FAQs

A freight claim is a formal request to the carrier for reimbursement of shipment damages or losses while in transit. Complete Shipping Solutions will act as your advocate offering full claims process assistance.

• If you did not purchase extra freight insurance, the freight carrier claim will be filed on your behalf with the carrier under the standard carrier liability coverage.

• If you purchased extra freight insurance, the extra freight insurance claim will be filed on your behalf under the extra insurance terms and conditions.

The standard carrier liability coverage refers to a limited liability that carriers can be held liable for in the event of damage or loss. The standard carrier liability is usually included on every shipment and may differ by each carrier’s terms and conditions.  Some commodity exceptions apply.

Most motor truck carriers provide coverage up to a liability limit of of$2.00/lbs. or $4.41/kg.

For example :

• If the total weight of a shipment is 200 lbs. and your claim amount is $800.00
• The maximum limit of liability is 200 lbs. X $2.00 = $400.00.

Most small package couriers provide coverage up to a liability limit of $100.00.

For example :

• If your claim amount is $800.00, the maximum limit of liability is $100.

The standard carrier liability coverage often does not cover the full value of the shipment in the event of damage or loss. For extra protection, SMARTT Shipping offers extra freight insurance that provides more freight coverage than the standard carrier liability.

Claims under $ 50.00 USD will not be processed.

Please note that GST and HST are not claimable.

If you did not purchase extra freight insurance, the amount claimable is limited to the standard carrier liability.

If you purchased extra freight insurance, the amount claimable is the invoice value of goods + freight charges.

Protect your claim rights by reporting any damages or shortages upon receipt of your shipment. When your shipment is delivered, please inspect your shipment for visible damages or shortages.

If damage or shortage is visible, please note the exceptions on the delivery receipt.

PROVIDE A CLEAR AND SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

DO write:

Examples of Damages:

• 1 carton damaged – 10 lamps, 2 broken
• 1 box wet, top right corner crushed, contains 4 glass jars, 1 broken and leaking
• 2 out of 3 boxes of paper crushed, damaged

Example of Shortages:

• 2 pieces tires short
• 3 out of 10 boxes of connectors short

DO NOT write:
X Possible Damage
X Possible Shortage
X Pending Inspection
X Subject to Inspection

If the delivery receipt has no notation of any exceptions, it would imply that the freight was received in the same good order the freight was picked up in.

If damage or shortage is discovered after delivery, please report the damages to Complete Shipping Solutions immediately.

Yes. A deductible will apply for all claim settlements.

If you did not purchase extra freight insurance, all carrier claim settlements will be subject to a deductible amount as follows:

• $0 deductible on claim valuation less than $1,000.00 USD.
• $150.00 USD deductible on claim valuation equal to or greater than $1,000.00 USD.

If you purchased extra freight insurance, all extra freight insurance valuation will be subject to a deductible amount as follows:

• $0 deductible on claim valuation less than $1,000.00 USD.
• $150.00 USD deductible if the value of the shipment declared and paid for, is equal to or greater than $1,000.00 USD.

No. Freight charges are claims that are considered separate items. Freight charges must be settled for claims to be processed. Please refer to your credit agreement.

Carrier claims and extra insurance claims are filed with the carrier or insurance company. Claims are processed in accordance with their respective timelines and policies. It is common for claims processing to take 60 days or more. The current average is 60-90 days for resolution.