Carrier Trust Index 2025

Which shipping line Takes Care of Shippers When Cargo Is Damaged?

Cargo damage is an unavoidable reality of global trade. What is avoidable, however, is claim failure.

Each year, exporters lose millions not because carriers deny liability outright, but because claims collapse under poor documentation, weak evidence, or procedural missteps. Public narratives often focus on which carriers caused the damage. This report  addresses a more meaningful question:

“Which carriers actually compensate exporters when cargo is damaged under their custody?”

The Carrier Trust Index 2025 is based exclusively on Recoupex internal statistics, analysing 100% of cargo claims successfully settled in 2025. Unlike surveys, policies, or marketing statements, this report reflects real financial outcomes—claims that resulted in compensation paid to exporters, importers or insurance companies.

The data set spans:

• All cargo types (including perishables and non-perishables, dry and reefer cargo)
  
• Single container and multiple container shipments
  
• Different size exporters located across multiple continents
  
• Ocean and multimodal transport where ocean carriage formed the core leg

This report does not rank carriers by container volume shipped. It highlights which carriers consistently engage and settle claims when liability is proven, offering exporters, importers insurers, a rare, evidence-based view of carrier accountability.

Why This Matters to You?

In an environment of rising logistics complexity, supply chain volatility, and tightening insurance scrutiny, understanding carrier behaviour after damage occurs is critical.

The Carrier Trust Index demonstrates that:

• Claims resolution is highly concentrated among a small number of global carriers
  
• Most paid claims arise from operational failures (reefer malfunction, water ingress, physical handling damage)
  
• Recovery outcomes improve dramatically when claims are pursued using a methodical, evidence-driven approach.

This insight allows exporters to:

• Benchmark carrier accountability
  
• Improve internal loss-recovery strategies
  
• Shift focus from absorbing losses to recovering it from liable parties.

Methodology & Disclaimer

Methodology

The Carrier Trust Index 2025 is based on the following principles:

• Data source: Recoupex internal case database
• Scope of analysis:
  
  • Only cargo claims successfully settled in 2025
    
  • 100% settlement rate (no rejected or pending claims included)
    
  • All cargo types and exporter profiles
    
  • Global geographic coverage
• Metrics used:
  
  • Percentage share of total settled claims per carrier
    
  • Percentage distribution of root causes behind paid claims
    
  • No absolute claim values or shipment volumes disclosed
• Cause classification: Each claim was assigned a primary cause of damage based on survey reports, photographic evidence, data logs and claim documentation.
• Carrier inclusion: Shipping lines appear in this report only if compensation was paid following claim resolution.

Important Disclaimer

• This report does not measure carrier fault frequency, shipment volumes, or service quality.
  
• Percentages shown do not represent market share or probability of damage.
  
• Inclusion in this report does not imply negligence, nor does exclusion imply denial of claims in all cases.
  
• Outcomes reflect cases pursued using the Recoupex Method™, which emphasizes evidence integrity, burden-of-proof control, and legal enforceability.
  
• Results may differ where claims are handled without specialized recovery expertise.

Carrier Settlement Share – 2025 (% of Paid Claims)

Based on Recoupex settled claims in 2025.

Key insight:

Over 75% of all paid cargo claims in 2025 were settled by just four global ocean carriers.

These carriers consistently engaged when:

• Liability is clearly established
  
• Evidence is properly structured
  
• Claim procedural requirements are respected

Root Causes of Paid Claims (Damage Type Segregation)

Each settled claim was assigned a primary cause of damage, based on survey reports, logs, correspondence, and settlement documentation.

Key insight:

The majority of compensated claims arise from operational failures, not catastrophic events.

Reefer performance, transit management damages during loading and discharge operations remain the dominant drivers of recoverable losses.

Why This Matters

In an environment of:

• Rising logistics complexity
  
• Increased reefer dependency and cargo prices
  
• Tightening insurance scrutiny

Shipping lines’ behaviour after damage occurs is now a strategic risk factor.

The Carrier Trust Index shows that:

• Claims resolution is highly concentrated among a small group of carriers
  
• Carriers do pay when liability is proven — but only when claims are correctly built
• Outcomes improve dramatically when exporters use methodical, evidence-driven recovery strategies

Carriers do not pay claims because they are generous.
They pay when their liability for the damage is proven.

About Recoupex

Recoupex is a global cargo-claims recovery Hub – Experts in cargo claims recovery. The Recoupex Method™ is designed to transform damaged cargo losses  into enforceable financial recoveries through data-driven, legally structured claim strategies.