The Transportation & Logistics Council’s 2026 Annual Conference brought together professionals from across the shipping ecosystem. Carriers, shippers, brokers, claims professionals and legal experts all came to examine the evolving risks facing freight transportation.

While this was only our second time at the event, we were warmly received as another member of the TLC family. The same TLC leaders that suggested this event to us three years ago still recall our initial interaction. Besides the hospitality, we greatly appreciate this event since its single track (you don’t miss anything) enables you to experience the same presentation as the other just under 200 participants. For APP Tech, the conference provided a valuable opportunity to listen, learn and engage in conversations about one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: freight claims.

Several sessions highlighted the growing complexity of freight claims, from cargo theft and fraud to regulatory oversight and compliance. But one theme stood out across nearly every discussion: the organizations best positioned to manage freight claims effectively are those that capture better data at the moment incidents occur.

Here were our favorite sessions:

Freight Claims – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

As a company committed to staying ahead of transportation and logistics industry trends, the APP Tech team was eager to attend this session that was moderated by Carla Bay Rumford, CCP, CTB, Senior Operations Support Manager at BM2 Freight and current Council Secretary for TLC. The session tackled cargo claims through a memorable lens: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good: The Carmack Amendment (49 US Code 14706)

First enacted in 1906, the Carmack Amendment brought much-needed consistency to a fragmented landscape of conflicting state laws and its fundamentals remain essential knowledge for anyone in the industry today.

Christine Gramse, CCP, Transportation and Audit Specialist at Land O’Lakes, walked attendees through the three core elements of a carrier claim:

1. The shipment was tendered in good condition
2. A loss was identified — whether short, damaged, or unreasonably late
3. The value of the damage is established

Cristine also shared best practices for claim documentation and photography, emphasizing the importance of tracking exceptions on proof of delivery. She flagged a critical item to keep on your checklist: those same exceptions on handheld devices can sometimes disappear — making it all the more important to capture and preserve them promptly.

The Bad: Carrier Denials

Jessica Renner, CCP, Manager of Cargo Claims and Risk at Jarrett Logistics, guided attendees through the most common carrier denial scenarios — and how to fight back.

Jessica covered the documentation shippers and brokers/3PLs should have ready when disputing a denial, including:

• Bill of lading and other standard supporting documents
• Detailed photos showing damage to packing materials and load securement

She also outlined options to consider if a denial persists, giving attendees a practical game plan for navigating even the most stubborn disputes.

One memorable example: a carrier denied a claim on a damaged custom guitar case, arguing that the case had done its job by protecting the guitar inside. It was a clear illustration of the grey areas that can arise and why thorough documentation is non-negotiable.

The Ugly: Fraud & Theft

Fraud and theft continue to be a serious and growing problem in the industry. Deena Walechka, CCP, Claims Specialist II at FedEx Custom Critical, made a compelling case for treating every suspicious claim with the rigor of a forensic investigation.

Deena covered:

• What forensic analysis involves and how it helps determine liability
• How to engage all parties as partners to foster a collaborative, prevention-focused approach
• What a strong investigation response looks like, from first notice through resolution

Perhaps her most valuable takeaway: trust your gut. When all the facts aren’t yet on the table, instinct still matters.

 

Strategic Cargo Theft & Fraud 2.0: Adapting to the Next Generation of Supply Chain Threats

Cargo theft is evolving and so must the industry’s response to it. This panel brought together four subject matter experts from distinctly different corners of the supply chain, yet their message was remarkably unified.

The panel featured:

• Keith Lewis, VP of Operations, CargoNet (Session Moderator)
• Matt Lewis, Detective, Kentucky State Police – Cargo Theft Division
• Danielle Spinelli, Director of Partnerships, GenLogs
• Craig Parker, Senior Director, Head of Security / Americas, GEODIS

Despite their varied backgrounds, the panelists aligned on four core themes: police communication, law enforcement coordination, internal procedures, and the newly introduced CORCA Bill (Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025). Here is what we learned:

• Communicate clearly with law enforcement: When a theft occurs, having the facts organized and a recovery plan ready before you make that call is critical. One particularly practical tip came from Detective Matt Wise: when contacting police, use the phrase “theft in progress” when the situation warrants it. Those three words signal urgency and are far more likely to mobilize an immediate response than a standard report.
• Build and practice internal procedures: Having documented procedures is a starting point, but it’s not enough. The entire panel stressed that vigilance needs to be a habit, not just a policy on paper. Danielle Spinelli took it a step further, recommending that teams not only maintain a response checklist, but actively run through mock theft scenarios. Practicing the plan before a real incident means your team can execute quickly and confidently when it counts.
• The CORCA Bill is promising, but won’t solve everything: The panel welcomed the federal attention that the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 brings to cargo theft. The bill is designed to invite greater coordination among federal, state, and local agencies, which has long been a gap in the fight against organized theft rings. That said, all four panelists were equally clear-eyed about its limitations. The bill’s effectiveness will ultimately depend on the quality and consistency of communication between the agencies involved.

 

Luncheon Briefing: Three Things You Can Do Right Now

Sometimes the most impactful advice is the most actionable. During Tuesday’s luncheon, Chris Matthews, Founder & CEO of OpSec Intel, delivered exactly that which included three concise, no-cost recommendations that any company can put into practice immediately.

Chris knows the scope of the theft and fraud problem facing the supply chain. Rather than adding to the weight of it, he came to lunch with a different goal: send everyone home with something useful.

1. Assign an Owner: If fighting fraud is everyone’s job, it’s effectively no one’s job. Chris made the case for designating a centralized owner of fraud prevention within your organization. Having a dedicated point of accountability creates space for the kind of scrutiny that gets overlooked when everyone is focused on moving freight. Good habits are far more likely to take root when someone is specifically responsible for them.
2. Verify Phone Numbers: This one is simple, low-effort, and surprisingly underused. Fraudsters have a hard time using someone else’s real phone number. If you’re not already calling back numbers provided by carriers, brokers, or drivers to confirm they’re actually associated with the person in question, you should start now. It’s a quick step that can expose bad actors before a load ever leaves the dock.
3. Speed Is Your Standard Operating Procedure: When a potential theft is unfolding, response time is everything. Chris stressed that law enforcement is ready to receive and act on information quickly, but only if you’re ready to provide it. Personal identifiers, vehicle information, and load details should be organized and accessible at all times so that when you make that call, you can hand over exactly what’s needed without delay. Making this a standard part of your procedures, rather than something you scramble to pull together in the moment, can make a meaningful difference in recovery outcomes.

 

Key Takeaway: Freight Claims Start With the Incident

While the sessions above were our favorites, the mock trial deserves an honorable mention. Watching both the defense and plaintiff teams build compelling cases from the same evidence while attendees followed along was a fun and pointed reminder of just how much knowing the law matters when a claim ends up in dispute. We hope to see it back next year.

Across sessions and conversations at the conference, one theme kept emerging: freight claims are fundamentally an information challenge. The difference between organizations that struggle with claims and those that manage them effectively often comes down to visibility and process. When incidents are captured early, documentation is centralized and claims data is accessible, organizations can move from reactive claims handling to proactive risk management.

That shift is where modern claims technology can make a meaningful difference.

Solutions like Cloud Claims support an incident-based approach to claims management, allowing organizations to capture incidents in real time, attach documentation immediately and maintain a single source of truth throughout the claims lifecycle. That clarity benefits everyone involved in the claims process from operations teams to risk managers and even legal teams for a more efficient, unified system.