Damage Report Template (Transport Damage)

A damage report documents transport damage in a way that keeps claims against the carrier or cargo insurer enforceable. Timing is decisive: whoever notifies too late or in the wrong form seriously weakens their evidential position. With this free template you record everything that matters right at the handover.

Which deadlines apply to the damage notification?

Under German transport law, § 438 HGB distinguishes two cases: externally visible damage (a crushed box, wet packaging) must be notified at delivery at the latest. Damage not externally visible – the breakage only shows when unpacking – within seven days of delivery. The notification must identify the damage with sufficient clarity and be made in text form (an email is enough). If it is missed, the statutory presumption applies that the goods were delivered complete and undamaged. So the rule is: document the damage immediately with the driver, not days later.

What belongs in the damage report?

The template has a dedicated field for each of these:

• Shipment and order number, date, place, and persons involved
• Type of damage (breakage, moisture, shortage, damaged packaging) and its extent
• Affected packages with count and markings
• Photos of the goods and the packaging – both, because the packaging evidences the cause
• A reservation noted on the delivery note or proof of delivery ("accepted with reservation: 2 boxes crushed")
• Signatures from both sides – recipient and driver

Why keep the packaging?

Carrier and insurer have a right of inspection: they may examine the damage in its as-delivered state. Keep goods and packaging unchanged until the claim is released or settled – whoever throws away the packaging discards their strongest piece of evidence.

Paper or digital?

The paper report works – provided a form is at hand at the moment of delivery, photos are taken, and later matched to the right shipment. That is exactly where it fails in practice: the reservation sits on paper, the photos live on the driver's phone, and the matching happens days later. A digital proof of delivery captures reservations with photo and GPS timestamp right at the handover – that is exactly what we built Maxmove Digital POD for.

Frequently asked questions

Missed the deadline – is the claim gone? Not automatically. But the presumption of conforming delivery kicks in – the burden of proof flips, and you must show the damage occurred before the handover. Without timely documentation, that rarely succeeds.

Who is liable, and for how much? The carrier's liability is generally capped at 8.33 special drawing rights per kilogram of gross weight (§ 431 HGB), currently around €10 per kilo. For valuable goods, cargo insurance or a declared value is worth it.

Does the driver have to sign? You cannot force them – but a joint signature makes the report far more robust. If the driver refuses, note "signature refused" with name and time, ideally with a witness.

Is a photo enough? A photo is the strongest single piece of evidence, but it does not replace the notification in text form within the deadline. Only the combination – photo, reservation at handover, written notification – makes the case solid.