How Claims Go Off the Rails: The Hidden Delays No One Tracks

In trucking and heavy equipment claims, time really is money.

Every extra day of storage, every unanswered email, every missed inspection opportunity compounds into real dollars, with often thousands of them per file.Yet, most of the delays that inflate claim costs aren’t dramatic mistakes or process failures. They’re small, invisible friction points that no one tracks until it’s too late.

At Veritas Claims, we’ve seen how good files quietly go off the rails and, more importantly, how to prevent it.

The illusion of progress

From a distance, a file may look like it’s moving: boxes are checked, notes are added, and the portal shows “in progress.”

But when you zoom in, the reality is often different:

• The tow yard hasn’t released the unit yet.

• The appraiser is waiting for a call back.

• The client hasn’t received an update in five days.

• The cargo still hasn’t been transloaded.

The file appears active, but it’s stalled.

That’s the illusion of progress, and it’s one of the biggest cost drivers in the industry.

The most common hidden delays

1. Unverified tow invoices

Towing bills come in fast, and many carriers assume they’re accurate. But every day spent “waiting for approval” racks up storage. Even a two-day delay can add hundreds in unnecessary charges.

2. Uncoordinated inspections

When the appraisal team and the tow specialist don’t communicate directly, inspections get rescheduled or missed entirely. A simple scheduling gap can add days to cycle time.

3. Slow release coordination

After payment is made, the release process still requires communication between multiple parties (claim handler, tow yard, driver, transport, and sometimes police or DOT). If that coordination isn’t immediate, equipment can sit untouched for days.

4. Cargo confusion

When cargo is damaged, held, totally or partially rejected, it becomes a separate but connected issue. Failing to address it alongside the equipment release means storage continues while decisions drag out.

5. Client communication lag

Adjusters and claims managers often wait for updates, unaware that progress has stalled. Without structured communication, delays multiply quietly behind the scenes.

Each of these friction points might seem small, but together, they can double a claim’s total cost.

Why traditional TPAs miss them

Large TPAs tend to measure performance in broad strokes: total files handled, average closure time, or invoice accuracy.

Those metrics don’t capture the micro delays that occur within a claim, because those metrics were never designed to.

Without day-to-day visibility into file movement, teams don’t notice the extra two days of storage here, or the lost inspection window there. The file closes eventually, and the cost gets absorbed as “normal.”

But over time, those invisible costs add up to millions in lost efficiency.

How Veritas tracks what others overlook

We don’t assume progress, we prove it.

Every Veritas claim is managed through a system that prioritizes milestone accountability and proactive communication for cargo claim management.

Our internal checklist includes more than 40 time-sensitive checkpoints designed to eliminate hidden delays:

• Tow yard contact confirmed within 4 hours of assignment.

• Invoice review and verification within 24 hours of receipt.

• Inspection scheduled within 48 hours of tow verification.

• Release coordination immediately after negotiation closure.

• Cargo handled simultaneously, not sequentially.

• Client updates issued at every major stage; no chasing required.

These checkpoints turn potential bottlenecks into measurable performance indicators.

The cost of a single missed day

To understand why this matters, consider this example:

A single truck and trailer are impounded after an accident. The yard charges:

• $350/day for the tractor

• $250/day for the trailer

• $150/day for cargo storage

If release coordination slips by just two days, that’s $1,500 gone on one file.

Multiply that by 100 claims a year, and you’re looking at $150,000 in pure preventable loss.

Hidden delays aren’t just operational issues, they’re financial leaks.

Communication: the most underrated performance metric

The difference between a claim that runs smoothly and one that derails often comes down to one thing: communication cadence.

At Veritas, communication isn’t reactive; it’s scheduled.

• Intake confirmation is sent the same day.

• Status updates go out automatically at key milestones.

• Escalations happen before a delay turns into a problem.

Our account team monitors not just the work being done, but the gaps between communications. If a client hasn’t heard from us, we treat that as an exception because silence is where delays start.

Real-world example: the “invisible week”

A national fleet’s damaged trailer sat in a yard for eight extra days before anyone realized release hadn’t been coordinated.

The appraiser had finished their report. The client believed it was released. But the yard was still waiting for confirmation and payment.

By the time the mistake was caught, the storage bill had grown by $2,800.

After switching to Veritas, the client’s files were integrated into our real-time system. In the first 60 days, their average storage duration dropped from 10.2 days to 5.9 days (a 42% improvement).

That “invisible week” disappeared.

Why most delays are process failures, not people failures

Good adjusters care deeply about their files. But they’re often managing dozens at once, spread across different vendors, communication channels, and time zones.

Delays don’t happen because people aren’t trying; they happen because the process doesn’t support them.

That’s why Veritas designed its workflows to catch delays before they occur. Automated prompts, milestone tracking, and cross-team coordination prevent the system itself from becoming the bottleneck.

The Veritas advantage: visibility equals velocity

When every department (appraisal, towing, cargo, and account management) shares the same information in real time, files stop getting lost in handoffs.

That visibility drives velocity.

• Fewer reopens.

• Shorter cycle times.

• Lower total claim costs.

• Happier clients.

It’s not about rushing; it’s about removing friction.

Final thoughts

Claims rarely fail because of one big mistake. They fail because of numerous small ones that no one noticed.

True performance isn’t about working harder; it’s about working with clarity.

By tracking the untracked and catching the unseen, Veritas Claims transforms hidden delays into measurable efficiency gains.

Every hour recovered is value returned to the carrier, to the client, and to the bottom line.

If your files are taking longer than they should and you’re not sure why, let’s find out together.