Handle delivery-window delays and inconvenience/delay claims
domain: fmcsa.dot.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Set realistic pickup and delivery date ranges on the Order for Service and bill of lading, since movers are expected to perform with 'reasonable dispatch' within those windows
If you will miss a scheduled pickup or delivery date/period, notify the shipper of the delay at the mover's expense as soon as you know
Advise shippers that if the mover misses the bill-of-lading pickup/delivery dates and they incur extra expenses (e.g., lodging, meals) they otherwise wouldn't have had, they may file an inconvenience/delay claim against the mover
Require shippers to support delay claims with receipts covering the period beyond the last day of the pickup/delivery spread, and file the claim within the standard claims window (commonly nine months from delivery)
Understand that FMCSA has no authority to force payment of a delay claim — if the mover disputes it, the shipper's recourse is civil court under the relevant federal cargo-liability statute
Known gotchas
A vague or missing delivery 'spread' on the bill of lading makes it hard to determine when a delay claim clock even starts — always document specific date ranges
FMCSA can record and consider the complaint but cannot compel payment — set shipper expectations correctly about what FMCSA can and can't do for a delay dispute
Movers who fail to proactively notify shippers of known delays face both a worse customer experience and a stronger inconvenience-claim position for the shipper
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