The Role of Cargo Adjusters in Cross-Border Logistics

Cross-border trade in North America moves at an incomprehensible pace. To give you an idea, the DOT’s border crossing data from 2023 tallied more than 5.3 million trucks entering the U.S. along the northern border and more than 7.3 million trucks from Mexico, with the port of Laredo alone accounting for nearly 3 million of them. Still, when something goes wrong—cargo damage, delays, or disputes—a cargo adjuster becomes an essential part of the equation. Unlike insurance brokers, agents, or attorneys, cargo adjusters focus solely on evaluating, negotiating, and resolving freight claims, ensuring businesses recover payable losses while keeping supply chains running smoothly.

Why Cargo Adjusters Matter in International Shipping

Moving freight between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico involves multiple jurisdictions, regulations, and liability frameworks that can complicate claims resolution. A cargo adjuster’s role is to untangle the complexity and ensure shippers, carriers, and insurers understand their responsibilities. Some of the biggest challenges in cross-border claims include:

  • Varying Liability Rules – Freight liability changes across borders. U.S. claims may fall under Carmack Amendment rules, while Canada and Mexico operate under different legal frameworks. Cargo adjusters interpret these differences and determine how liability applies.
  • Multimodal Transport Risks—Freight moving by truck, rail, and ocean may move under different bills of lading, insurance policies and contracts. Adjusters investigate where damage occurred and apply the right claims approach based on the transport mode and applicable contractual obligations.
  • General Average Claims – In maritime transport, cargo owners may be required to contribute financially if a shipowner declares a General Average event, such as emergency cargo jettisoning to save a vessel. Adjusters help businesses navigate these complex financial contributions.

How Arete Adjusting Supports Cross-Border Claims

At Arete Adjusting, we solve problems and not just process claims. Our team can manage freight claims that cross international borders, helping clients recover payable losses efficiently while keeping relationships intact. Here’s how we make a difference:

  • In-Depth Investigations – We analyze shipping contracts, carrier liability, and transport conditions to build a strong case for our clients.
  • Expert Documentation & Compliance – Claims require extensive paperwork, especially across borders. We ensure every claim meets legal and regulatory standards.
  • Strategic Negotiation & Resolution – Our adjusters can work directly with shippers, carriers, and insurers to minimize disputes and maximize recoveries.

Staying Ahead in a Complex Trade Environment

As supply chains grow more interconnected, businesses must be prepared for the unexpected. Whether it’s a damaged shipment, a customs delay, or a dispute over liability, having an experienced cargo adjuster on your side ensures you don’t take unnecessary losses. At Arete Adjusting, we help clients navigate these challenges, ensuring that when a claim arises, it’s handled with expertise, precision, and efficiency.

If your business operates across North American borders, don’t wait until a claim arises—be prepared. If you have questions about how cross-border cargo claims work or need assistance with a claim, Arete Adjusting is here to help.

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Breaking Down Silos: Fostering Collaboration Between Claims and Underwriting

The insurance industry’s relationship between claims and underwriting often resembles two parallel tracks—both integral to the journey, yet rarely intersecting. While underwriting defines the risk and claims handle the reality, the truth is that no one hopes for these tracks to cross. But when they inevitably do—because in insurance, it’s more a matter of “when” than “if”—the ability to align these functions early on is key to streamlining a challenging situation.

Underwriting and claims have distinct roles: one prices the risk, the other evaluates the loss. Yet, their goals are inherently intertwined. By acknowledging and planning for their intersection—however uncomfortable it may seem—insurers can preempt communication gaps. Defining responsibility and processes upfront ensures that when claims arise, the customer experience is seamless, efficient, and fair.

In an industry where the unexpected is expected, fostering collaboration between underwriting and claims isn’t just good practice—it’s essential to delivering better outcomes for both insurers and policyholders.

The Benefits of Collaboration

Breaking down silos between claims and underwriting allows for knowledge sharing that benefits both teams. Underwriters gain valuable insights from claims data, improving their ability to price policies more accurately. Similarly, claims teams benefit from a clearer understanding of underwriting decisions, enabling faster and more informed claims processing.

Collaboration can also improve customer trust and satisfaction. Policyholders expect seamless service and cohesive teamwork to ensure consistent communication and decision-making, reducing friction during sensitive moments like claims processing.

Navigating the Risks

While collaboration between claims and underwriting offers many advantages, it is equally critical to maintain clear and objective boundaries. These two functions serve different purposes and have distinct interests—insurers aim to manage risk and profitability, while policyholders expect fair claim resolutions. Recognizing and respecting these differences ensures that each side can operate impartially without undue influence from the other.

Organizations must adopt an arms-length approach to mitigate such scenarios, ensuring both functions can collaborate effectively on shared goals—such as improving accuracy, efficiency, and customer outcomes—while maintaining independence in their decision-making processes.

By delineating responsibilities and fostering impartiality, insurers can strike the right balance between collaboration and separation, ensuring their actions reflect fairness and accountability to all stakeholders.

The Way Forward

De-siloing claims and underwriting requires intentional effort, including:

  • Cross-departmental training to build mutual understanding.
  • Shared platforms for data exchange.
  • Regular communication through joint meetings or task forces.

