What to Do When a Freight Claim Is Denied

Read the denial letter as both an explanation and a deadline document. Identify exactly what the carrier disallowed, compare that reason with the claim you filed and the rules that governed the shipment, preserve the complete file, and send a focused written request for reconsideration with any missing proof. Do not assume that an internal appeal restarts or pauses a legal deadline.

For covered U.S. interstate commercial motor freight, 49 U.S.C. 14706 prevents a carrier from setting a claim-filing period shorter than nine months or a civil-action period shorter than two years from written notice that the carrier disallowed the claim, in whole or in part. The actual bill of lading, pricing agreement, tariff, carrier rules, lane, and shipment facts still control important details.

This guide is educational information, not legal advice. Intrastate, household-goods, parcel, rail, air, ocean, cross-border, and contract-carriage claims can follow different rules. When a substantial amount or a limitation date is at stake, have qualified counsel review the denial and governing documents promptly.

Start with the carrier’s stated reason

Do not answer a denial with the same claim package and a general request to reconsider. Match your response to the precise issue the carrier raised.

Denial reason	What to verify	What a useful response may add
The filing was late	The delivery or scheduled-delivery date, the carrier’s recorded receipt date, and the filing period in the governing terms	Submission receipt, portal confirmation, email headers, certified-mail record, or another dated transmission record
The filing was not a valid claim	Whether the writing identified the shipment, asserted carrier liability, and demanded a specific or determinable amount	A corrected written claim containing all three elements, if the governing deadline has not expired
Value or amount was not proved	How each claimed item and amount ties to the shipment and loss	Commercial invoice, repair estimate or invoice, replacement evidence, appraisal, depreciation support, and an itemized calculation
Damage was not shown to have occurred in transit	Pickup condition, delivery condition, delivery notations, handling-unit counts, and the timing of discovery	Contemporaneous photographs, delivery receipt, inspection record, packing evidence, witness statement, and receiving log
Packaging was inadequate	The packaging standard the carrier says applied and the specific defect it alleges caused the loss	Pre-tender photographs, packaging specifications, crate or pallet records, and evidence that separates packaging condition from the actual cause of damage
A liability limit applies	The exact tariff, contract, classification, commodity description, released value, or declared value used for the shipment	The accepted quote and terms, bill of lading, tariff item, shipment description, and a calculation under the provision the carrier cites
The claimant was not entitled to recover	Who owned the goods, bore the loss, paid the freight, and has authority to pursue the claim	Invoice, purchase order, payment record, assignment, authorization, or other evidence of the claimant’s financial interest

If the denial does not identify the factual or contractual basis clearly, ask the carrier to state in writing which part of the claim was disallowed, why, and which contract or tariff provision it relied on. Keep the original denial unchanged in your records.

Check whether the original filing was a sufficient claim

A damage notation, carrier inspection, trace request, or notice that freight is missing is useful evidence, but it is not necessarily the formal monetary claim.

For motor-carrier and freight-forwarder claims within its scope, 49 CFR 370.3 says a sufficient written claim must:

1. contain enough facts to identify the shipment;
2. assert liability for the alleged loss, damage, injury, or delay; and
3. demand payment of a specified or determinable amount.

The same rule says that a damage or shortage notation on a delivery receipt, an appraisal, a bad-order report, or an inspection report does not satisfy those minimum filing requirements by itself. If the carrier denied the claim because the first communication lacked one of the required elements, determine immediately whether a corrected claim can still be filed within the governing period. Do not describe a correction as timely unless you have verified the actual receipt date and applicable terms.

Build a reconsideration package that answers the denial

Use a short cover letter followed by indexed exhibits. The reviewer should be able to see the denial, your response to it, and the supporting proof without reconstructing the shipment from a long email chain.

1. Identify the shipment and decision

Include the carrier’s claim number, PRO or shipment number, bill-of-lading number, ship date, origin, destination, claimant, delivery or scheduled-delivery date, date of the claim, date of the denial, and amount claimed. State whether the denial was total or partial.

2. Quote the denial reason accurately

Use the carrier’s own reason without exaggerating or changing it. Then answer it point by point. If a denial cites a tariff or contract item, attach or link the version that governed on the shipment date; a current tariff may not be the same version.

3. Show that the claim itself meets the filing elements

Attach the original written claim and proof that the proper carrier received it. Make the claimed amount explicit and reproducible. A total without an itemized calculation is harder to evaluate and may not show how repair, salvage, depreciation, or an asserted liability limit affects the demand.

