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liability period | Freight-Academy™

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GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 19, 2026

liability period

The liability period is the defined timeframe during which a carrier or logistics provider bears legal responsibility for loss of or damage to goods entrusted to its care.

Quick Answer

The liability period is the defined timeframe during which a carrier or logistics provider bears legal responsibility for loss of or damage to goods entrusted to its care.

It commences at the moment of receipt – when the carrier takes actual custody of the goods – and ends upon proper delivery to the consignee.

International conventions such as the CMR for road transport or the Montreal Convention for air freight set binding boundaries for this period; national commercial law may add further provisions.

Last updated: 19 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://www.freightos.com/glossary/liability/

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Definition & Explanation

The liability period is the defined timeframe during which a carrier or logistics provider bears legal responsibility for loss of or damage to goods entrusted to its care. It commences at the moment of receipt – when the carrier takes actual custody of the goods – and ends upon proper delivery to the consignee. International conventions such as the CMR for road transport or the Montreal Convention for air freight set binding boundaries for this period; national commercial law may add further provisions. Two distinctions matter in practice: the liability period differs from the scope of liability, which concerns the type and amount of compensation, and from the limitation period, which governs how long after an incident a claim may still be brought before a court.

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Recommended format: Source: Freight Academy – liability period (https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/liability-period-2), accessed 2026-09-26
APA style: Freight Academy Editorial Team. (2026). liability period. Freight Academy. https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/liability-period-2
BibTeX: @misc{liabilityperiod2026, title = {liability period}, author = {{Freight Academy Editorial Team}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/liability-period-2}, note = {Freight Academy, accessed 2026-09-26} }

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