Fostering collaboration between claims and underwriting isn’t just about breaking down barriers; it’s about building bridges that balance teamwork and accountability. By doing so, insurers can deliver better results for their organizations and policyholders alike.

At Arete, we work closely with our underwriting teams to build a culture of collaboration, efficiency, and integrity. Our system is designed to support this approach, ensuring seamless workflows and improved decision-making. Want to see how our model fosters better alignment between underwriting and claims? Contact us today for a demonstration of how our approach can enhance your processes.

Posted in Adjusting Insights, ClaimsTagged in , , ,

Claims in Focus: Arete Adjusting’s Survey Highlights Challenges and Opportunities in the Insurance Industry

Claims are the backbone of the insurance industry, ensuring trust and reliability for clients during critical moments. Yet, claims professionals often work in the shadows of underwriting and sales. To shine a light on the indispensable role claims play and better understand the industry’s perspective, Arete Adjusting ran a comprehensive survey among industry peers this past year.

“We wanted to understand how claims are perceived within the industry and identify ways to improve,” says Liam Richards, CEO of Arete Adjusting. “Claims professionals uphold the promises of insurance, balancing technical expertise with human empathy. By collecting honest feedback, we aim to make the field more appealing to new talent and enhance its recognition.”

Survey Findings: A Human-Centric Focus

The survey revealed that communication, empathy, and technical expertise rank highest among qualities for claims professionals. Respondents also emphasized the need for timely handling and managing multiple stakeholders effectively. As Richards notes, “The responses highlighted the delicate balance claims professionals must maintain between service and cost control. With the rise of AI, ensuring the human element remains central is critical.”

Challenges and Opportunities

Emerging trends, such as digital transformation and environmental technologies, underscore the growing complexity of claims handling. Additionally, respondents identified areas for improvement, including product knowledge transfer and better integration between underwriting and claims.

“Training and mentorship programs can bridge the gap between experienced professionals and younger talent,” says Richards. “It’s not just about assessing losses—it’s about narrative, trust, and reputation.”

Looking Ahead

Arete Adjusting’s survey provides a roadmap for addressing industry challenges while celebrating the unsung heroes of insurance. By fostering curiosity and emphasizing professional development, Arete Adjusting hopes to inspire the next generation of claims professionals.To find out more about the Claims Awareness survey, view the full analysis and insights here.

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Mitigating Liability in the Logistics Industry

Liability is an ever-present concern in the logistics industry, where complexities in transportation, warehousing, and cargo handling expose companies to significant risks. From accidents to mismanagement of goods, liability issues can disrupt operations and strain financial resources. Companies welcome proactive insurance brokers who get to know a cargo owner’s entire supply chain in order to provide not just the best options, but also make better emissaries for, and customers of, the broker, when it comes to seeking coverages. 

Common Liability Issues in Logistics

Liability in logistics often stems from accidents involving vehicles or equipment, damage to cargo, and delays or errors in the supply chain. For example, warehouse accidents such as forklift mishaps or improper stacking can lead to injuries and damaged goods. Similarly, transportation incidents involving road collisions or improper cargo securement can expose companies to costly claims.

Cargo theft is another growing concern, particularly for high-value and easily fenceable goods. Whether in transit or at rest in storage facilities, theft exposes logistics providers to both financial and reputational risks.

Where Arete Sees Opportunities for Improvement 

Based on the claims which we receive, they can be put into a handful of categories, all of which have room for improvement through better communication, better documenting of processes and knowing where the line is between making a customer happy and creating jeopardy for the insurer and/or their broker. 

  1. Accident Prevention: Ensure proper initial and recurrent training for employees handling cargo, operating equipment, and driving vehicles. Implement regular safety inspections and maintain equipment to reduce the risk of malfunctions.
  2. Contractual Clarity: Clearly define liability responsibilities in contracts with clients, carriers, and suppliers. Ensure that insurance policies cover potential gaps in liability exposure. Perhaps most importantly, do not enter into a contractual agreement that involves redlining and altering your standard terms and conditions without securing the approval of your insurer first. 
  3. Technology Integration: Utilize passive and active tracking and monitoring systems to maintain visibility over shipments and mitigate delays, theft, or mismanagement risks.
  4. Compliance Adherence: Stay updated on industry regulations and ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards to minimize legal exposure.

Insurance Brokers Can Reduce Liability 

Insurance brokers are the first line of defense for the insured and the forwarders seeking coverage on their behalf. At Arete, we have the data to support their efforts to present solutions based on a deep history of the nature and types of claims we have been nominated to handle. They are the professionals in the relationship with their insured. As professionals, they are as much the subject matter experts on liability reduction as their customers are on best routes or customs classifications. 

Arete is pleased to support our customers in ways that are appropriate to our role in the insurance industry and have built up a deep roster of talented individuals and organizations to direct our customers for greater or more specific help if and when the need arises. 

Insurance as a Safety Net

Insurance is a critical component of any risk management strategy. Tailored coverage mitigates financial losses from accidents, theft, or delays. Your insurance broker can guide companies in structuring insurance policies that align with your operational risks, providing a safety net against unforeseen events.

By taking a proactive approach to liability, logistics companies and their insurers can reduce risks, protect their assets, and maintain a competitive edge in a demanding industry. Contact us today to discuss liability risks in logistics and how you may be able to get ahead of the curve.

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