A parcel stuck on 'in transit'
The client reports that their customer has not received an order. Tracking shows it scanned at the carrier's hub a fortnight ago and nothing since. The client wants to reship and asks who pays for the lost stock. Somebody should claim from the carrier. That means finding the order value, the item cost, proof of what was packed, the collection manifest, and filling in the carrier's claim form within their window.
It is on somebody's list. It stays there. By the time they get to it, the carrier's claim window has closed.
Why claims are abandoned
Each claim is small and slow. Carriers have their own forms, portals, evidence requirements and deadlines, and they differ between services. The evidence is spread across the WMS, the pack station, the manifest and the client's invoice. No one owns claims as a job, so they fall to whoever is least busy, which in a warehouse is nobody.
| Evidence carriers commonly ask for | Where a 3PL has it |
|---|---|
| Proof of dispatch | Collection manifest, carrier scans |
| Contents and value | Order lines from the WMS, cost from the client |
| Packaging and weight | Pack station records, weight check if captured |
| Photos of damage | From the recipient via the client |
| Claim within the time limit | Nobody tracking the dates |
What unclaimed losses cost
Stock and shipping that you or your client pay for twice. Clients who feel the warehouse does not stand up for them with carriers. And no data on which carrier, service or route loses parcels, so you cannot argue for better terms or move volume elsewhere.
Claims that are rejected also cost time, and many are rejected because the evidence was incomplete, not because they were wrong.
There is a contract question hiding here too. Your terms with each client say something about who carries the risk of loss in transit and up to what value. If nobody tracks which losses were claimed and what came back, it is hard to apply those terms consistently, and one client ends up treated more generously than another without anyone deciding that.
And the reship itself is work: a new pick, a new pack, a new label, often an upgraded service to make up for the delay, all for an order that has already been billed once.
The claims tracker we build
- Detection from tracking data: parcels with no movement after a threshold, delivery exceptions and returns marked damaged, read through carrier APIs or tracking platforms.
- Client reports through a simple form or email address, linked to the order automatically.
- An evidence pack per claim: order contents, pack record, weight, manifest and scan history, with the client's cost price where they supply it.
- Carrier rules held per service: what they require, how to submit, and the deadline from dispatch or delivery date.
- A claims board showing each claim's stage and deadline, with reminders before windows close.
- Outcome tracking: accepted, rejected with reason, amount recovered, and what was credited to the client.
Where a carrier offers a claims API, submission can be automated. Where it needs a portal, the pack is prepared so filing is quick.
What you end up with
Claims filed with complete evidence before the deadline, by whoever is on duty. Clients see that losses are pursued. And a record of loss and damage by carrier and service, which is useful at your next carrier review.
Signs claims are slipping
- Lost parcel claims are filed when someone has time.
- You do not know each carrier's claim deadline.
- Claims are rejected for missing evidence.
- Clients are credited for losses you never claimed.
- You cannot say which carrier loses the most parcels.