Commercial collection agency for large B2B claims, founded in 1991, with a published contingency schedule of 10 to 30 percent and an in-house law firm. It has written about trucking collections.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
The Kaplan Group is a commercial collection agency that focuses on large business-to-business claims. Its About page says it concentrates on unpaid B2B debts of roughly $25,000 to more than $2 million, and its rate page sets a $10,000 minimum for a new client's first claim.
Kaplan is a general commercial agency, not a transportation specialist, and its industries page does not list trucking. It belongs here because it publishes a trucking case article and says freight forwarders and trucking companies are among the clients that send it accounts. That makes it an option for brokers and carriers with large freight balances owed by a debtor that is still in business.
One point that sets Kaplan apart is price transparency. Unlike most agencies in this category, it publishes its contingency rate schedule on its website.
Compare with other Freight Collections providers: Alexander, Winton & Associates (AWA Collections), Southwest Recovery Services and Freight Collection Solutions Law Group, or see all Freight Collections.
Services
The firm's main service is commercial collection on large claims. Each account is handled by a senior collector who, according to the How We Work page, typically has a decade or more of commercial collection experience and can draw on industry specialists.
If the first collection effort fails, Kaplan's in-house law firm can make a second effort at the same contingency rates. For cases that need a lawsuit, the firm works with a nationwide network of local attorneys who litigate on contingency, and it lists litigation and judgment collection as a separate service. It also collects from debtors outside the United States.
Kaplan's trucking article describes a client that uses a federal rule, 49 CFR 377.203, to bill late payers the full non-discounted rate, and says Kaplan pursues those revised invoices. It notes that most trucking and forwarding clients instead use a fixed fee structure. Claims that are too small or a poor fit can be referred to other firms through the Kaplan Referral Network at no charge.
Who it is for
Kaplan fits brokers, carriers and forwarders with a single large unpaid balance, or several large balances, owed by a business that still has assets. The $10,000 first-claim minimum and the focus on claims of $25,000 and up mean it is not built for a single small load owed by a broker that has disappeared.
The firm only collects from businesses or from personal guarantors of business debts. It does not accept rent claims, alternative financing loans, or claims already reduced to judgment unless it was involved in the litigation.
A carrier with many small invoices owed by a failed broker will usually be better served by a transportation-only agency that works bond claims and out-of-business debtors.
How working with them works
Clients start with a phone call about the claim. If it qualifies, Kaplan sends a written estimate. A collector then reviews your contract or sales agreement, researches the debtor and its correspondence with you, and identifies everyone in the debtor's payables approval chain. The team builds a recovery plan and explains it to you before carrying it out. The site says collection can start within one business day.
Kaplan's published rates, as listed on its website in November 2026, are based on the amount collected: 10 percent on amounts over $500,000, 15 percent on $50,000 to $499,999, 20 percent on $10,000 to $49,999, 25 percent on $3,000 to $9,999, and 30 percent when the debtor is outside the United States. There is no fee if nothing is collected. Claims of $5,000 to $10,000 under two years old may be accepted at 25 percent as a courtesy for clients that have already placed several larger claims. Placement uses a claim form and contract linked from the rate page.
Questions to ask before you sign
Which tier of your published contingency schedule applies to my claim, and does the rate stay the same if your in-house law firm or a network attorney takes over?
My first claim is under $10,000. Will you accept it, or should I use your referral network?
How many freight accounts do you handle, and are your collectors familiar with rate confirmations, bills of lading, detention and accessorial charges?
If my debtor is a broker, can you help with a claim against its BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust, or is that outside your scope?
How do you handle the 18-month federal deadline to sue over interstate freight charges under 49 U.S.C. 14705?
In which states are you licensed, and which law firm handles the second effort?
How and how often will you report progress to me?
Company background
According to its About page, Jerry Kaplan built his first agency, Kaplan & Kaplan, over about 20 years, sold it in 1989 and founded The Kaplan Group in 1991 to handle special cases. Dean Kaplan, the current president, took over in 2002 and expanded the firm into a national network of large-claim specialists. Dean Kaplan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and personally handles large collection matters.
The firm lists its address as 154 Addie Street, Pismo Beach, California 93449, while some of its pages describe it as based in Los Angeles. It is a member of the International Association of Commercial Collectors, and Jerry Kaplan previously served as president of that group's predecessor.
The company states that it has recovered more than $700 million for clients and that it has an 85 percent success rate on viable claims. These are the firm's own figures.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
