Overview
PRIMUS spends significant time and resources to ensure steam sterilizers, accessories, and components are packaged and crated properly for shipment to end users. PRIMUS has developed formal written packaging, crating, and labeling procedures that fully meet carrier requirements. These processes are intended to ensure products arrive in perfect shape at their final destination around the globe.
LTL and Dedicated Truck Shipments
Less Than Truckload (LTL)
Even with this strong attention to detail, damage has periodically occurred in shipment, particularly with LTL shipments.
During LTL shipments, the product is often loaded and unloaded several times as it transits across the nation. This frequent material handling is often the root cause of damage.
Steam sterilizers being shipped by PRIMUS via an LTL carrier are fully braced, encased in heavy plywood, and thoroughly labeled.
To keep transportation costs for customers as low as possible, LTL carriers are typically used for vertical door units due to their relatively small size and weight.
Dedicated Shipments
Dedicated trucks are used for medium and large sterilizers and for shipments for multiple small sterilizers going to a single customer. This means that once the products are loaded at the factory in Great Bend, Kansas, they stay on the truck until they are delivered at the end user’s site. Products are only loaded and unloaded once.
End User Actions to Take If Damage Does Occur
If damage does occur during shipment, the damage, apparent damage, or any other irregularity must be noted by the end-user on the carrier driver’s Bill of Lading. This documentation forms the basis for any subsequent claim that will be made against the carrier.
Notify PRIMUS that damage has occurred.
Damage Noticed After the Driver Has Departed
If the damage is not noticed until after the carrier has left the end user’s facility, the end user should call the carrier as soon as the damage is found and report the nature of the problem. The carrier’s phone number should be listed on Bill of Lading. PRIMUS should also be notified as soon as possible after the damage is noticed at the phone numbers listed above.
Very Important!
The notation of damage on the carrier’s Bill of Lading is
the most critical step of the claims process!
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
The end user discovering the damage should immediately take photographs of the damage from several different angles to visually capture the full extent and nature of the damage. Please email these photographs to PRIMUS as they will be key to ensuring the claim is honored by the carrier.
Claim Processing
Carriers causing the damage will normally initially deny a damage claim if the damage is not documented on the Bill of Lading. Simply notifying PRIMUS that damage has occurred is not good enough to ensure the claim is honored by the carrier.
Importance of Documentation and Communication
Typically, even with well-documented claims, it can take up to six months to receive compensation from the carrier. In the absence of clear and timely documentation, the claim will likely be initially rejected and it will take significant time and energy to ultimately collect even a portion of the claim from the carrier. This may seem unfair and wasteful, but it is an unfortunate reality of the transportation industry.
PRIMUS Carriers
PRIMUS currently uses Con-way Freight for most LTL shipments. End-user customers often designate their own LTL carrier.
PRIMUS uses a variety of dedicated carriers including JB Hunt. Again, some customers designate their own carrier.
Have a question or having difficulties? Talk to Dave Schall, our PRIMUS sterilizer expert who is here to assist you anytime at 877.679.7800 extension 1212 or email at dschall@spire-is.com.
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