How To Receive a Shipment

While issues and damage during shipment are rare, it does happen occasionally. How you handle the delivery will help ensure that you can file a successful claim with the carrier. Please make sure anyone who receives shipments for your company reads this document thoroughly. We recommend that you post it near where shipments are received at your facility.

Information covered in this document:

Inspecting your shipment during and after delivery.
What to do if your shipment is damaged
Filing a claim
What to do if you are billed the incorrect amount for freight

If you need guidance at any point, please call Royal’s Outbound Traffic Team at 510-652-4256.

Inspecting your shipment while the driver is with you

Any issues with your shipment will need to be noted on the Delivery Receipt, which is the paperwork your driver will take back to their office to file. If nothing is noted on the receipt, you are indicating that the delivery was sound.

Confirm that this is your shipment – Read the delivery receipt and confirm you are the intended recipient.
Confirm that the unit count is correct – Review the packing slip and count the items shipped. Note any shortages or overages on the delivery receipt.
Check for damage – Check each shipment thoroughly. If there is damage, be sure to note it on the delivery receipt and take clear photos that focus on the damage, which will support your claim.

Examples of damage:

Holes in bags/loose coffee
Stains on bags
Straps or shrink-wrap missing or not intact
Moisture, odor, or other contaminants

If your shipment has damage

Do not refuse the shipment*. While it may seem counterintuitive to accept a shipment with visible damage, please do not turn away the driver. Refusing a shipment could result in extra fees for redelivery, transit, etc.
Note all damage on the delivery receipt.
Take photos of any damage.
File a claim with your carrier (see Freight Claim section below).

*If you feel your shipment needs to be refused due to exposure to odors or chemicals and cannot be in your warehouse, please call Royal’s Outbound Shipping Team while the driver is still at your facility (510-652-4256).

Inspecting your shipment after the driver has left/Concealed Damage

The window of time that a carrier allows for concealed damage to be reported varies, so it is important to know your carrier’s policy. It can be as few as 2 days and sometimes up to 5 days.

Break down your shipment as soon as possible after receipt to check for concealed damage.
Inspect all individual units for damage.
If damage is discovered, take photos and immediately call to report the damage to your carrier. Then, follow up with the carrier via email so there is a paper trail. You should also document any conversations you have with your carrier, including the date, the phone number called, and the person you notified.

Filing a Freight Claim

Freight claims should be filed as soon as possible and can be filed through your carrier’s website. Many carriers require claims to be filed within 5-7 days of the date of delivery. If you need help filing your claim, please reach out to our Outbound Traffic Team via email (outboundtraffic@royalcoffee.com).

Within 30 days of filing your claim you will be assigned a claim number, and your claim should be settled within 120 days of the carrier receiving it. If it has not been settled within 120 days, the carrier must notify you in writing every 60 days with your claim status and they can continue notifying you every 60 days as long as necessary to settle the claim.

Items needed to file a claim:

PRO number (tracking number)
The Bill of Lading
Proof of delivery
Freight bill
Invoice from Royal showing the coffee’s value
Pictures of damaged freight

Please keep in mind that in most cases any undamaged beans are salvageable. Claims can only be filed for the weight of the beans lost.

If you are billed the wrong amount for freight:

When Royal sets up freight for you, you are receiving Royal’s discounted freight rate through that carrier. Occasionally, carriers will make billing mistakes and not apply Royal’s discount to your final bill, or shipments get reweighted in transit, etc. In most cases, these issues can be resolved before your shipment is delivered. If you think there is a billing mistake, please call our Outbound Traffic Team so that we can review the costs. If the driver is at your facility when you notice the error, please ask them to wait while you reach our team. We will quickly review their bill against our bill of lading and get a correction request started.

Royal’s Outbound Traffic Team

510-652-4256

OutboundTraffic@royalcoffee.com