05-photos-and-inspection
• 06-correspondence-and-submission-proof

Place the PRO or carrier claim number on supporting documents when appropriate. XPO specifically recommends writing the PRO number on each supporting document. Keep a one-page index listing each file, what it proves, and the date submitted. Preserve original photos and documents; create separate copies for annotations or redactions.

Before sending the package, verify that the shipment identifiers agree across the claim, BOL, delivery receipt, invoices, and photographs; the amount demanded can be reproduced from the calculation; the description does not conflict with the delivery record; and confidential records are transmitted through an authorized channel.

Common documentation mistakes

• Treating a delivery notation as the claim. It records an exception but does not satisfy all federal minimum filing elements by itself.
• Leaving the amount open-ended. The written demand must state a specific or determinable amount.
• Submitting value without a calculation. Show how invoices, quantities, repair costs, discounts, salvage, and the amount demanded relate.
• Using photos without context. Connect close-ups to the full handling unit, packaging, identifier, and delivery event.
• Discarding packaging too early. The carrier may need it for inspection.
• Mixing cargo, service-refund, and billing disputes. They may use different forms, documents, and deadlines.
• Assuming one carrier’s checklist governs another. Check the carrier, contract, tariff, and submission channel for the actual shipment.
• Keeping no proof of filing. Save the portal receipt, sent email, tracking record, acknowledgment, and claim number.

Prepare the next shipment with complete records

A cleaner claim file begins before pickup. Save the final BOL, carrier confirmation, commodity and piece-count records, invoice, packaged dimensions and weight, freight class when known, declared or released-value choices, and requested accessorial services together. Make sure the receiving team knows where to record delivery exceptions and who controls the claim deadline.

Shipocity is backed by a team with more than 40 years of combined logistics experience. Through established industry relationships, the platform helps businesses compare competitive freight rates for their specific shipment.

With the shipment record ready, quote your next shipment with the right details.

Sources

• 49 CFR Part 370 — eCFR
• 49 U.S.C. 14706 — U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel
• FedEx Freight — File a Cargo Claim
• XPO LTL Help Center — How to File Claims and Refunds
• Estes — Claims Information