The electric motor purchasing process does not end with order confirmation; it is completed when the motor reaches your facility intact and is commissioned without trouble. As a manufacturer that ships motors across Turkiye every day, we know that a careful five-minute inspection at the moment of delivery prevents damage-claim processes and production losses that could take weeks. As an electric motor manufacturer since 1979, HEM Motor does not only produce sound motors; it manages the packaging and shipping processes with the same care so the motor reaches you intact. In this article we explain, step by step, what to check when taking delivery of a motor unloaded from a truck, how to run the report and insurance process if you find damage, and the final checks to do before first start-up.

Why Does an Electric Motor Get Damaged During Transport?

An industrial electric motor looks, from the outside, like a sturdy machine; with cast iron body models this impression is even stronger. But the motor has sensitive points: the rotor shaft, the bearings, the fan cover, the terminal box and the cooling fins. The most common damage scenarios during transport are:

  • Tipping and falling: A motor not properly secured to the pallet tips over under sudden braking. Shaft bending as a result of a fall is the hardest damage to notice from the outside but the most serious in its consequences.
  • Forklift impact: During loading and unloading, a fork impact can crush the fan cover, break the cooling fins or crack the terminal box.
  • Stacking: Placing a heavy load on top of the motor causes the fan cover to deform enough to touch the fan impeller.
  • Bearing damage: Long-haul vibration can cause the bearing balls on an unsecured shaft to leave marks in their race. This damage is invisible at delivery and emerges months later as bearing noise.
  • Moisture and water contact: In transport with open-bed vehicles, rainwater can reach the terminal box or the windings.

All these risks can be managed with correct packaging and a systematic check at the moment of delivery. Especially with the heavy-body motors covered by supplying high-power motors above 90 kW, the delivery-moment check becomes far more critical; because returning and replacing a motor weighing tons takes much longer than for small motors and requires crane organization.

Meeting the Vehicle: What to Watch During Unloading

A significant share of damage occurs not on the road but at the buyer's site, during unloading. For this reason you should plan the unloading operation for the delivery day as well. If a forklift is used, make sure the forks grip the entire pallet; a pallet lifted unstably with short forks is the most common cause of the motor tipping forward. For motors to be lowered with a crane or hoist, the rope or sling must be attached to the motor's lifting eye (the lifting ring on the body). Damage is inevitable on a motor lifted by the shaft, the fan cover or the terminal box. We should also remind you that on large-power motors the lifting eye is designed only for the motor's own weight, and lifting should not be done together with a reducer or pulley attached to the motor. Setting the motor down hard during unloading imposes an impact load on the bearings; lower the pallet to the ground in a controlled way and keep the motor on its pallet until the moment of assembly.

The First Step at Delivery: Packaging and Pallet Check

Before the motor is even unloaded, or as soon as it is, and before opening the packaging, look at the external appearance. Damaged packaging is the first sign that the motor inside may also be damaged, and it is your strongest evidence in a possible insurance process.

Pallet and Fixing Check

  • Is the motor secured to the pallet with bolts or steel strapping? Loosened strapping or a broken connection shows there was movement on the road.
  • Are the pallet feet broken, is the pallet standing crooked? A broken pallet points to a forklift error or the possibility of a fall.
  • Does the motor look like it has slipped on the pallet, moved from its initial position?

Marks on the Packaging

  • Is there crushing, puncturing or a fork mark on the cardboard or wooden crate?
  • Is there wetness, a water stain or a mud trace? Moisture is a serious risk for winding insulation.
  • Does the packaging tape or strapping give the impression of having been opened and re-closed?

If there is a visible problem with the packaging, open it in front of the driver and photograph the moment of opening. Even if no problem is visible, taking a photo of every motor you receive in its packaged state is a good habit in corporate procurement.

Pallet and packaging damage check at electric motor delivery

Visual Inspection: Points to Check on the Motor

After opening the packaging, before moving the motor to the assembly site, carry out a systematic visual inspection. The order below is the check flow that gives the fastest result in the field.

