Keep the proof at pickup.

When a corrected LTL bill arrives, it is your records against the carrier's. If all you have is the weight typed on the bill of lading, there is little to argue with. If you have a scale reading, measurements and a photo from the day of pickup, a change with no proof behind it becomes hard for the carrier to keep.

Five records to keep for every shipment

• The bill of lading with the weight, piece count, NMFC item and class you declared.
• The quote or rate agreement the shipment moved under, including any discount or FAK terms.
• The scale reading for each pallet, taken after it was fully wrapped and loaded.
• The dimensions of each handling unit, pallet included, measured at the longest and tallest points.
• Photos of the loaded pallet with a tape measure in view, and of the scale display showing the weight.

Product spec sheets and catalog pages help too, because they show the weight and size of what is inside.

Make it a habit, not a project

The records only help if they exist for the shipment that gets reclassified, and you never know which one that will be. A phone photo and a line in a log for every pallet takes a minute. Name each photo with the PRO or bill of lading number so you can find it months later.

What the dispute letter should include

• The PRO number, pickup date, and the date you received the corrected bill
• What changed: the weight or class you declared, and what the carrier billed
• The amount you are contesting, including any inspection fee
• Your reason in one or two sentences, such as no scale ticket provided, or measurements that do not match yours
• A request for the carrier's scale ticket or inspection record if you have not received it
• A list of the documents you attach

Keep the tone plain and factual. The letter is stronger when every claim in it points to a document.

Send it on time and keep a copy

Federal law gives a shipper 180 days from receiving a bill to contest it (49 U.S.C. 13710(a)(3)(B)). Send the letter through the carrier's billing dispute channel, keep the sent copy and any reply, and note the date in your log.

When the carrier was right

Sometimes your own records show the carrier's number is correct, for example when a pallet was weighed before it was wrapped. Pay those, and fix the step that caused it. That stops the same charge from coming back on the next shipment.

If you would rather not build the file yourself, Zenmul checks each corrected bill against your records and prepares a dispute letter for every bill worth contesting. You decide what to send, and you send it under your own name.

This article is general information, not legal advice.