4. Add the documents the issue actually requires

The current federal processing rules in 49 CFR Part 370 identify the bill of lading, evidence of freight charges when applicable, and invoice or other certified value evidence as records that may be needed in an investigation. Depending on the denial, a complete file may also include:

• pickup and delivery records, including exception notations;
• dated photographs of the freight, inner packaging, outer packaging, pallet, crate, seals, and labels;
• inspection reports and carrier correspondence;
• purchase or commercial invoices tied to the exact goods;
• itemized repair estimates, repair invoices, replacement evidence, or appraisals;
• serial numbers, SKU or part numbers, and packing lists;
• evidence of salvage value, mitigation efforts, credits, and usable goods;
• pre-shipment packaging specifications or photographs; and
• the accepted quote, bill of lading, pricing agreement, tariff, and service rules.

Preserve originals and provide clear copies unless the carrier requires another format. Keep the freight and packaging available for inspection when safe and practical, and follow the carrier’s written disposition instructions. For hazardous, leaking, spoiled, or otherwise unsafe goods, protect people and comply with applicable safety rules rather than preserving evidence in an unsafe condition.

5. Request a specific outcome

State whether you are asking the carrier to withdraw the denial, reopen the investigation, correct a filing-date error, consider new evidence, or recalculate a partial allowance. Give a supportable amount and concise calculation. Ask for written confirmation of receipt and a written response.

Use the carrier’s current reconsideration channel rather than sending an unsupported request to a general inbox. For example, the current FedEx Freight cargo-claims page says a claimant may dispute a cargo-claim decision by contacting its dedicated claims team and including additional documents or new information that supports the dispute. That is a carrier-specific procedure, not a universal appeal rule, and it does not replace the need to verify limitation periods in the governing terms.

Treat every deadline as independent until verified

There are at least three different timing questions:

• Was the original claim filed within the governing claim-filing period?
• Does the carrier provide a deadline for reconsideration or additional documents?
• When does the deadline for a civil action expire after written disallowance?

These are not interchangeable. Under the federal statute, the minimum civil-action period runs from the carrier’s written notice disallowing all or part of the claim. An internal appeal, a request for more review, settlement discussion, or silence from the carrier should not be assumed to toll that clock. Get written clarification and legal advice rather than relying on an informal assurance.

Carrier-specific terms can be more detailed. As one current illustration—not a rule for every carrier—the FedEx Freight 100-Y Rules Tariff, revised June 1, 2026, says in Item 960 that U.S. loss, damage, or delay claims must be filed within nine months of delivery, or within nine months of the scheduled delivery date for nondelivery. It states a two-years-and-one-day period for civil action after written disallowance, specifies claim information and value support, calls for prompt concealed-damage notice and no later than 21 days after delivery, and requires packaging and contents to be retained for inspection until resolution. Another carrier, service, jurisdiction, or contract may use different provisions, so verify the terms for the actual shipment.

Know what the carrier’s processing timeline does—and does not—mean

For claims governed by 49 CFR Part 370, a carrier generally must acknowledge a proper written claim within 30 days unless it has already paid or declined the claim in writing. The rules also call for payment, written denial, or a firm written compromise offer within 120 days. If the carrier cannot dispose of the claim within that period, it must provide a written status update at 120 days and at each succeeding 60-day period while the claim remains pending.

Those processing requirements do not make every denial incorrect, guarantee payment, or extend the claimant’s separate limitation periods. Preserve the carrier’s acknowledgments, status notices, compromise offers, and denial letters because their wording and dates may matter.

Escalate carefully

If reconsideration fails, the next step depends on the governing law and contract. It may involve another carrier review level, negotiation, mediation or arbitration if required, an insurance claim under a separate policy, or litigation. Do not assume that filing a general regulatory complaint will decide a private cargo-loss dispute or preserve a civil claim.

Seek legal advice promptly when:

• the denial letter starts a limitation period and the amount is material;
• the carrier relies on a released-value or liability-limitation provision you dispute;
• more than one carrier, broker, forwarder, insurer, shipper, or consignee may be involved;
• the shipment crossed borders or used multiple transportation modes;
• the carrier disputes who may recover;
• hazardous materials, temperature control, contamination, or consequential losses are involved; or
• the facts require witness, expert, or inspection evidence that may disappear.

Use the denial to reduce risk on the next shipment

Turn the carrier’s reason into a pre-shipment control. Confirm the commodity description, packaged dimensions, weight, handling-unit count, freight class when applicable, declared or released value terms, accessorial services, and any separate cargo coverage before tender. Photograph the completed packaging, preserve the accepted quote and governing terms, and make sure the receiver knows how to inspect and note exceptions at delivery.

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.

For the next shipment, prepare the origin and destination ZIP codes, packaged dimensions, weight, commodity description, freight class when known, required accessorial services, and any value or coverage questions, then quote the shipment with those details.

Sources

• U.S. Code, 49 U.S.C. 14706 — carrier liability and minimum claim and civil-action periods
• eCFR, 49 CFR 370.3 — minimum requirements for filing a claim
• eCFR, 49 CFR Part 370 — acknowledgment, investigation, and disposition rules
• FedEx Freight — current cargo-claim filing and decision-dispute instructions
• FedEx Freight 100-Y Rules Tariff — current carrier-specific example