Claim
What a moving claim is and why documentation, timing and contract terms matter when loss or damage is reported.
Published 4 Sep 2026 · Updated 5 Sep 2026. Sources, scope and corrections
TRE Dictionary
Claim
A claim is a written request for compensation or other resolution after alleged loss, damage, shortage, delay, or another covered service issue.
In plain English
The customer is asking the responsible company to review a documented problem and determine what remedy is owed.
Why it matters
Inventory, condition records, photographs, valuation, receipts, notice timing, and written correspondence can affect claim handling. For interstate household-goods moves, FMCSA states that a written loss-or-damage claim generally must be filed with the mover within nine months of delivery.
A delivery exception is not the completed claim
Recording a missing item or damage at delivery preserves an observation. For claims governed by 49 CFR 370.3, delivery notations and inspection reports alone do not meet the minimum filing requirements. The written claim must identify the shipment, assert liability and request a specified or determinable amount, and reach the proper carrier within the applicable time limit.
Who owns the next step?
The customer or authorized claimant submits the claim; the carrier’s claims team reviews it. The crew’s delivery notes and photographs support that review, but telling the crew about a problem is not the same as confirming that the claims team received a written claim.
Keep the evidence connected
Connect the Inventory item identifier to the Condition Report, dated photographs, delivery notes and supporting value records. Preserve the written submission, receipt confirmation and claim reference. A later discovery should be documented promptly and handled through the applicable process.
A complaint to FMCSA is separate from a claim for compensation; FMCSA explains that it does not resolve individual claims in What if there are problems?
Continue with Moving Claims: What to Document When Something Is Lost or Damaged, follow the Moving Documents guide, or return to the Relocation Dictionary.
TRE common-language definition
Claim: A documented request for review and remedy of an alleged loss, damage, shortage, delay, or other covered service failure.
Related terms
Valuation · Inventory · Condition Report · Carrier Liability · Service Failure
To understand the protection selected before the loss, review the Moving Valuation guide and retain the signed terms with the claim evidence.
Sources & Evidence
The Relocation Ecosystem provides educational information and does not provide legal advice. Claim deadlines and remedies can depend on the move, jurisdiction, contract, and applicable law.
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