Introduction
Claims in Carrier TMS gives you one place to file, track, and resolve damage and shortage claims. Each claim is tied to its load, keeps its photos, amounts, notes, and history together, and tracks the federal deadlines for you. When you need to send a claim to a customer or insurer, you can create a claim report in one click.
There are two kinds of claims:
- Payable (Claim Against Us): A customer or dealer says you damaged their vehicle.
- Receivable (Claiming Against Someone): You're recovering money from a sub-hauler, facility, or another carrier.
How to Open Claims
- Log in to Carrier TMS.
- Click Claims in the left menu.
The Claims page lists every claim with its status, claim ID and type, vehicle and load, counterparty, assigned user, incident date, due date, and amount.
- Search by load, claim ID, VIN, or counterparty.
- Click Filters to filter by status or claim type.
- Click All, Payable, or Receivable to switch between claim types.
- Click Columns to choose which columns you see.
How to File a Claim
Step 1: Click File Claim
On the Claims page, click File Claim in the top right. The File New Claim window opens.
Step 2: Choose the Claim Direction
- Choose Claim Against Us if a customer or dealer is claiming against you.
- Choose Claiming Against Someone if you're recovering money from someone else.
- To keep the claim at the top of your list, check Flag as Priority.
Step 3: Enter the Incident Details
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Assigned to | The user who owns the claim. You can also assign someone later. |
| Claim ID | Your own claim number. Leave it blank and we create one for you, such as CLM-1. |
| Claim Type | Vehicle Damage, Shortage / Missing Unit, Accident, Property Damage, Delay / Loss of Use, or Fraud / Dispute. |
| Incident Date (required) | When the damage or loss happened. |
| Reported Date | When the claim was reported to you. |
| Customer | The customer on the load. One claim covers one customer. Loads from other customers need their own claim. |
| Loads | The load or loads the claim is about. Pick a customer first. |
| Incident Location (required) | Where it happened. |
| Description | What happened, in plain language. |
Step 4: Check the Involved Parties
The customer, carrier, and driver are added from the loads you picked. To add someone else, such as an insurance company, inspector, dealer, or auction, choose a role and contact, then click Add.
- For a claim against you, mark who filed the claim under Claimant.
- For a claim you're filing, mark who you're claiming against under Claim Against.
Click Next.
Step 5: Add the Damage and Evidence
- Check each vehicle that was damaged. For each one, enter the Declared Value, Claimed Amount, and Internal Estimated Cost.
- Under Photos of the Damage, select the inspection photos that show the damage.
- Choose the severity: Minor, Moderate, Major, or Total Loss, and describe the damage.
- Under Other Supporting Documents, upload any other files, such as an estimate or invoice. Each file must be less than 20 MB.
The totals for all vehicles show at the bottom. If you don't select a vehicle, enter the amounts for the whole claim instead.
Step 6: Save the Claim
Click Save Claim. The claim opens with the status Received and shows up on your Claims page.
Claim Statuses and Deadlines
Each claim moves through a set of statuses. The progress bar at the top of the claim shows where it is.
| Claim type | Statuses |
|---|---|
| Payable (against you) | Received → Acknowledged → Opened → Settled or Denied → Paid → Closed |
| Receivable (you're claiming) | Draft → Submitted → Acknowledged → Reviewing → Settled or Denied → Paid → Closed |
Carrier TMS tracks the two federal deadlines for claims against you (49 CFR § 370) and shows them on the claim:
- Acknowledge within 30 days of receiving the claim. The claim shows "Claim must be acknowledged before" the due date.
- Decide within 120 days, meaning settle or deny. Once you acknowledge the claim, it shows "Claim must be decided before" the due date.
How to Work a Claim Against You
Open the claim from the Claims page. The blue button in the top right always shows the next step.
Step 1: Acknowledge the Claim
- Send your written acknowledgment to the claimant. [VERIFY: whether Carrier TMS sends anything to the claimant here, or the carrier sends it outside the app]
- Click Acknowledge, then click Confirm Sent. Today's date is saved as the acknowledged date.
Step 2: Open the Investigation
Click Open Investigation. While you investigate, you can:
- Click Assign User to choose who owns the claim.
- Add Internal Notes for your team.
- Upload files under Attachments, or click Add from Load to add files from the load.
Step 3: Settle or Deny the Claim
- Click Settle or Deny.
- To settle, choose Settle, enter the Settlement Amount and any notes, then click Record Settlement. Notes here are included in the claim report.
- To deny, choose Deny, enter the Deny Reason, then click Decline Claim.
Step 4: Record the Payment
- Click Record Payment.
- Enter the Paid Amount, Payment Date, Paid Method, and Reference Number, such as a check number.
- To finish the claim at the same time, check Close the claim after recording.
- Click Record Payment.
Step 5: Close the Claim
Click Close Claim, enter the reason, and click Close Claim. To undo it, click ⋯ > Revert to Paid.
How to Create and Share a Claim Report
The claim report is a ready-to-send record of the claim. It includes the parties, shipment, claim summary, claimed vehicles, photos, evidence, payment record, and a record of actions.
Step 1: Open the Report
On the claim, click Share. The Claim Report opens.
Step 2: Download or Email It
- To download or print it, click Save or Print PDF.
- To email it, click Share. Enter the email addresses, subject, and message. To include every change to the claim, check Include full audit trail. Then click Send Email.
Other Claim Actions
- Edit: Click Edit on the claim to change its details. Closed claims can't be edited.
- Flag as Priority: Click ⋯ > Flag as Priority to pin the claim to the top of your list.
- Delete: Click ⋯ > Delete.
- You can also open these actions from ⋯ on the claim's row on the Claims page.
Next Steps
Good inspection photos make claims easier to prove. Learn how to take video inspections in the Driver App.