How to File a Shortage or Lost-Freight Claim

If an LTL shipment arrives with fewer pieces than the shipping record shows, note the exact shortage on the delivery receipt before signing and ask the carrier to trace the missing freight. If the shipment never arrives, start a trace promptly. A trace is not the claim itself. To seek payment, the claimant must still submit a timely written demand that identifies the shipment, asserts carrier liability, and requests a specific or determinable amount.

For U.S. commercial motor freight, the filing rules in 49 CFR 370.3 provide a useful baseline. The bill of lading, pricing agreement, carrier tariff, and other contract terms still matter. Parcel, household-goods, rail, air, ocean, international, and contract-carriage claims may follow different rules. This guide is educational information, not legal advice.

Is the shipment short, missing, or merely delayed?

Use the shipment record and the carrier’s current status before choosing a claim type.

Situation	What it means	First action
Partial shortage at delivery	Some pieces arrived, but the received count is lower than the tendered count	Count again, describe the missing pieces on the delivery receipt, preserve both parties’ copies, and request a trace
Possible concealed shortage	The outside count appears correct, but items are missing inside a package or handling unit	Stop unpacking, preserve the packaging and count records, photograph the condition, and notify the carrier under its concealed-loss procedure
Shipment not delivered	No part of the shipment has arrived	Check the PRO or tracking record, confirm the destination details, and ask the carrier to open a trace
Delivery is late but freight is still located	The carrier can identify the shipment and has not declared it lost	Continue the trace and follow the governing service terms; delay alone is not automatically a cargo-loss claim

Do not declare freight lost solely because an estimated delivery date passed. The carrier may need time to search terminals and compare over, short, and damage records. At the same time, do not let a trace consume the filing period. Ask the carrier in writing whether it wants a claim filed while the search continues.

What should the receiver do at delivery?

Count the handling units before signing. Compare the physical count with the delivery receipt and bill of lading, and use a precise notation such as “received 4 of 5 pallets; 1 pallet short.” A vague phrase such as “subject to count” does not record what was actually missing.

The receiver should:

1. Count pallets, crates, drums, cartons, or other handling units.
2. Compare the count with the carrier’s delivery record and the shipper’s packing list.
3. Describe the shortage on the carrier’s copy and the receiver’s copy of the delivery receipt.
4. Ask the driver to acknowledge the notation when the carrier’s process permits it.
5. Photograph the freight as received, including the complete handling unit and identifying marks needed for the trace.
6. Keep the signed delivery record and note the delivery time and the people present.

TForce Freight’s current cargo-claims instructions tell a receiver who suspects a shortage to compare the piece count with the delivery receipt and put a precise description on both copies. The carrier says that notation alerts service-center personnel to search for the missing freight.

A shortage notation is important evidence, but it is not a formal monetary claim. Section 370.3 says that a shortage or damage notation on a delivery receipt, standing alone, does not meet the minimum claim-filing requirements.

How do you start a shortage or lost-freight trace?

Contact the carrier or the party managing the carrier relationship as soon as the count discrepancy or non-delivery is confirmed. Use the carrier’s current claims or OS&D channel and ask for a trace reference.

Have these details ready:

• carrier name and PRO or freight-bill number;
• bill of lading number and ship date;
• shipper and consignee names and addresses;
• delivery date, or the expected delivery date if nothing arrived;
• total pieces tendered and total pieces received;
• weight of the shipment and, if known, the missing portion;
• a specific description of each missing handling unit and its contents;
• package dimensions, color, markings, serial numbers, part numbers, or other non-sensitive identifiers; and
• photographs of the freight before pickup and at delivery, if available.

TForce asks for this kind of identifying information when it traces a shortage. The better the description, the easier it is to distinguish a missing carton or pallet from other freight at a service center.

Keep a log of calls, emails, reference numbers, promised follow-up dates, and search results. If the carrier locates the freight, document whether it will complete delivery and whether the goods remain usable. If it does not locate the freight, ask for written instructions on filing the monetary claim.

What makes a written freight claim sufficient?

Under 49 CFR 370.3, a written communication filed with a proper carrier must do three things:

• identify the shipment;
• assert liability for the alleged loss; and
• demand a specified or determinable amount of money.

The rule permits filing with the receiving carrier, delivering carrier, carrier that issued the bill of lading or receipt, or the carrier on whose line the alleged loss occurred, subject to the governing time limits and transportation terms. In practice, follow the current submission route in the carrier’s claim instructions and retain proof that the carrier received it.

