Bogus cargo claim!!!

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by SkyGirl36, Nov 9, 2020.

  1. SkyGirl36

    SkyGirl36 Bobtail Member

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    Nov 9, 2020
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    We are a small fleet, (2) 53' reefers. One of my drivers took a load in July. There were two drops about 50-60 miles apart (MD and VA) When he got to the last stop he realized there was a pallet left on the truck. He called us (the office) and we called the broker to find out what to do. After an hour of waiting, the broker sent me a Product Destruction Form to fill out and told us the customer said destroy the product. It was 25 cases of hamburger meat. Driver took pics of the product with clear visible barcode info, etc. and sent to the broker. NOW, TQL has put us on hold from doing loads because the customer filed a claim for lost product! of $5k!!! This load was smack in the middle of COVID and NO ONE was allowed out of their truck to count product, watch loading/unloading. So, the shipper erred when putting the extra on our truck and when we asked the broker if he wanted us to deliver it or take it back to the customer we were told NO, destroy it. Anyone have any comments on this?? Of course I refused to pay it, we will not pay because the customer decided to destroy his own product.
     
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  3. JonJon78

    JonJon78 Road Train Member

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    Simple answer, DON'T do business with TQL.
     
  4. User666

    User666 Medium Load Member

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    Did you get the broker's instructions in writing when they told you to destroy the product? What did you eventually do with the commodity?
     
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  5. 062

    062 Road Train Member

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    Someone is looking to rip you off. I had a claim on eight 40lb boxes and it was roughly $148.
    @wichris @Ridgeline
     
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  6. Mike250rs

    Mike250rs Heavy Load Member

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    If you don't have the above with documentation AND that it was properly disposed of, your still on the hook
     
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  7. wichris

    wichris Road Train Member

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    If they don't owe you any money, then screw them. If they owe you, you're in for a fight.
     
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  8. User666

    User666 Medium Load Member

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    That was my point. It's the broker's word versus the carrier's without anything in writing. Hopefully, they at least have something that shows what they eventually did with the product.
     
  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    I would ask this first, written instructions are the only line of defense.

    The other is very important, was there any shortages noted on the shipper or Bol?

    we had a few like this after the lockdown, I told the drivers that if something is left on the truck, and they signed the paper work, what was left was to be disposed of without notifying the customer or the carrier.

    As bad as this sounds, we have not had any shortages in any food loads this year accept one.
     
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  10. SkyGirl36

    SkyGirl36 Bobtail Member

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    Nov 9, 2020
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    ABSOLUTELY! I have the email from the broker, I have the form he sent us to fill out, I have pictures of the product which I presented in my documentation to them. The commodity was hamburger meat, 25 cases. Who says to throw that away??? There was nothing wrong with it, it was on the reefer temp controlled, we could have simply returned it to the customer and NOONE would be out of money, right? They're trying to rip us off....
     
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  11. User666

    User666 Medium Load Member

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    Nice. So they're filing a 5k claim against your insurance? If so, they won't be getting paid if you can provide the documentation proving you were told to destroy it. If they're simply cutting you off from hauling for them you can talk to their Contracts Department or simply add them to your Do Not Haul list and move on.
     
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