Freight · Europe
DHL Freight claim deadlines, liability and evidence
DHL Freight claims run on the CMR protest deadlines: visible damage noted at delivery, non-visible damage within 7 days, and delay within 21 days. Liability is capped at 8.33 SDR per kilogram internationally and EUR 3.40 per kilogram domestically.
Tightest deadline
at delivery
Standard cap
8.33 SDR/kg (CMR), EUR 3.40/kg (AVC)
Liability regime
CMR
Freight is where the protest deadlines bite hardest, because CMR art. 30 does not merely reduce a late claim, it extinguishes the claim right entirely. The consignment note is the controlling document: a reservation written on it at delivery is worth more than any amount of correspondence afterwards.
Claim windows
European road and rail freight runs on CMR for international movements and AVC 2002 for domestic Dutch movements.
Visible damage or loss
at delivery
Counted from delivery.
Note the reservation on the consignment note before signing. CMR art. 30(1).
Non-visible (hidden) damage
7 days
Counted from delivery.
A written and reasoned reservation is required. Sundays and public holidays are excluded from the count. CMR art. 30(1).
Delay
21 days
Counted from the date the goods were placed at the disposal of the consignee.
Written protest is mandatory. Without it, no delay claim lies against the carrier. CMR art. 30(3).
Limitation period for legal action
1 year
Counted from delivery.
Extended to 3 years in cases of wilful misconduct. CMR art. 32.
Insured versus uninsured
No additional cover
International: 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight short under CMR art. 23(3). Domestic Netherlands: EUR 3.40 per kilogram under AVC 2002.
With cover bought
Declaring a higher value on the consignment note, or buying separate cargo insurance, moves the settlement off the per-kilogram cap. Cargo insurance is the usual route because a declared value under CMR art. 24 attracts a surcharge.
Delay and late delivery
Capped at the carriage charge under CMR art. 23(5). Under AVC, delay is capped at once the freight charge, or twice where the delivery time was agreed in writing.
Evidence required
- Signed consignment note (CMR) carrying the reservation
- Commercial invoice and packing list for the goods
- Photographs of the damage, taken before unloading where possible
- Damage report or survey report
- A written and quantified statement of claim
Exclusions
- Consequential loss and lost profit
- Inherent vice of the goods and insufficient packing
- Claims where no timely reservation was recorded, which lapse entirely
- Circumstances the carrier could not avoid under CMR art. 17(2)
Filing the claim
- Who files
- The party with title to sue under the consignment note, normally the sender or the consignee.
- How to file
- Through the DHL Freight claims route for the country of origin, attaching the annotated consignment note.
- Processing time
- Not published as a fixed service level. Freight claims commonly run for weeks where a survey is required.
What quietly kills DHL Freight claims
Signing the consignment note clean is the single most expensive mistake in freight. Once signed without reservation, the goods are presumed delivered in good condition.
The 7-day hidden-damage window excludes Sundays and public holidays, which is a real difference from the calendar-day windows parcel carriers use.
A delay claim needs written protest within 21 days even where the delay is obvious from the tracking record. Nothing is automatic.
The per-kilogram cap is applied to gross weight short, so a light but valuable pallet recovers very little without declared value or cargo insurance.
FAQ
How long do I have to claim on a CMR freight shipment?
Visible damage must be noted on the consignment note at delivery. Non-visible damage requires a written, reasoned reservation within 7 days of delivery, excluding Sundays and public holidays. Delay requires written protest within 21 days. Legal action must then be brought within one year.
What happens if I miss the CMR protest deadline?
The claim right against the carrier lapses. CMR art. 30 is not a soft deadline: absent a timely reservation, the goods are presumed to have been delivered in the condition described in the consignment note and no claim lies.
What is the CMR liability limit?
8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight short, under art. 23(3). Delay compensation is separately capped at the carriage charge under art. 23(5).
Does DHL Freight use CMR or AVC?
Both, depending on the leg. International road movements run on CMR at 8.33 SDR per kilogram; movements entirely within the Netherlands run on AVC 2002 at EUR 3.40 per kilogram.
Sources
Verified 28 July 2026. This page summarises publicly published conditions for reference. A negotiated carrier contract, a rate-card annex or a service-specific annex can override any of it. Always check the deadline in your own agreement before relying on a figure here. Spotted a figure that has changed? Tell us and we will correct it.
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