Freight delivery 101: what to expect on the truck

Hulls ship LTL freight. Confirm liftgate, inspect before you sign the BOL, note any damage in writing before the driver leaves, and photograph everything. Damage noted at delivery is far easier to claim than damage discovered later.

If this is your first time buying a fishing kayak, freight delivery is probably a new experience. It's not the same as a FedEx parcel — the boat shows up on an LTL (Less than Truckload) freight truck, you sign a paper Bill of Lading on arrival, and the rules for damage claims are different from a parcel. Here's how to handle it.

Before delivery day

Confirm two things with the dealer or carrier

Is liftgate service included? Most houses don't have a loading dock. A liftgate is the hydraulic platform on the back of the truck that lowers cargo from truck height to ground level. Without liftgate service, the driver may not be able to get the kayak off the truck — and it's curbside-delivery only, which means the boat lands at the end of your driveway and you're hauling it.
Is signature required? Most kayak shipments are. That means someone has to be home in the delivery window.

If liftgate wasn't included on your order and you don't have a way to get a 70+ lb kayak crate off a truck bed, call the carrier and add liftgate before delivery day. Adding it after the truck arrives gets expensive fast.

Be home in the window

Most LTL carriers offer a 4-hour delivery window — they call ahead the day before with a window like "8 AM to noon." If you miss the window, the truck may leave and reschedule for another day.

Have a clear spot ready

The driver wants to put the crate somewhere safe and leave. Have a spot near the curb / driveway / garage door cleared before they arrive.

What to do when the truck pulls up

Step 1 — Walk around the crate before they unload

Before the driver pulls the crate off the truck, do a quick visual scan:

Punctures, gouges, crushed corners in the cardboard or crate material
Anything sticking out that shouldn't be (broken slats, exposed metal)
Forklift damage on the bottom edges
Stains that might mean a leaked or punctured contents

If the outer packaging looks bad, plan to do a more thorough inspection before signing.

Step 2 — Inspect the contents if you can

If the driver gives you a couple of minutes (most will — politely ask), open the crate or cut the strapping to look at the hull itself before you sign.

Look down the length of the hull for cracks, deep gouges, or punctures
Check the scuppers and drain plug area
Glance at the bow and stern for cracked or split plastic
If the drive came in the same shipment, look at the drive head and lower unit for visible damage

This is the inspection that matters. The driver's job is delivery; your job is making sure the delivery is good.

Step 3 — Take photos and video

Even if everything looks fine, photograph the crate from multiple angles before you sign, and shoot a short video of the unboxing if you have time. If damage shows up later, those photos and the timestamp matter.

If you see damage, photograph the damage specifically — close-ups + wide shots showing the damage in context with the crate.

Step 4 — Note damage on the BOL before you sign

The Bill of Lading is the legal record of delivery. If you sign it as "delivered in good condition" and damage shows up later, the carrier's first argument is "the customer accepted it without noting damage."

If you see damage at delivery, write it on the BOL before you sign. Specifically:

"Damage to outer crate, NE corner"
"Crack on starboard side of hull at midship"
"Drive head shows visible impact damage"

Be specific. "Damaged" alone is weak; "8-inch crack on the starboard hull at midship, visible after cutting strapping" is strong.

The driver may push back ("the dealer can sort this out" or "I have to keep moving"). Stay polite, but get the damage noted in writing before you sign.

Step 5 — Refuse delivery only if it's bad

If the damage is severe enough that the boat is unusable — major cracks, a hole through the hull, severe drive damage — you can refuse delivery. The driver takes it back, the carrier returns it to the dealer, and Cajo + the dealer + the carrier sort out a replacement.

Don't refuse lightly. Minor cosmetic damage is something Cajo will warranty out without you having to refuse a shipment. Refuse only if the boat is genuinely unusable as delivered.

After the driver leaves

Full inspection

Once the kayak is inside / in your garage / staged where you can work on it, do a thorough inspection:

Walk the full length of the hull, top and bottom
Check the rudder, steering handle, pull-up cord
Open every accessory bag and count what's inside against the included parts list
Look at the drive (if bundled) — visual only, don't try to mount and pedal yet
Check the scupper holes and drain plug

File the claims form if anything's wrong

If you find damage after the driver's gone, or if parts are missing from accessory bags, go to caminojourney.com/pages/claims-form and submit:

Photos and/or video of the issue
Your HIN (hull serial number, etched on the stern starboard side)
A description of what's wrong
Your shipping address (for replacement parts)

Submit the same day if possible. Freight claim windows are tighter than warranty claim windows.

For the full step-by-step, see Receiving a damaged or missing-part shipment.

What we cover at $0

Freight damage (hull, drive, accessories) — coordinated through your dealer
Missing parts from a kit (rudder, steering handle, locking bolts, etc.) — direct ship from our TN warehouse

You don't pay for the replacement, and you don't pay for return shipping if anything needs to go back for diagnosis.