Freight and Shipping Debt Collection Attorney

Unpaid freight invoices are more than an accounting nuisance — they are a direct threat to the cash flow that keeps trucks moving, warehouses staffed, and vessels loaded. New York is one of the busiest commercial hubs in the world, and companies in the transportation and logistics sector here move enormous volumes of goods every day. When shippers, consignees, brokers, or freight forwarders fail to pay for those services, carriers and logistics providers need a legal team that understands both the freight industry and New York collection law.

Our firm represents motor carriers, freight brokers, freight forwarders, warehouse operators, drayage companies, and third-party logistics providers throughout New York in the recovery of unpaid freight charges, detention and demurrage fees, storage charges, and accessorial costs. We combine industry-specific knowledge with aggressive, results-driven collection litigation to turn delinquent receivables into recovered revenue.

Why Freight and Shipping Debts Go Unpaid

Freight receivables present unique collection challenges that general commercial debts do not. Common reasons freight invoices go unpaid include:

• Disputes over rates and accessorial charges, including detention, layover, fuel surcharges, lumper fees, and redelivery costs
• Cargo damage or shortage claims asserted as offsets against freight charges
• Broker insolvency, where the shipper paid the broker but the broker never paid the carrier
• Double-brokering schemes that obscure who is contractually responsible for payment
• Disputed delivery documentation, such as missing or unsigned proofs of delivery
• Deliberate slow-pay tactics by shippers who treat carriers as a source of interest-free financing

Each of these scenarios requires a tailored legal strategy. A demand that works against a solvent shipper stalling for time will not work against an insolvent broker, and a rate dispute demands different evidence than a cargo-claim offset. Our attorneys evaluate every file individually and pursue the fastest, most cost-effective path to payment.

Who We Represent

Our New York freight collection practice serves the full spectrum of the transportation industry, including:

• Motor carriers and trucking companies of all sizes, from owner-operators to large fleets
• Freight brokers pursuing unpaid shipper invoices
• Freight forwarders and non-vessel operating common carriers
• Warehouse operators and distribution centers collecting storage and handling charges
• Intermodal and drayage providers serving New York ports and rail terminals
• Factoring companies that have purchased freight receivables

Legal Tools for Freight Debt Recovery in New York

New York law gives creditors in the shipping industry powerful mechanisms to compel payment. Our attorneys deploy these tools strategically based on the size of the debt, the debtor's financial condition, and the documentation available.

Breach of Contract and Account Stated Claims

Most freight collection lawsuits in New York proceed on theories of breach of contract, account stated, and unjust enrichment. An account stated claim is particularly valuable in the freight context: when a debtor receives invoices and retains them without objection for a reasonable period, New York law may treat the debtor as having agreed to the balance due. This can dramatically simplify litigation, because the focus shifts from proving every shipment detail to proving the invoices were sent and never disputed. Bills of lading, rate confirmations, proofs of delivery, and invoice records form the evidentiary backbone of these claims, and we work with clients to assemble that documentation efficiently.

Carrier and Warehouse Liens

New York's Uniform Commercial Code gives carriers and warehouse operators lien rights in goods in their possession to secure payment of freight, storage, and related charges. Properly asserting and enforcing a possessory lien can create immediate leverage: a shipper who ignores an invoice often responds quickly when its cargo cannot be released. These liens must be handled carefully — wrongful retention or improper sale of goods can expose the lienholder to liability — so experienced counsel is essential before enforcement.

Prejudgment Interest

New York law entitles a prevailing contract creditor to prejudgment interest at the statutory rate of nine percent per year, typically running from the date payment was due. On aged freight receivables, statutory interest can add substantially to the recovery and creates a real financial incentive for debtors to settle early rather than litigate.

Statute of Limitations

Claims for breach of contract in New York are generally subject to a six-year limitations period, though contractual terms, credit applications, and industry agreements can shorten the time to sue — sometimes significantly. Because delay also allows debtors to dissipate assets, we urge freight creditors to act promptly. The strongest collection cases are the ones pursued while the paper trail is fresh and the debtor is still operating.

Our Freight Collection Process

Many freight debts resolve at the demand or negotiation stage — a letter from a collection attorney signals that the creditor is prepared to litigate, which changes the debtor's calculus immediately. When litigation is necessary, we prosecute claims efficiently, and because freight cases are often document-driven, we frequently seek accelerated judgment to shorten the path to recovery.

Enforcing Judgments Against Freight Debtors

Winning a judgment is only half the battle. New York provides judgment creditors with some of the most effective enforcement devices available anywhere, and our firm uses them fully:

• Restraining notices that freeze the debtor's bank accounts and prevent asset transfers
• Information subpoenas compelling debtors, banks, and business partners to disclose asset information
• Property executions and levies on bank accounts, receivables, equipment, and other assets
• Income executions where appropriate
• Judgment liens against real property owned by the debtor in New York
• Fraudulent conveyance actions to unwind transfers made to evade creditors

For debtors in the freight industry, receivables from their own customers are often the most reachable asset. We know where transportation companies keep their money and how to get to it.

Preventing Future Freight Payment Problems

Beyond collections, we help New York transportation clients tighten their front-end documentation to make future receivables easier to enforce. Practical measures include credit applications with personal guarantees, rate confirmations with clear payment terms and attorney's fee provisions, interest clauses on past-due balances, and disciplined invoicing and dispute-response procedures. A well-drafted attorney's fees clause can shift the cost of collection onto the debtor — a provision New York courts will enforce when clearly written.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does freight debt collection cost?

Fee structures depend on the size and strength of the claim. In appropriate cases we offer contingency arrangements, so our compensation is tied to what we actually recover for you. We discuss fee options candidly during the initial consultation.

The shipper claims cargo damage as an excuse not to pay. Can I still collect?

Often, yes. Alleged cargo claims do not automatically extinguish freight charges, and debtors frequently inflate or fabricate offsets to justify nonpayment. We scrutinize the claimed damage, the supporting documentation, and the applicable contract terms to separate legitimate offsets from stall tactics.

What if the broker was paid by the shipper but never paid me?

Depending on the contracts and conduct involved, remedies may exist against the broker, its principals, and in some circumstances the shipper or consignee directly. These cases are fact-intensive, and early legal analysis is critical to identifying every viable payment source.

Speak With a New York Freight Collection Attorney Today

Every day an unpaid freight invoice ages, the odds of full recovery decline. If your company is owed money for transportation, storage, or logistics services in New York, contact our firm for a confidential consultation. We will evaluate your receivables, explain your options under New York law, and pursue the money you have earned with the urgency it deserves.

You can contact us by phone at 212-233-1233 or by email at [email protected].