Transit damage is uncommon, but when it happens the first fifteen minutes matter more than anything you do afterwards.
At the truck
Point the damage out to the driver and write it on the Bill of Lading as an exception, in the damage section, before you sign. Be specific: "new scratch, driver door, 6 inches" rather than "scratch". Photograph it close up and from a distance with the date visible. Ask the driver to sign or initial the notation. Then sign, pay the carrier's balance, and keep your copy.
Within 48 hours
Email support@rivalane.com with the signed Bill of Lading, your pickup photos and your delivery photos. Our Terms and Conditions ask for notice no later than 48 hours after delivery so we can provide the carrier's documents in time. The carrier is the liable party and the claim is filed with it; we give you what you need to do that.
What is not covered
Damage caused by weather such as hail, by loose or worn parts on the vehicle, or by personal items left inside is excluded under the Terms, as is damage that was not noted on the Bill of Lading at delivery.
What not to do
Do not sign clean and plan to report it later; a clean signature confirms satisfactory condition. Do not refuse the vehicle; accept it with the damage noted. Do not get a repair done before the carrier's insurer has reviewed the claim, unless the carrier agrees in writing.
How a carrier's claim process works
Once you file, the carrier's cargo insurer handles it under federal claims rules. 49 CFR Part 370 requires a motor carrier to acknowledge a written claim within 30 days and to pay, decline or make a settlement offer within 120 days, or explain the delay. Your claim should state the shipment, the damage, and the amount claimed, and it should attach the pickup and delivery Bills of Lading, your photos and a repair estimate from a shop of your choice.
Rivalane supplies the carrier's legal name, contact details and insurance information so the claim reaches the right desk. We also stay in contact with the carrier on your behalf, because a claim that is followed up moves faster than one that is not.
Why the 48-hour notice matters
Section 9c of our Terms and Conditions asks you to report a claim to Rivalane no later than 48 hours after delivery. The deadline exists so the carrier's documents can be provided while the delivery is fresh and the driver's log and photos are easy to retrieve. A report on day one, with the exception already on the Bill of Lading, is a claim the insurer can process. A report on day ten, with a clean signature, is an argument.
What the Terms say: the carrier is the liable party and the customer files the claim directly with the carrier (Section 9b); claims must be reported to Rivalane within 48 hours of delivery (Section 9c); claims against motor carriers are governed by the Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. 14706 (Section 9e).
What to send us
Your order number, the signed delivery Bill of Lading showing the exception, the pickup Bill of Lading, your pickup photos, your delivery photos with the damage, and a short description of what happened at the truck, including the driver's name if you have it. If the driver refused to initial the exception, say so; your own notation and photographs still count. We reply with the carrier's details and the documents you need.
Getting the repair estimate
Use a body shop you trust and ask for a written, itemized estimate that describes the damage and references the vehicle by VIN. Two estimates are better than one if the amount is significant. Do not authorize the repair until the carrier's insurer has had a chance to inspect or has approved the estimate in writing, unless the car is unsafe to drive; Section 9 puts the claim with the carrier, and a repair done before review can be disputed.
Disputes and where to take them
If the carrier denies the claim or does not respond inside the Part 370 timelines, you can complain to the FMCSA through the National Consumer Complaint Database, and the Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. 14706, gives you a civil remedy against the carrier. Section 9e of our Terms encourages independent legal advice at that point. Attorneys who handle cargo claims know the statute well.
What Rivalane's own liability covers
Section 9a states that Rivalane, as a broker, is not liable for cargo loss or damage, and Section 11a caps Rivalane's total liability at the fees you paid to Rivalane. That is the structure of every brokered shipment, not a Rivalane exception, and it is the reason the carrier's insurance and the Bill of Lading are the things to get right. The articles on insurance and on the Carmack Amendment, linked below, go deeper.
Damage on a car that traveled enclosed is handled the same way; the trailer type changes the exposure, not the claim process. For deliveries at a meeting point rather than your driveway, the door to door page explains the handover, and the inspection happens there.
Related questions
- How do I file a damage claim after car shipping?
- How does the bill of lading work with Rivalane?
- Is my car insured during transport with Rivalane?
Go deeper: Auto Transport Bill of Lading: What Must Be On It.