1. Fan Cover and Cooling Fins

The fan cover is the part most often damaged in transport; it is made of thin sheet metal and is the outermost surface of the motor. Look for crushing, distortion or holes in the cover. A dented fan cover rubs against the fan impeller, causing both noise and a drop in cooling efficiency. If you hear a rubbing sound from the fan area when you turn the shaft by hand, the cover has caved in. Also check whether the cooling fins on the body are broken; on a cast iron motor body, a broken fin is a sure sign that the motor has taken an impact.

2. Terminal Box

Confirm that the terminal box cover is in place, intact and its bolts tightened. Open the cover and look inside: is the terminal plate cracked, are the connection bridges in place, are the cable entry glands sound? Noting at this stage whether the three-phase motor connection is bridged star or delta also makes your commissioning team's job easier. If you see moisture, water droplets or the start of rust inside the box, never apply power without drying the motor, and be sure to write the situation into the report.

3. Shaft and Shaft Protector

Make sure the plastic or metal shaft protector fitted at the factory is in place at the end of the motor shaft. If the protector has fallen off or broken, examine the shaft surface: is there a scratch, a dent or rust? Turn the shaft slowly by hand; sticking, a notchy feel of rotation or an abnormal sound is a herald of bearing or shaft damage. If the shaft has abnormal play in the axial direction, record this too. Making sure the shaft turns without runout before mounting a coupling or pulley prevents vibration problems that would emerge later.

4. Body, Paint and Nameplate

Paint damage on the body surface is not just a visual flaw; every paint scrape is the mark of an impact. Examine the area of the scrape closely and photograph it. Look for burrs and dents on the foot connection surfaces or on the flange surface; a crooked foot causes strain at assembly and shortens bearing life. Finally, confirm that the motor nameplate is legible and matches the values you ordered (power, speed, voltage, efficiency class). The nameplate values of the product that arrives must be exactly the same as the standard industrial electric motor you ordered.

You Found Damage: The Report and Insurance Process

What you do at the moment of delivery when you find damage determines the fate of the claim process. The most critical rule here is this: do not accept a damaged product without reservation.

How to Write the Report

  • Write the damage clearly on the delivery note or transport document: use concrete expressions such as "received with dented fan cover," "packaging torn, shaft protector broken." Instead of single-word notes like "damaged," state the location and type of the damage.
  • Have the note signed by both your receiving staff and the vehicle driver. If the driver avoids signing, note this situation in writing too, and call the transport company by phone to obtain a record number.
  • The date and time must be written; if necessary, add the name of a second staff member present at the delivery.

Photo and Video Record

Photograph the damage in three stages: first in the packaged state, then as the packaging is opened, and finally on the motor itself. Take a general frame that also shows the vehicle plate and the delivery note. A video record is very valuable, especially in cases that cannot be conveyed by photo, such as an abnormality in shaft rotation.

Notification and Insurance Follow-up

Notify both your seller and the transport company in writing (e-mail is sufficient) on the same day. For visible damage, notification at the moment of delivery is essential; for hidden damage that could not be noticed during delivery, notification as soon as possible is essential; the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to prove the damage occurred in transport. If the shipment is within transport insurance coverage, the report and photos form the basis of the insurance file. When we at HEM Motor receive a damage notification, we follow the process on our customer's behalf, and for motors in stock we can quickly dispatch a new motor without the need to wait for a replacement. If you are curious about how damage relates to the warranty process, you can look at our article explaining what an electric motor warranty covers; transport damage and manufacturing defects are managed through different processes.

