PITT OHIO EXPRESS was founded in 1979. The basic principles of our business have always been to provide outstanding Customer Service. We have always recognized that good customer service is whatever the Customers perceive it to be. And on that foundation, we have always listened to our customers' needs and responded accordingly.
Today, PITT OHIO EXPRESS still listens. Recently, our customers advised us they would like the ability to file their claims online. To respond timely and sufficiently we have been working to develop a web-based application so claims, and all attachments pertaining to the claim, can easily be uploaded using our website. Once that is done, you can monitor and track the progress of our investigation and final disposition of your claim. In so doing, our goal is to process to conclusion the claims we receive electronically within 20 days of receipt. This helps you, our customers, by making the claims process simple and allows us to resolve the claim as quickly as possible.
Although claims do happen and should be expected, PITT OHIO EXPRESS maintains a claims ratio one-third of the industry average. We have accomplished this through commitment in packaging and shipping preparation by you, the Shippers, and through quality education and accountability of our employees. Maintaining a low claims ratio helps us control our costs and ultimately, helps us control the price adjustments to your rates.
Please indulge yourself by viewing our electronic claims filing application. We welcome your feedback and questions. We respect that change is constant and want to assure that we are meeting your needs today, tomorrow and into the future.
Shipper's responsibility
General
As a shipper, you may notbe aware of your responsibilities in preparing a shipment for transport. PITT OHIO EXPRESS is committed to offering you insight upfront so there are fewer questions if and when a claim arises.
It is the Shippers responsibility to properly mark, label, tag, and package a shipment for transport. These items are explained more in-depth in the National Motor Freight Classification Rulebook, Items 580 and 680 (Opens in a New Window) In addition to the requirements set by the NMFC Rulebook, Pitt-Ohio Express has supplemental regulations regarding the liability of specific commodities, unprotected freight and used items. These policies and others are outline in our Tariff, located under Shipping in the About PITT OHIO EXPRESS section of the website.
If necessary, PITT OHIO EXPRESS can offer you packaging expertise. If assistance is needed, just contact your local Sales Representative or call the Claims Department at 1-800-366-7488, Ext. 6301.
PITT OHIO EXPRESS is a Less-Than-Load (LTL) carrier. Your freight will be loaded on a trailer with a variety of other freight. It is important to keep in mind when packaging your freight, that LTL freight never sits still. This is an important consideration when packaging your product. When the tractor engine is running, the floor of the trailer vibrates. Therefore, it is important that the freight be protected on all sides and sufficiently protected inside the cartons or secured to the skids to prevent movement and damage.
Labeling
Labeling each piece of freight for its destination is also very important. It sometimes does occur in transit that a carton will get separated from the rest of the shipment. Labeling helps us identify who the rightful consignee is and complete the shipment timely.
Time Restrictions for Filing Claims
If your shipment becomes damaged or lost, it is the customer's responsibility to initiate the claim. You have nine (9) months after delivery of a shipment to file a claim. If the shipment is lost, you have nine (9) months after a reasonable time passes when the delivery should have been made. As support of your claim, it is imperative that you present an invoice showing your loss. Without this document, the claim cannot be processed.
If the shipment becomes damaged, it is the claimant's responsibility to assist the Carrier in repairing the product, when it is practical to do so. Then the claim should be filed for the repair costs.
Types and Responsibility
The following matrix shows the different types of reasons for filing a cargo claim:
CONCEALED
NOTED
S H O R T
Shortage not discovered at time of delivery. Consignee/shipper should notify carrier immediately. Burden is on consignee/shipper to prove negligence on the part of the carrier. Consignee/shipper is required to forward a formal demand for payment (claim), enclosing B/L, POD, original invoice, (all supporting documentation). (Ex: usually occurs after initial delivery when consignee opens up carton to reveal pieces missing inside.)
Shortage discovered at time of delivery. Driver calls OS&D and notifies them of specifics of the shortage (model #, serial #, precise description). Driver notes exception on the POD. Consignee/shipper is required to forward a formal demand for payment, (claim) enclosing B/L, POD, original invoice, (all supporting documentation). Claim must be filed within 9 months of delivery.
