THE ESSENTIALS
Before you start
- Delay and physical cargo damage are different questions.
- Policies can contain specific delay and loss-of-market exclusions.
- Keep the timeline and examine each commitment separately.
Read delay exclusions as well as the risk list
Article 4 of Fidelidade's September 2026 cargo conditions includes journey delays, demurrage and loss of market among exclusions. Its cargo conditions also address delay subject to their stated exceptions. This concerns that wording; check the version and covers of the actual contract.
A 'goods in transit' label or a broad coverage option does not alone establish treatment of every late-delivery loss.
Create three records for one shipment
Our suggested preparation records the goods' physical condition, known dates and causes of delay, and related commercial costs or demands. One shipment reference does not make these items the same damage.
Record what is known and who supplied the information. Keep an unresolved cause as unconfirmed rather than replacing it with a conclusion about someone's fault.
An intact shipment and a missed opportunity
Fictional example: a business sends materials for a Friday event. They arrive the following Monday without apparent damage. The materials invoice, carriage cost and expected event revenue are different amounts.
Record the agreed date, actual arrival, package condition and event documents. Attaching a sales forecast to a notification does not turn it into compensation. Request assessment of each amount without describing damage that did not occur.
Separate contracts and check procedures
Gather the insurance documents, carriage document and customer delivery commitment. Ask which party and channel should receive each enquiry. Potential carrier responsibility and your cargo policy's response require separate assessment.
Check applicable procedures and deadlines without waiting for a new quote. Describe any actual damage separately and preserve delivery evidence. This guide determines no party's responsibility and does not replace case handling.
Before the next shipment
For an RMACHADO quote, describe the goods, route and importance of delivery timing. Raise delays and commercial losses when reading exclusions. Understand the proposal before dispatch; it does not retrospectively make a previous event an accepted risk.
KEEP THESE QUESTIONS
Your checklist for the next conversation
- Record agreed and actual delivery dates.
- Describe the goods' physical condition.
- Separate cargo values and commercial losses.
- Check exclusions and procedures in the relevant contracts.
FROM THE ARTICLE TO YOUR SITUATION
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Sources and transparency
Content updated on .
Consultation dates are stated in individual references when available.
Numerical examples are fictional and explain concepts. Editorial interpretations are identified in the text.
Information from RMACHADO GROUP. This is not an insurance offer or individual advice. Covers, acceptance, exclusions, sums insured and costs depend on the policy. The intermediary does not underwrite the risks.