The short answer
The Bill of Lading is the legal condition record for your shipment. At pickup, walk the vehicle with the driver, confirm every existing chip, dent and scratch is on the diagram, and photograph the signed copy. At delivery, inspect in daylight before you sign — anything new must be written on the delivery copy at that moment. A clean signature at delivery makes a later damage claim extremely difficult to win.
- The Bill of Lading (BOL) is issued twice: once at pickup and once at delivery, and both need your signature.
- Damage noted only in photos, but not on the delivery BOL, is usually disputed successfully by the carrier.
- Every carrier we dispatch carries verified cargo insurance; our optional $99 shipper's-interest policy adds up to $200,000 of coverage.
- Claims are strongest when filed within 24 hours with the delivery BOL and dated photos attached.
What the Bill of Lading actually is
It is three documents in one: a receipt that the carrier took possession of your vehicle, a contract for the move, and a condition report. The condition report is the part that matters to you. The diagram on it is what an insurer compares against at delivery, so what is drawn on it at pickup defines what counts as pre-existing.
Pickup inspection — 10 minutes, in this order
- Inspect in daylight or under strong light. Dusk hides everything.
- Start at the driver's door and walk clockwise, panel by panel.
- Check bumpers, rocker panels and the lower doors — where road damage actually happens.
- Look at each wheel and rim separately for curb rash.
- Check the windshield and every window for chips and star cracks.
- Open the hood and trunk, note fluid levels and any existing leak.
- Photograph the odometer and the interior.
- Compare the driver's marks on the diagram to what you see, and ask for anything missing to be added.
- Take a photo of the completed, signed BOL before the driver leaves.
- Save the driver's name and phone number.
Delivery inspection — before you sign
Do not let a late arrival or bad weather rush you. Walk the same clockwise route with your pickup photos on your phone. If you find something new, write it on the delivery BOL in specific language — "3-inch scratch, rear passenger door" — and have the driver initial it. Then photograph the annotated document. If the driver refuses to note it, write it yourself before signing and photograph the page.
If you find damage
- Note it on the delivery BOL and photograph the annotated copy.
- Photograph the damage itself from three distances: wide, mid, close.
- Call us the same day — we open the claim with the carrier and their insurer on your behalf.
- Get a written repair estimate from a shop within a few days.
- Keep the vehicle unrepaired until the insurer has reviewed the estimate.
Night deliveries
You are entitled to inspect properly. If a carrier arrives after dark, use your phone's flashlight and take more photos than you think you need, and write "inspected at night, subject to daylight inspection" on the BOL before signing. That single line keeps a next-morning discovery credible.
Frequently asked questions
- What happens if I sign the Bill of Lading and find damage later?
- A clean signature at delivery is the carrier's strongest defense, so later claims are much harder. If you inspected at night, write that on the BOL before signing — it preserves your position for a daylight inspection.
- Who provides the Bill of Lading?
- The carrier's driver brings it and completes the condition diagram. On our shipments you also get the online BOL link — including inspection photos and signatures — inside your shipment tracking page.
- Does car shipping insurance cover everything?
- Carrier cargo insurance covers damage the carrier caused in transit. It does not cover pre-existing damage, personal items, or acts of nature in most policies. Our optional $99 shipper's-interest policy adds up to $200,000 of coverage on top.