D A M A G E D
Damage not discovered until packaging opened after driver leaves, or package is in good condition but it is discovered that contents are damaged. Carrier should be notified immediately. Package must be returned for carrier's inspection. Consignee/shipper has 15 days to notify carrier of damage. Burden in on consignee/shipper to prove negligence on the part of the carrier.
Damage discovered at time of delivery. Consignee, by law, must accept possession of the freight. Driver must call OS&D and notify them that specific details of the damage. Driver notes exception number on the POD along with specific of the damage (what, where, when, etc.). Consignee/shipper is required to forward a formal demand for payment (claim), enclosing B/L, POD, original invoice (all supporting documentation). Claim must be filed 9 months of delivery.
Although it is the Carrier's goal to deliver the freight error free, by nature of the business, cargo claims will occur from time to time. If the shipment arrives damaged or short, the shipper/consignee has a right to file a claim with the carrier. Depending on the rate arrangement of the shipment, if the Carrier if found responsible for the cause, they have an obligation to pay for the loss or shortage.
The most common special rate arrangements are those shipments moving under a released value or contract of carriage. Shipments moving out of Canada may be subject to a different liability than domestic shipments.
If the freight is damaged, it is the Shippers obligation to work with the Carrier to mitigate (reduce) those damages.
In order for a claim to be acceptable, the party filing must be either the Shipper, Consignee, Third Party or legally designated as a representative of any of these. If the shipment was handled by more than one carrier, the claim can be filed with any of the participating carriers.
Documents Required
Two documents are essential for processing an electronic claim:
Original Invoice
In the event of shortage we are asking for the original invoice showing cost of lost or damaged goods.
Itemized Invoice
In the event of damage or other type of a claim we are asking for the Itemized Invoice showing cost of lost or damaged goods, and/or the Invoice for repairs, if applicable.
PITT OHIO EXPRESS also encourage any supporting documentation that the claimant might feel will help us speed up the processing, such as pictures or word documents. Moreover should it be determined during the course of our investigation that additional documents are required, the claimant will be advised accordingly via e-mail or phone.
Note: If no attachments are present at the time of the electronic claim submission, the claim will not be processed and the status will be marked as Incomplete. Claimants will be notified in these cases with specifics on what information is needed.
What You Can Expect
If all pertinent documents are filed with the claim, and the claim is filed electronically, it is our goal to process your claim and come to a disposition within 20 days of filing. Claims submitted via fax or mail will receive a letter of acknowledgement, in approximately one week from the date received, and a claim identification number will be assigned. As with all Carrier's, it is our legal obligation is to process your claim and advise disposition within 120 days.
We strongly encourage you to utilize our online claims filing capabilities. Not only will it enhance the processing procedure but you will have the ability to check the status of your claim online.
Should you not receive a response within the above stated days, please feel free to contact your sales representative or our claims department at:
PITT OHIO EXPRESS encourages claimants to attach any supporting documents and/or pictures (scanned or downloaded) that will help speed up the claim processing time.
The following formats are allowable as an attachment on the Claim form:
Microsoft Word documents with an extension of .doc
Notepad text documents, with an extension of .txt
WordPad documents with an extension of .rtf
Adobe Acrobat documents (any version?) with an extension of .pdf
Pictures with an extension of .gif
Pictures with an extension of .jpg
Pictures with an extension of .bmp
Note: To prevent data corruption, or virus spread no other file types are allowed to be downloaded at this time (Ex: no .zip files are allowed).
Size of Attachments Allowed
Pitt Ohio Express asks its claimants to make an effort to restrict the size of attachment documents to 10MB in size per document, or 50MB total. Any attachments exceeding 10MB in size will be rejected by our website, and total of 5 attachments cannot exceed 50MB at a time a claim is being submitted or updated.
E-mail Updates
All e-mails regarding the claim will be directed to the e-mail provided at the time of registration on our web site.
Technical issues
Should you experience any technical issues while filing a claim please contact our web team, or call 412-232-3015 ext. 6202.