Accepting Freight Shipments

How To Properly Accept Freight Shipments

Shipping freight can be a relatively smooth process, but it's important to be prepared in case your order is damaged during transit. Here is an overview of the standard steps involved in a freight delivery:

1. Pickup: When your shipment is picked up, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with the carrier's information, a reference number, and a tracking link.
2. In-Transit: Your shipment will be in transit for approximately 3 to 8 business days, until it reaches your local shipping hub.
3. Scheduling: Once your shipment is at the hub, a dispatcher will call to schedule a delivery date and window, usually about 4 hours.
4. Day of Delivery: The driver will typically call you on the way to let you know they're coming.
5. Off the Truck: The driver will use a lift gate to take the shipment off the truck and place it at the curb, unless over-sized such as the Float Cabin tank, Barrel Sauna or the larger Wood tubs. In this case it is your responsibility to unload it from the truck so be prepared to have some helping hands near by. The drivers are not responsible to unload items that are too big for their liftgate.
6. Inspection: It's your responsibility to inspect the shipment for damage, and to document any issues found.
7. Accepting Delivery: The driver will provide a document called the Bill of Lading (BOL), which you must sign to acknowledge receipt of the delivery.

If there is damage to your shipment, it's important to carefully follow the instructions below to ensure your shipping claim can be resolved:

• Inspect the shipment within 15-30 minutes of receiving it.
• Open each box to check for damage that may not be visible.
• Note any damage or missing parts on the BOL, writing "DAMAGED" or "ORDER INCOMPLETE" as appropriate.
• Have the driver sign and initial both copies of the BOL if any damage is present.
• Do not refuse delivery of a damaged shipment, as this will invalidate any claims and may incur additional fees.
• If there is concealed damage (damage that is not immediately evident), document it with photographs and descriptions and send them to us within 24 hours.
• Keep a copy of the receipt and any photographs for reference when making a claim.
• Do not dispose of the shipment as it may be needed for an inspection.
• Contact us at info@FluidFloat.com for assistance with any damage claims.

It's important to note that the majority of freight deliveries take place without incident, but it's always best to be prepared in case something does go wrong.