Inspection of the shaft, terminal box and fan cover at asynchronous motor delivery

After Delivery: Final Checks Before First Start-up

The motor was received intact; but there are a few more checks to do before commissioning. These steps let you catch problems that occurred in transport but are not visible to the eye, without applying power:

  • Turn the shaft by hand: After the motor is placed at the assembly point, before the coupling is attached, turn the shaft a few revolutions by hand. It should turn freely and silently.
  • Measure insulation resistance: Especially for motors that have come a long way or waited in cold or damp conditions, measuring winding insulation resistance is a safe start. A low value shows the windings have taken on moisture; power should not be applied without drying the motor.
  • Tighten the terminal connections: Road vibration can loosen nuts tightened at the factory. Check all connections to the appropriate torque.
  • Run a no-load test: If possible, run the motor briefly with no load before connecting it to the load, and observe the sound, vibration and current values. Confirm that the three-phase currents are balanced.
  • Store correctly if it is to wait: If the motor will not be mounted immediately, keep it in a dry, vibration-free environment out of direct sunlight; leave the shaft protector fitted, and on long waits turn the shaft a few revolutions once a month so the bearing grease spreads evenly over the race surface.

All these checks take less than half an hour with a qualified maintenance technician. By contrast, a single skipped step can prolong for months the argument over whether the damage of a motor that fails after commissioning came from transport, from assembly or from production. Keeping records is the strongest tool in the hands of the procurement side.

Quick Delivery Receiving Checklist

Let us collect the check steps into a single list so your team has it on hand at the moment of delivery:

  1. Photograph the vehicle plate, the delivery note and the packaged motor in general.
  2. Check whether the pallet is sound and the motor is fixed to the pallet.
  3. Look for crushing, puncturing or wetness on the packaging.
  4. Visually inspect the fan cover, cooling fins and body paint.
  5. Open the terminal box; check the plate, bridges and glands.
  6. Confirm the shaft protector is in place and turn the shaft by hand.
  7. Compare the nameplate values with your order confirmation.
  8. On multi-unit deliveries, match the package count with the delivery note.
  9. If there is a problem, write it on the delivery note, have it signed, photograph it and notify the same day.

Printing this list and posting it at your warehouse receiving point ensures the same standard of checking is done no matter who receives the delivery. On bulk shipments where several motors arrive on the same vehicle, a separate check should be done for each motor, and even if damage is on only one motor, it should be written on the delivery note together with that motor's serial number.

How Is Shipping Safety Ensured at HEM Motor?

For every asynchronous motor we have shipped as a manufacturer since 1979, our standard practices are clear: motors are secured with bolts or strapping to pallets suited to the body weight, shaft ends are capped with a protector, terminal box covers are shipped tightened, and before dispatch a nameplate photo of each motor is matched with the order record. Thanks to our strong stock structure across Turkiye, in the event of possible transport damage a replacement motor can be sent on its way within the same week in most power and speed options. When choosing among the electric motor types for your production line, the delivery time and shipping method are decision criteria as important as the product itself; clarifying them at the quotation stage prevents surprises at the moment of delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I refuse a motor that arrives damaged, or accept it and write a report?

If the damage is severe (tipping, a broken body, a dented fan cover), you can return the product and decline to accept it by writing the reason for refusal on the delivery note. If the damage is limited and your production is waiting for the motor, accept it after writing the damage in detail on the delivery note and having the driver sign; this record protects your right to compensation. In both cases, inform your seller the same day.

What happens if hidden damage that was not noticed at delivery comes up?

Some problems, like bearing damage, only emerge during operation. For this reason it is important to keep your delivery photos; even records showing that the packaging and the motor looked intact from the outside are useful in the process. When you notice hidden damage, give your seller written notification without delay; the earlier the notification, the easier it becomes to establish that the damage was transport-related.

The shaft protector arrived broken but the shaft looks intact; will that be a problem?

If there is no scratch, dent or rust on the shaft surface and the shaft turns smoothly when rotated by hand, the motor is most likely sound. Still, have the broken protector noted on the delivery note and photograph the shaft area; if you notice runout during coupling assembly, keep this record on hand.

Get a Quote

A motor delivered intact is as much our responsibility as a motor produced sound. Get the stock status and delivery time information right away for the three-phase motor at the power and speed you need: you can reach us at +90 (532) 345 49 86 or send your request through our contact us page. HEM Motor ships your order with safe packaging and continues to stand by you after delivery.