Resolution of transport disputes

We solve conflicts over cargo and deadlines

Road transport is an industry in which an error of 14 centimeters during loading or a delay of 39 minutes on unloading generates real financial losses. At Lublin Union Arbitrage, we make sure that these costs do not hang in the books for three years. We mainly serve transport companies from the Lublin province that are stuck in disputes over damaged goods or unfairly charged penalties for delays. We understand that for a fleet owner with 7 cars, freezing 14,300 zlotys for half a year is a serious liquidity problem. Clear rules of the game allow us to cut such a knot in a few days, instead of waiting for distant dates in commercial courts.

Analysis of waybills and damage protocols

A damage protocol written in a parking lot near Berlin is often the only concrete evidence in a case. Our arbitrators analyze it in terms of the CMR convention and actual entries in the transport order. In October 2024, we helped a carrier from near Lublin whose forwarder withheld payment of 11,200 PLN for allegedly wetting 3 pallets with electronics. It turned out that securing the goods was the responsibility of the sender, which the complaint department overlooked. We closed the case in 17 business days. Court is the last resort, so we focus on the facts contained in the documents, rather than shifting blame over the phone.

Fast settlement of penalties for downtime

Disputes over demurrage are a plague on international routes. The forwarder claims the car was not ready, and the driver has a tachograph printout confirming 13 hours of waiting at the ramp. At Lublin Union Arbitrage, we value such situations based on market rates and specific contract provisions. We do not look for the guilty by force, but look for a way out of the situation that will allow both companies to continue to work with each other. Discretion is our standard, so the result of arbitration remains solely between the parties. It happens that we recover receivables for downtime that has accumulated over 4 months of cooperation in one mediation session.

Why does arbitration in Lublin make sense?

Courts in our region are burdened, and commercial cases for amounts of the order of 23,000 - 46,000 PLN can drag on for years. We operate locally, but according to international standards. We solve the problem here and now. Our team consists of 3 people who have been in transport documentation and trade law for 8 years. Heads-up: we do not take cases where any paper documentation is missing, because we base arbitration on hard data. If you have a signed CMR letter and an invoice that the contractor is delaying because of alleged damage, we can start acting immediately.

Concrete steps to close a dispute

The process starts with a short document analysis, which we perform in 24h. Then we invite both sides to one meeting, online or in our office at Krakowskie Przedmieście 22. We do not use difficult words, we speak the language of invoices and delivery dates. Honestly, 67% of cases that come to us end in a settlement at the first stage, because the arbitrators can point to an error in the interpretation of CMR regulations that the forwarder did not notice. This is a saving of time and nerves that you won't recover in any court. We solve the problem, we don't look for the guilty.