A trace request, delivery notation, inspection report, invoice, or photograph is not enough by itself. The written claim should connect the shipment, the missing property, the basis for holding the carrier responsible, and the amount demanded.

The submission should normally include:

• the claimant’s name and contact details;
• the carrier, PRO number, bill of lading number, ship date, and delivery date when applicable;
• the shipper and consignee;
• the exact quantity and description of the missing goods;
• the amount claimed and a clear calculation;
• the bill of lading, delivery receipt, and packing list;
• an invoice or other appropriate proof of value;
• photographs and trace correspondence; and
• any carrier claim form or additional record required by the governing terms.

49 CFR 370.7 identifies the bill of lading, evidence of freight charges when applicable, and invoice or certified value records among the documents a carrier may need to investigate a claim. If the invoice does not establish the value of the missing goods, the claimant may need other evidence of their value at destination.

How should the claim amount be calculated?

Claim the documented loss, not a guessed ceiling. For a partial shortage, start with the missing quantity multiplied by the supportable unit value. For a total loss, support the value of the goods that were actually tendered. Then account for any units later recovered, usable goods, credits, salvage, or other recovery required by the governing terms.

The amount requested is not necessarily the amount the carrier will allow. 49 U.S.C. 14706 addresses liability for actual loss or injury to property and permits qualifying limits based on a shipper’s declaration or a written agreement. The applicable contract, tariff, commodity provision, released value, and service terms can affect the result.

Do not assume that declared value and cargo insurance are the same. A declared value may affect carrier liability only when the carrier’s terms allow it and the declaration was made correctly. A separate insurance policy has its own valuation method, exclusions, deductible, notice rules, and claim process.

What deadline applies?

Act promptly and verify the exact deadline in the governing documents. For covered claims under 49 U.S.C. 14706, a carrier may not set a filing period shorter than nine months. That is a statutory minimum, not permission to wait until the last day or proof that every shipment is governed by the same deadline.

The contract can specify when the period starts. TForce, for example, currently says a claim and supporting documents must be filed within nine months of delivery, or within nine months of the shipment date for non-delivery. Another carrier or mode may use different wording where the law permits it.

Submit through the carrier’s required channel, save the complete package, and retain a receipt, portal confirmation, certified-mail record, or other proof of delivery. Do not assume that reporting the shortage, asking for a trace, or sending an invoice paused the claim deadline.

For a proper written claim, 49 CFR 370.5 requires the carrier to acknowledge receipt within 30 days unless it has already paid or declined the claim in writing. The acknowledgment should identify any additional documents the carrier needs. Preserve the carrier’s claim number and answer document requests without abandoning your own deadline records.

What can weaken a shortage or loss claim?

Avoid these preventable gaps:

• signing a clean delivery receipt when the delivered piece count is visibly short;
• using a vague reservation instead of stating the actual count discrepancy;
• treating a trace request as the written monetary claim;
• omitting the amount demanded or the evidence supporting it;
• claiming the value of the full shipment when only part is missing;
• discarding packaging or identifiers that could help locate or verify the freight;
• relying on a generic online deadline instead of the shipment’s governing terms;
• filing through the wrong channel without confirming receipt; or
• allowing carrier follow-up to continue past a contractual or legal deadline.

A clean receipt does not make a later-discovered shortage impossible, but it can make the evidence harder to evaluate. Preserve the packaging, inventory records, unpacking photographs, witness notes, and any proof that the package was sealed or otherwise intact until opened.

A final filing checklist

Before submitting, confirm that:

1. The claim identifies one shipment and the correct carrier.
2. The piece count in the claim matches the bill of lading, packing list, and delivery record.
3. The missing goods are described precisely enough to trace.
4. The written demand asserts liability and states a specific or determinable amount.
5. The value calculation is reproducible from the attached records.
6. The filing follows the current carrier method and the governing deadline.
7. Proof of submission is saved.
8. Someone is assigned to monitor the trace and claim number.

For a high-value, disputed, cross-border, contract-carriage, household-goods, or mode-specific claim, have qualified counsel or an experienced claims professional review the governing documents before a deadline expires.

Prepare the next shipment for a clean handoff

Before booking, record the packaged piece count, dimensions, weight, commodity description, freight class when known, value, and required services. Photograph the completed handling units and make sure the receiver knows to count before signing.

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. When the next load is ready, quote it with the details that support a cleaner pickup and delivery record.

Sources

• U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel - 49 U.S.C. 14706
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - 49 CFR 370.3
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - 49 CFR 370.5
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - 49 CFR 370.7
• TForce Freight - Cargo Claims Information