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If you need to ship high-value medical equipment, machinery, or other sensitive electronic equipment it pays to be aware of the pitfalls present in the transporting such shipments, including insurance, documenting loss or damage claims, and dealing with freight brokers. Having been employed in the transportation industry for 37 years, (and having spent the last 25 years moving high-value medical, telecom, fixtures/displays, and computer equipment) around the country (and occasionally around the globe), I have some experience and some strong opinions ;-) which may be helpful. So here we go... 1) If you're shipping domestically within the continental U.S. then shipping your high-value medical equipment via an air-ride, pad-wrap carrier (such as Atlas Van Lines) is (IMHO) the best method. Such carriers handle hundreds of sensitive high-value shipments each week and have drivers who are trained (and experienced) with moving such sensitive cargo. While using such a carrier is generally more expensive, you will save on the expense of crating and you will ultimately have less damage which can equate to significant savings. In addition, if your shipment requires inside pickup or delivery, air-ride pad-wrap carriers have the equipment and additional labor to move practically anything, anywhere. However, such carriers are far from perfect so you should refer to points 2, 3, 4, and 5 below... 2) Your carrier will provide your shipment with some measure of standard tariff loss or damage liability at no additional charge...however...such "free" loss/damage liability will be limited to no more then $0.60 per pound which is WOEFULLY INADEQUATE coverage for your high-value shipment. As a result you should have your chosen carrier insure your shipment for its TRUE MARKET VALUE. Yes, this additional insurance costs you more...but it is well worth the extra cost. 3) Each time you book a shipment with a carrier make it standard practice to receive an itemized statement of the quoted cost, and MAKE SURE this document states the amount of additional insurance which has been included in the quoted price. 4) Document any loss or damage caused by the carrier on the carrier's freight bill! This point cannot be emphasized enough! If the carrier damaged your shipment then YOU (or your representative) need to prove that such loss or damage occurred when it was in the carrier's care and custody. If the driver who delivers your shipment says "...don't worry you have insurance...just call the office..." say "...thanks, but I need to document this damage on your bill of lading...now..." and then (1) make a DETAILED DESCRIPTION of the nature of the loss or damage ON THE CARRIER'S BILL OF LADING, (2) insist that the driver signs the bill of lading on which you have described the damage, and (3) make certain that the driver gives you a copy of the bill of lading (with your damage notes on it). Next, take pictures of the damage. Last, call the carrier's office IMMEDIATELY and start the claim filing procedure IMMEDIATELY. It must be noted that you...the shipper...is the party responsible for documenting any loss or damage and if you fail to do so your claim will most likely be denied...regardless of the merit of your claim. Document loss or damage on the carrier's freight bill! If you have field techs who receive your shipments then create a one-page document which instructs each tech on how to thoroughly inspect the shipment upon receipt, and how to document and loss or damage that may have occurred. Train your field techs on proper claim documenting procedures. If your shipment is shipped directly to customers, then distribute your "Damage Documenting Instructional Document" to your customers so that they understand the process. Filing a claim is a game; if you play by the rules you win; if you fail to play by the rules you lose. The sad part is when a customer never learns the rules of the game, and subsequently has a legitimate claim denied. Man...That ticks me off. One last word about claims: filing an illegitimate claim is a crime which is a slippery slope to embark on. Don't go there. 5) Brokers. The vast majority of brokers are outstanding organizations, and this point is going to tick some people off. This is not my intention. Rather, this point is my opinion, my $.02, and YMMV: Some brokers shop your shipment around and choose the lowest priced trucker to haul it, and then keep the difference between what they pay the trucker and the price they quote you. This can lead some brokers to put service quality on the back burner and to go for the cheapest price they can find. The result can place your high-value medical equipment on a truck that hauls potatoes and broccoli 99.9% of the time driven by a driver whose experience consists of sitting in his cab smoking while the shipment is loaded at a dock. The end result is that the broker makes a boat-load of money while your shipment is ill-served by inappropriate equipment and untrained drivers. Again, most brokers are transportation professionals...but it certainly behooves you to make certain the broker you deal with is such a professional organization. That's the short version of my experience and opinion. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you like the hour long version ;-) Christopher Noblit 
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