Damage at Time of Delivery

Commercial Motor Freight Deliveries

Once an LTL commercial motor freight carrier has taken possession of your products from our warehouse, signed, and acknowledged that the product is in good order, we are no longer responsible for the condition of the product(s) at time of delivery. Commercial motor freight carrier deliveries require a signature. It is the customer's responsibility to inspect the shipment prior to acceptance and note any freight damage and/or missing items on the Bill of Lading before the driver leaves. Items to note on the bill of lading include:

  • Forklift punctures
  • Torn or crumpled cartons
  • Broken or torn stretch wrap
  • Obviously scratched or damaged items
  • Missing items

We ask our customers to accept all shipments, regardless of the damage, but note and sign the Bill of Lading the visible freight damage and/or missing items. By signing the delivery receipt (Bill of Lading), the customer is confirming the delivery and that all of the product(s) arrived in good shape, unless otherwise noted. Claims for missing or damaged items will not be accepted by the freight carrier if not specified on the Bill of Lading. You must make a note and sign the Bill of Lading before the driver leaves. For example, if a product is damaged, clearly write “PRODUCT DAMAGED” on the Bill of Lading. If you do not have time to inspect the order at time of delivery, please note the following on the Bill of Lading: "Boxes are subject to inspection at time of delivery. Customer will notify carrier of pending damage within 24 hours." This gives you the time to look over your product(s), yet allows the carrier to know that possible damage may have occurred before you took possession of it. If the customer signs the Bill of Lading without recording or otherwise noting that there are possible damaged or missing items, there is no recourse. Please keep all shipping materials and original product packaging until the inspection is completed. We also recommend taking photos of any product(s) that may have been damaged in delivery.