Freight reference · Claims
What to write on a delivery receipt before you sign
What you write on the delivery receipt decides whether a later damage claim succeeds. Here is what to look at, what to write, and when to send the freight back.
A clean signature is a statement. It tells the carrier the freight arrived in good order. Damage you find after that is a concealed-damage claim, and the burden shifts to you to prove it happened in transit.
Inspect before you sign, not after
The driver is on a schedule and the pressure to sign quickly is real. It is still your inspection, and you are entitled to make it. Walk the shipment before the pen touches paper.
Count first
Piece count against the bill of lading. A short shipment is the easiest claim to win and the easiest to miss — if four cartons were tendered and three arrived, that is a fact you can only record now.
Then walk all four sides
Damage is rarely on the side facing you. Look at the corners, the base, and the top. Check whether the wrap is torn, whether the load has shifted, and whether the pallet itself is broken.
Photograph it in place
On the truck if you can, at the curb if you can't. Photos taken before you sign carry far more weight than photos taken in your garage an hour later.
Write on both copies
Your note has to appear on the copy the driver takes back, not just yours. Ask the driver to sign or initial the exception so there are two records of it.
What to write, and what not to
A usable exception says what is wrong, where it is, and how many pieces are affected. A vague one gives the carrier nothing to act on.
Write this
- “Carton 3 of 4 crushed on top right corner”
- “Pallet leaning, shrink wrap torn on north side”
- “Crate slat broken, contents not inspected”
- “Two cartons short — 2 of 4 received”
- “Visible water staining on bottom two cartons”
Not this
- “Damaged”
- “Subject to inspection”
- “Received in poor condition”
- “See attached photos”
“Subject to inspection” records no observation, so it proves nothing later.
When to refuse
Refusal is an option at delivery. If the freight is damaged badly enough to be worthless, sending it back with the driver avoids a long argument about its condition. Note the reason for refusal on the receipt.
Refusing is the wrong call for damage you can repair or work around. Accept it, note it precisely, photograph it, and file. Refusing a repairable shipment can leave you without the goods and still in a dispute.
What a claim pays
Documenting damage well decides whether a claim succeeds, not what it pays. Carrier liability is released value — based on the weight of the freight rather than what the item is worth — and used household goods are frequently capped at $0.10 per pound or excluded outright. Our LTL liability guide sets out the limits carrier by carrier, and cargo coverage is what closes the gap when the freight is worth more than its weight.
When you do need to file, our freight claims process covers the documentation to gather and the order to do it in.
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