Freight damage costs US shippers billions of dollars every year. And most of it is preventable. One damaged shipment can cut into your margins, kill a customer relationship, and create a chain of operational problems you didn’t budget for.
Understanding the full cost of freight damage, and what causes it, is where prevention starts.
What Freight Damage Really Costs
Most shippers only think about the value of the broken goods. That’s just the surface.
Direct financial loss. The replacement cost of damaged goods is the first hit. Depending on what you ship, whether that’s electronics, auto parts, food and beverages, or industrial equipment, a single incident can run from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. In healthcare logistics or CPG shipping, damaged goods can also trigger compliance issues on top of the financial loss.
Hidden freight fees and claim costs. Filing a damage claim takes time and money. Many shippers get blindsided by accessory charges, restocking fees, and administrative costs that were never part of the original freight rates. This is why freight pricing transparency matters before you book. If you’re not familiar with how claims work, GoShip’s freight insurance claims guide is a good place to start.
Customer churn. In ecommerce shipping and retail logistics, a damaged delivery doesn’t just cost you one order. It costs you a customer. Most buyers who receive damaged goods don’t come back, and the revenue impact of that churn is almost always bigger than any single claim.
Operational disruption. Reordering, repackaging, rescheduling, and coordinating returns all eat time. For industries like construction logistics, where timelines are rigid and delays pile up fast, that disruption multiplies quickly.
Why Freight Gets Damaged
Before you can stop it, you need to know what’s causing it. The most common reasons freight gets damaged in transit are:
- Improper packaging that allows goods to shift, stack poorly, or absorb impact
- Multiple handling touchpoints in LTL freight shipping, where shipments move through several terminals before reaching the destination
- Incorrect freight classification, which leads to cargo being handled in ways that don’t match its actual fragility or weight
- Weak pallets that collapse under pressure, especially during cross country shipping
- Missing or unclear labeling that gives handlers no guidance on how to treat the load
If you’re still getting familiar with how the process works from pickup to delivery, the GoShip blog covers the basics of what freight shipping is and how it works across different service types.
How to Prevent Freight Damage
Pick the Right Shipping Mode
Choosing between LTL freight shipping and FTL freight shipping is one of the biggest variables in damage risk. LTL means your freight shares space with other shippers’ cargo and passes through multiple terminals. FTL gives your load a dedicated dry van truck with fewer handling points.
GoShip makes it straightforward to compare freight carriers and get freight quotes online so you can weigh cost against the protection your cargo needs. You can also run a truckload quote directly on the platform.
Package Your Freight Correctly
Packaging is your first line of defense and the one factor entirely in your control. A few standards that make a real difference:
- Use pallets in good condition rated for the weight of your load
- Apply at least four to six layers of stretch film, starting at the base
- Use corner protectors and edge boards on fragile or odd-shaped items
- Fill void space inside boxes so nothing shifts in transit
- Keep heavier items on the bottom, lighter items on top
- Distribute weight across the pallet so it’s balanced
For specific products like apparel or furniture, following product-specific packaging standards will directly affect how your freight holds up.
Get the Freight Classification Right
Every shipment gets a freight class based on density, stowability, handling, and liability. Getting it wrong affects your freight rates and can result in cargo being handled in ways it wasn’t designed for. Working with a reliable freight broker or a platform with built-in classification support prevents this from becoming a problem.
Buy Freight Insurance
Standard carrier liability is low, often just a fraction of your cargo’s real value. For anything high-value or fragile, freight insurance is not optional. GoShip walks you through freight insurance claims so you understand your coverage options before something goes wrong.
Work with Vetted Carriers
Not all carriers handle freight the same way. Working through a platform that screens its carrier network and gives you freight pricing transparency upfront, with no hidden freight fees after delivery, is one of the best protections against damage. Whether you need LTL quotes, a truckload quote, or are looking at international shipping, you should know your full cost before you book.
Document Before It Ships
Photograph your freight before it leaves your facility. Get the packaging, the pallet, the labels, and the load from multiple angles. That documentation makes a damage claim go smoothly, and it sets a standard that experienced handlers take seriously.
Freight Rates in 2026 and Why Transparency Matters
LTL pricing changes in 2026 have made cost visibility a bigger issue than before. Liftgate delivery charges, fuel surcharges, and other accessorial charges can push your freight costs well above the rate you were quoted. A freight shipping cost calculator that shows all-in pricing upfront is one of the most useful tools available right now, whether you’re shipping locally or doing cross country shipping at scale.
GoShip connects shippers across all major industries with a network of vetted carriers and gives you instant freight quotes with no surprise fees. From small business freight solutions to high-volume ecommerce shipping, the platform gives you control over your shipping costs and your cargo.Request a freight quote today and see what GoShip can do for your business.