Guide
Reefer claims: defend a temperature or cargo claim with records
A broker or receiver says the product arrived warm, or short, or damaged. The claim letter comes days or weeks later. By then the driver has moved on, and the unit's data is the only witness left. This guide covers what to collect, what to send and what to watch.
In short
- Pull the unit's temperature record, the BOL, the seal number and the rate con terms the same day a claim or rejection starts.
- Check the claim response deadline in your contract. Put it on a calendar the day the claim arrives.
- Answer in writing, with facts and attachments. Do not admit fault and do not argue.
- Call your insurer early. We are not an adjuster or a law firm, so this guide helps you gather facts. It does not decide who pays.
The claim file, drawn out
A claim is won or lost on whether the file is complete when you answer. Four things matter most: what the contract asked for, what the unit did, what was on the paper at pickup and what was on the paper at delivery.
The picture shows how the pieces connect. A gap in any box is where a claim gets stuck.
Six steps when a claim or rejection starts
Log the date
Write down the day the claim or rejection reached you and the load number. Every deadline counts from a date, so this one matters.
Read the terms
Open the rate con and your carrier agreement. Find the set point, the mode, the claim notice rule and the response time. Quote them, do not guess them.
Pull the unit data
Download the temperature record for the whole trip before it is overwritten. Ask the driver for the display photos and any alarm notes.
Assemble the paper
BOL from pickup and delivery, seal numbers, pre-cool reading, fuel receipts and check calls. See the reefer documentation checklist.
Call your insurer
Report it as your policy requires and ask what they need from you. Send nothing that admits fault before you hear from them.
Reply in writing
Send a factual reply with attachments before the deadline. Save the sent message and any answer.
| Claim says | Records that speak to it | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Arrived warm | Unit trace, set point on the rate con, pre-cool reading, receiver reading on the BOL | No trace saved, or unit was on cycle when the terms said continuous |
| Product was warm at loading | Load temperature on the BOL, shipper note, pre-cool photo | Nobody wrote the load temperature down |
| Seal broken or different | Seal number on the BOL, photo of the seal at delivery | Seal number missing from the BOL |
| Short or damaged | Piece count on the BOL, exceptions written before signing, load pattern notes | BOL has no count, or the exception was written after signing |
| Late, so product spoiled | Appointment time, arrival and departure times, check calls, delay notices | Delay cause not written anywhere |
A plain reply to send
Keep it factual. State what the records show. Do not admit fault, do not blame the shipper or receiver and do not promise payment. If the amount is large, have your insurer or a lawyer read the reply first.
Watch the clock, not the mood
Response and notice times are set by your contract, not by this site. They differ between brokers and shippers. Some are short.
- Find the claim notice and response terms in each carrier agreement. verify with your lawyer if they are unclear.
- Calendar the deadline the day the claim arrives, plus a reminder 2 days before.
- If you need more time, ask in writing before the deadline and keep the answer.
- Never ignore a claim letter. Silence is the weakest response.
The same dated-follow-up habit works for any money you are owed. See the accessorial recovery guide.
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
A rejected load, with invented numbers
Invented load, nothing here is a real claim or a real broker
Broker A hired a reefer carrier for 24 pallets. The rate con set point was 34 F, continuous. At delivery the receiver wrote 41 F on 20 pallets and rejected them. The 4 other pallets were accepted. Broker A's claim letter values the rejected pallets at $600 each.
- Claimed amount: 20 pallets x $600 = $12,000.
- Records pulled: unit trace shows 33 to 35 F the whole trip, set to continuous. Pre-cool reading of 34 F at 06:10. BOL load temperature blank. Seal number matches.
- Gap found: nobody wrote the product temperature at loading. The carrier cannot show what the product was before the trailer.
- Reply: send the trace, the BOL and the seal photo, and ask Broker A for the receiver's probe method and the shipper's load temperature.
- Outcome: not known. The carrier's insurer decides how to proceed. A strong trace helps, but it does not guarantee anything.
The lesson is the blank box on the BOL. One line at pickup, "product temp [number] per shipper", closes that gap on the next load.
Questions
How long do I have to answer a claim?
Your contract sets it. Read the carrier agreement and the rate con for the notice and response terms, and ask a lawyer if they are unclear. We do not give a fixed number.
What if the unit trace was not saved?
Ask your reefer unit provider or dealer what data the unit still holds, and do it fast. Then collect everything else: fuel receipts, check calls, photos, driver notes. Save the trace for every load from now on.
Should the driver talk to the receiver about fault?
The driver should get the reading and the reason in writing on the BOL, and sign nothing that admits fault. Send questions about blame to the office and your insurer.
Can I bill detention if the load is rejected?
If your terms allow detention and the times are documented, yes, you can ask. Keep the wait times separate from the claim. See detention evidence.
Does a clean trace end the claim?
No. It is strong evidence about the trip. The claim may still turn on loading temperature, handling or contract terms. That is why the whole file matters.
Related: reefer documentation, POD checklist, POD and BOL errors, detention pay. See which of your last 20 loads have unbilled detention or missing paperwork, reefer fleets, reefer fuel, pre-cool and claims.
See what your last 20 loads show.
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