Shipping Information
Freight Program Through Dalton, GA
Prepaid Shipments
Prepaid freight rates (including FUEL SURCHARGE) will apply for material shipping from Louisville, KY through Dalton, GA to final destination when using Fibreworks approved freight lines. Contact your Account Manager for current rates and minimums.
Fuel Surcharge
The fuel surcharge scale is adjusted weekly according to the fuel report issued by the Department of Energy: https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/.
Collect and 3rd Party Shipments
Claims, disputes and all correspondence regarding Collect or 3rd Party shipments are the customer’s responsibility.
Orders shipping Collect or 3rd Party must ship from Louisville, KY through Dalton, GA and Cross Dock fees will apply.
General Shipment Information
• Rates are determined by geographic location, contact your Account Manager for current rates.
• Rugs larger than UPS size restrictions will be shipped by freight line using the Dalton Freight Program. Most rugs 8’ x 10’ and under can be shipped via UPS. Certain charges and exceptions may apply.
• Freight estimates are available upon request, including, but not limited to the following:
• LTL
• Residential (Room of Choice, Threshold Delivery, etc.)
• Volume Orders
• Special Delivery (i.e. Overnight Air Freight*) *Advance payment of air freight charges may apply
• For information on shipments made from the Dalton, GA, or Salt Lake City, UT warehouses contact your Account Manager.
Additional Fees
• Contact Before Delivery and Notification of Delivery requests
• Residential and gated communities.
• Limited access, non-carpet stores (site delivery)
• Lift gate service – Freight lines must receive authorization to provide lift gate service
• Island deliveries and deliveries requiring a ferry
• OVERSIZE shipments (if width and length of material is 16’ or longer)
• Expedited Orders
• Extra UPS Services such as ‘Signature Required’ must be requested when you place your order. Unless the shipper uses a delivery confirmation service requiring a signature, UPS reserves the right to make a delivery without obtaining a signature.
Freight Claims
Fibreworks®’ goal is to ensure every claim related to freight damage is placed with the appropriate party and is fairly negotiated. Our ability to help will vary, depending on whether or not the shipment is prepaid, third party, or collect.
Freight claims are made against the freight line, not Fibreworks®. Please protect your interest and ours by notifying the freight line of any obvious or suspected damage at the time you receive the shipment.
We are more likely to help recover a loss with proper implementation of good receiving and inspection practices. Following the proper process is imperative for freight lines to honor a claim. Freight lines can take up to 180 days to negotiate a claim.
• Upon arrival, please inspect for damage and incorrect quantity.
• Photography at the time of delivery is the best documentation of damage.
• All damage must be reported within 5 days for a claim against a freight line to be considered. Photograph damage at the time of delivery. Claims can be reported outside 5 days, however, we will have no recourse with the freight line. See 50/50 Settlement Offer. After 30 days Fibreworks cannot offer a settlement.
Freight line damage is segmented into three groups:
• Obvious Damage — Product should be refused if there is obvious damage. Note on the delivery receipt ‘shipment refused, due to damage’. Be specific in describing the damage – every detail helps. Make a copy of the delivery receipt for yourself and send the driver with the original remarks. Notify your Account Manager when the shipment is refused. Fibreworks® can immediately process a replacement order because the truck line is responsible for the damaged product.
• Suspected Damage — Every shipment could have suspected damage. Dirty or torn packaging, broken or crushed core, or indentations in the material are all reasons to suspect damage. Document your suspicion on the delivery receipt. Be specific (i.e. ‘torn and dirty packaging, missing or broken core’). If you do not inspect the product upon receiving, then you have 5 days to report any damage. If damage is found, please contact your Account Manager immediately so that Fibreworks® can start to negotiate the freight claim. We may be required to get the product returned for inspection. If so, we will authorize the return by giving you a Return Authorization (RA). If you do not inspect the product within 5 days and report damage, you are waiving your freight claim rights.
• Concealed Damage — Occasionally you will receive the shipment free and clear but later find ‘concealed damage.’ Concealed damage may be from several sources, such as a broken core that punctured the product, water or grease that has penetrated the packaging, or an abrasion from the handling process at the freight lines.
A claim can be made when concealed damage is present, however, concealed damage claims have different rules for settlement than obvious or suspected damage. Freight Lines usually negotiate concealed damage claims at only 1/3 of the cost of the shipment. See 50/50 Settlement Offer.
Because each freight line has different policies, our recommendation is open and inspect your order within 5 days. Outside this time frame there is no recourse against the freight line. We may be required to have the product returned for inspection. If so, we will authorize the return by giving you a Return Authorization (RA).
Residential Delivery Claims
We encourage you to inform your customer of proper receiving and inspection practices for residential deliveries. The conditions for properly filing a freight claim do not change for residential deliveries, but the risk can. This is most often due to the inexperience of the resident.
Please inform your customer to be present during delivery, properly inspect, notate any obvious or suspected damage on the delivery receipt and instruct them to contact you as soon as possible.
Damaged Cores
One of the most recurring freight damage problems is material damaged due to broken cores.
Our research indicates three main reasons for broken cores:
1) fork lift poles that are too short to support the length of the carpet 2) fork lifts driven too fast, causing the carpet to bounce and subsequently to break the core 3) use of unloading equipment other than carpet poles.
Shipments may be received ‘free and clear’ when the cores are broken. Broken cores can create creases and stress marks in the carpet, that in some cases, make the material unusable. Any evidence that the carpet is limp or has a sharp angle should be noted on the delivery receipt as suspected damage, citing specific details.
The freight companies have fair claim processes regarding notated damage or suspected damage. The best protection is to look carefully at the core at receiving.
All fabricated rugs are photographed during inspection before they leave our facility.
50/50 Settlement Offer
Our claim settlement goal is to move all disputes to a rapid and fair conclusion. Generally, where there is an obvious “root” fault, or a clear responsible party, we ask the party at fault to be accountable for the claim. When there is no clear evidence of fault, or when a misunderstanding occurs that is challenging, we again strive to be as fair as possible.
The Fibreworks 50/50 remake or replacement offer was created to promote the understanding of a true partnership. This offer provides assistance to our customers when no other recourse is available.
Fibreworks is photographing each rug during the inspection process to ensure the quality of how the rug left but many hands touch the rug and product damage can occur at many levels: manufacturing, wholesale, freight, customer, installation, and end user.
50/50 is based simply on numbers. For example, a $1000 original purchase, plus a 50% remake, equals the total cost of $1500 (plus freight). If the sale is $1500, any price above is still profit for our customer. At 50% off, Fibreworks does not attempt to make margin. 50/50 is a fair outcome. Since we ask that the shipment is inspected upon arrival, if damage is revealed after 30 days of receiving the shipment, no settlement will be offered.
For more information on the freight claims process, contact your Account Manager 1-800-843-0063 (press 2).