COMMON CARRIER / CONTRACT CARRIER

American Tank Company (ATC) receives preferential shipping rates from a host of Common and Contract carriers across the US and Canada. We are then able to arrange the shipping of your order, on your behalf, at deeply discounted rates. While we do EVERYTHING in our power to assure that the shipment and delivery of your order goes smoothly and without problems, this is unfortunately not always the case.

Once your order has been shipped and leaves our facility, it is very important to note each of the following items which are considered part of American Tank Co., Inc.’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale.

TITLE & SHIPMENT RESPONSIBILITY:

ATC is not the trucking company. Once your order has been loaded and shipped, your item(s) are completely out of our control and responsibility. Title to your shipment passes to the carrier once it has been loaded onto the truck and leaves our facility. While in transit, all responsibility for the well being and safe delivery of your shipment rests upon the carrier. All Post Shipment coordination, communication, instructions and arrangements concerning the delivery of your shipment is the strict responsibility of you the customer and the carrier. This includes phone-ahead calls, delivery scheduling, delivery directions, access restrictions, special offloading requirements, etc.

DELIVERY ACCESS & DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:

Delivery trucks will not normally deliver on private, dirt, steep, narrow, uneven or unsafe roads of any kinds. All delivery locations are subject to the sole discretion of the truck driver. If the driver determines your road is inaccessible or unsafe, you will be responsible for all shipping charges as well as additional charges for taking your shipment back to the terminal and storing it. If you do not have a suitable area with proper access and clearance for a semi-truck, you must make alternate arrangements to take delivery of your shipment at the nearest wide/flat public road and to transport it the rest of the way to your desired location yourself. These types of special arrangements MUST be made in writing BEFORE your order is shipped.

ROAD CLEARANCE:

You must have a minimum of 15’ of vertical and horizontal road clearance all the way to your delivery address. This includes but is not limited to tree branches, utility lines, bushes, gates, fencing, etc. Oversize loads have greater clearance requirements – please contact your sales rep for specifics.

TRUCK SIZE & ADEQUATE TURN-AROUND:

Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, you must have adequate room for your delivery, including the turning around and backing up for a 65’ semi-truck/trailer. If your order ships and you are unable to receive delivery because you do not have adequate space for a semi truck, you will still be responsible for all shipping charges for this undelivered shipment. In addition, you will also be responsible for additional charges to take your shipment back to the terminal as well as storage charges at the terminal until you make arrangements to pick up your shipment.

OFFLOADING:

Offloading for all shipments is the sole responsibility of the customer. If you require a lift-gate to off-load your tank, you MUST notify ATC in advance at the time you place your order. You will be required to pay additional freight charges for this service which will be calculated and added to your freight charges at the time you place your order. Once your order has shipped, we cannot request a lift-gate after the fact.

POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES:

Additional shipping charges may be incurred and billed directly to you, the customer, if the delivery truck is unable to reach your location or if a special truck is needed to make your delivery. Road conditions must always be conducive to safe operation of the delivery truck, which is always determined by the driver. At the sole discretion of the truck driver, your merchandise may be dropped at the closest area to your chosen location if the driver determines that road conditions are not conducive to safe operation of the truck. Shipments that are re-directed to an alternate location, by the customer, or due to access conditions, may incur additional shipping charges, which will be billed directly to you the customer. If your merchandise (mostly tanks) happens to be oversized, or when any of the following are required or encountered during transit of your merchandise without foreknowledge at the time of purchase: Special Permits, Pilot Cars, Escorts, Special Routing, Road Construction/Re-Routing of Truck, Truck Size Restrictions, Customer Delays, Locked Gates, etc., additional shipping charges may be incurred and billed directly to you the customer

DAMAGED & INCOMPLETE MERCHANDISE:

All products shipped from American Tank Company are received by the carrier complete and in good condition. Title of the merchandise is passed to the carrier at the time of pick-up and passed to you the customer upon delivery. Upon receiving your shipment, you or your representative MUST perform a complete visual inspection for damage of any kind to your shipment. You must do this BEFORE signing the bill of lading. Upon completing your visual inspection, please take one of the following courses of action if a problem such as visual damage is encountered:

1. If unacceptable damage is evident, you MUST note ALL DAMAGE OR BLEMISHES in detail on the bill of lading BEFORE signing and giving (the document) it back to the driver. DO NOT refuse the shipment (unless it is FedEx or UPS) as doing this will further complicate filing a freight claim for damage. If your order has been damaged during shipment, please immediately call our Logistics Department toll free at 1-800-655-9100, ext. 405. We will then pursue all claims on your behalf through the proper channels with your carrier. If you fail to note any shipping damage on the bill of lading before signing, you will have accepted (the) tank as is, and you will have no legal recourse or claim for damage to your order during shipment. Again, failure to note any damage on the Bill of Lading will make it extremely difficult and exasperating to file a freight claim for your shipment.
2. If the product has questionable cosmetic damage, is incomplete, or items listed on the delivery receipts or bill of lading are missing, you must properly note this on all copies of the Delivery Receipt and or Bill of Lading and immediately notify American Tank Co., Inc.
3. Please note: If the delivery receipt is signed without noting the damage or missing items, American Tank Co., Inc. will not be able to assist the filing of, or collection of, claims for damage, freight or replacement of merchandise.
4. Hidden damage, (not detectable at time of delivery), must be reported to American Tank Co., Inc. and your carrier within three (3) days, or sooner of receipt of your shipment. All items on your order should be thoroughly examined at time of delivery. It is the customer (receiver’s) responsibility to offload the shipment and examine all merchandise. Please read all small print on carrier’s Bill of Lading for their company’s specific rules and regulation details.