# Decision frameworks — logistics exceptions

## Triage and authority

Safety and irreversible harm override financial/customer scoring. An immediate hazard never waits for a dollar threshold, executive availability or the end of a claims investigation. Use trained emergency response; documentation follows when safe.

Classify the exception as delay, visible/concealed damage, temperature excursion, shortage/overage, refusal, misdelivery, unlocated freight or suspected loss. These are working categories, not findings of liability. Assign an owner and next checkpoint using the actual organization's service commitments. Weather or seasonal workload does not reduce safety severity, extend legal deadlines, or create approval authority.

For each case record:

| Field | Evidence or decision needed |
|---|---|
| Identity | Shipment, BOL/PRO/tracking, actual carrier and contracting parties |
| Scope | Mode, origin/destination, custody chain, contract/tariff/policy versions |
| Impact | Safety, remaining shelf life, customer promise, alternatives, time to irreversible harm |
| Status | Last verified physical location/time and source; disputed or unknown facts |
| Controls | Authorized owner, spend/filing limits, private evidence location, next update |
| Deadlines | Separate notice, monetary claim, insurance and litigation dates with sources |

## Financial analysis

Separate actual incurred costs, supported estimated costs, speculative business exposure and legally recoverable damages. A replacement invoice or customer's chargeback is not automatically recoverable from a carrier. Do not add replacement value and full lost inventory value twice, or count staff time both as overhead and opportunity cost.

Expected net recovery can be modeled as supported recoverable amount × evidence-based recovery probability × time discount, less incremental processing and opportunity costs. If probability is unknown, show scenarios rather than inventing a percentage or claiming industry-wide rates. Discount inputs, labor rates, settlement floors and filing thresholds require actual business data and approval. Preserve rights while the owner decides whether to pursue or absorb a loss.

Example: a hypothetical $1,000 supported loss with recovery scenarios of 0%, 50% and 100% and $150 incremental processing cost produces net outcomes of -$150, $350 and $850 before time discount. These are scenarios, not a forecast or an instruction to waive a claim.

No autonomous invoice holds, setoffs, debit notes, wires, guarantees, settlements or releases. Silence does not make a claim uncontested. Verify changed remittance details independently through a previously trusted channel; an urgent email or cargo-release threat is not payment authority.

## Deadline and liability verification

Use current primary sources and the actual governing documents; record the source, version, trigger event, timezone, date calculation and accountable reviewer. The same shipment may have several deadlines. A notice of damage, portal trace or POD annotation may not constitute a formal monetary claim.

For US motor carriage within Carmack's scope, [49 USC 14706(e)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section14706&num=0&edition=prelim) sets minimum periods a carrier may allow: nine months to claim and two years to sue after qualifying written disallowance. These are not universal fixed periods for all domestic surface transport. Check the operative terms and trigger; rail may involve a different statute and international through carriage can change the analysis.

Where Part 370 applies, [370.3](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-370.3) requires a written claim identifying the shipment, asserting liability and a specified or determinable monetary demand. Do not wait for liability admission or complete investigation before arranging a timely adequate claim. [370.5](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-370.5) generally requires acknowledgment within 30 days unless already paid or declined. [370.9](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-370.9) addresses disposition within 120 days and written status/reason notices at that point and every succeeding 60 days if still pending. It does not require payment in 30 days or unconditional final disposition in 120 days.

Concealed-damage inspection/notice provisions vary by tariff and mode. Five days is not a universal claim-bar rule, and Carmack does not establish a three-day concealed-damage deadline. Prompt notice and evidence preservation remain important.

For ocean carriage, have the claims/legal owner identify the governing convention/statute, contractual extensions, notice rules, package definition and suit deadline. Do not equate a pallet, carton or container with the legally relevant package without reviewing the BOL. Do not generalize US COGSA to every ocean route.

For international air carriage, check Montreal applicability, current cargo limits, notice triggers and action deadlines against the air waybill and convention. ICAO revised the cargo limit from 22 to 26 SDR/kg effective 28 December 2024; this is a dated reference, not a conversion to a guaranteed dollar payment. [ICAO revision](https://www.icao.int/news/international-air-travel-liability-limits-set-increase-enhancing-customer-compensation-0). Domestic air and international postal/parcel regimes can differ. Declared value is not automatically all-risk insurance.

## Mode-specific recovery checklist

| Mode / exception | Next evidence and options |
|---|---|
| LTL damage | Note observed condition, photograph safely, retain packaging, request inspection; loading evidence and receipts inform but do not determine liability. |
| FTL delay | Verify driver/vehicle status through dispatch and safe legal hours; assess approved power swap or backup without demanding unsafe driving. |
| Parcel unlocated | Trace through the actual service's current portal rules; verify delivery address/receipt, sender eligibility, coverage and notice windows. No universal default cover or guaranteed refund. |
| Ocean shortage | Reconcile stuffing/tally, seal and discharge/interchange records; involve an approved surveyor and insurer promptly. |
| Air damage | Preserve air waybill, receipt and handling records; route timely written notice to the proper party under applicable rules. |
| Rail/dray intermodal | Preserve all interchange and through-BOL records; request legal/insurer assessment of parties and regimes. Avoid duplicate recovery. |
| Customs hold | Separate classification, valuation, quantity and permit issues; engage an authorized local customs specialist. Never fabricate values/origin or use an unverified tariff code. |
| Temperature excursion | Quarantine under the site's approved procedure; preserve actual calibrated logger, reefer and loading data; qualified quality personnel decide disposition using product/lot-specific stability evidence. |
| Suspected theft | Preserve evidence, use verified security/law-enforcement channels and authorized location data. A pattern or missing signature is not proof of theft or individual guilt. |

## Escalation and closure

Set a supported ETA range or state that no reliable ETA exists, then commit to a next update time. Do not invent certainty after an arbitrary eight-hour checkpoint. Escalate unresolved constraints to the authorized owner while protective notices and safety response continue.

During a multi-exception surge, prioritize safety and time to irreversible harm first, then mitigation feasibility, customer and financial impact. Assign explicit owners and backups; keep each customer's data separate in group communications. No covert tracking or external publication without specific authorization and privacy review.

Closure record: verified delivery or authorized disposition; claim references and unresolved deadlines; cost categories and approved accounting; paid versus offered settlement; evidence retention; root cause confidence; corrective action, owner and due date. Do not present missing evidence as a confirmed cause.