Cargo Claims & Liability
How claims work, what we’re responsible for, and the deadlines that matter.
Our Liability for Freight
Spider Trans transports freight as a motor carrier under USDOT 3973481 and MC-1485546. Our liability for cargo loss or damage in interstate transportation is governed by the Carmack Amendment (49 U.S.C. § 14706) and by the terms of the bill of lading covering each shipment.
Filing a Claim
Note damage or shortage on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery, before the driver leaves. This single step matters more than anything else that follows – an unnoted delivery receipt makes a claim substantially harder to establish.
Submit claims in writing to spidertrans1@gmail.com or by mail to 1832 Cooper Street, Selma, CA 93662, including:
- Bill of lading number and shipment date
- Description of the loss or damage
- The delivery receipt showing the exception noted
- Documentation of the claimed amount (invoice or equivalent)
- Photographs where available
Time Limits
Under the Carmack Amendment, claims for loss, damage or delay must be filed in writing within nine months of delivery — or, for non-delivery, within nine months of the date delivery should reasonably have occurred. Legal action must be commenced within two years and one day of our written disallowance of a claim.
Temperature-Controlled Freight
For refrigerated shipments, we record the set point at loading and run to the temperature specified on the bill of lading. The shipper is responsible for specifying the correct set point and for tendering product at the proper temperature. We are not liable for deterioration resulting from product tendered outside its correct temperature range, from an incorrect set point on the bill of lading, or from inherent vice in the product.
Claim Investigation
We acknowledge claims within 30 days of receipt and aim to resolve within 120 days, as required by federal claim-processing regulations. We may inspect the freight and request additional documentation.
Questions
If something has gone wrong with a load, call us before it becomes a formal claim. Most issues resolve faster with a phone call than a letter.
Questions About Any of This?
Call and ask – you’ll reach us, not a legal department.