Short answer. Under Article 1738, a common carrier's extraordinary liability keeps running even while the goods sit in its warehouse at the destination. It continues until the consignee has been notified of the goods' arrival and has had a reasonable chance afterward to remove them or otherwise dispose of them.
What the law says
The extraordinary liability of the common carrier continues to be operative even during the time the goods are stored in a warehouse of the carrier at the place of destination
Civil Code, Article 1738 — How Long Extraordinary Liability Lasts in the Warehouse. Read the full provision →
Extraordinary liability does not end at arrival
A common carrier is held to an extraordinary standard of diligence over the goods it carries. A natural question is whether that heightened responsibility stops the moment the goods reach the destination and are placed in the carrier's warehouse. Article 1738 answers no. It provides that The extraordinary liability of the common carrier continues to be operative even during the time the goods are stored in a warehouse of the carrier at the place of destination. Simply moving the cargo from the truck or ship into the carrier's own storage does not downgrade the carrier's duty. The strict responsibility follows the goods into the warehouse.
When the heightened responsibility finally lapses
The article fixes a clear end point built around the consignee. The extraordinary liability runs until the consignee has been advised of the arrival of the goods and has had reasonable opportunity thereafter to remove them or otherwise dispose of them. Two things must both happen: the consignee must be notified that the goods have arrived, and a reasonable period must then pass in which he could have taken them or dealt with them. Only after that combination does the carrier's extraordinary responsibility give way. Notice alone is not enough, and neither is the mere passage of time without notice.
Why the notice-plus-time rule is fair
The rule balances both sides. A consignee cannot collect goods he does not know have arrived, so it would be unfair to cut off the carrier's strict duty before he is told. Equally, the carrier should not remain an insurer of goods indefinitely when the consignee, though notified and given a fair chance, leaves them sitting in storage. By requiring both advice of arrival and a reasonable opportunity to remove them, the article marks the sensible moment when responsibility should shift. Until that moment, a loss or damage in the warehouse is still measured against the carrier's extraordinary diligence.
What happens after the period passes
Once the consignee has been notified and given his reasonable opportunity, the carrier's extraordinary liability ceases. The carrier does not necessarily become free of all duty over goods it continues to hold, but its role shifts toward that of an ordinary depositary rather than an extraordinarily bound carrier. The practical lessons are simple. A consignee should act promptly on any notice of arrival, and a carrier should be able to prove that it gave notice and allowed a fair chance to collect. That evidence often decides which standard applies when goods are lost or damaged in the destination warehouse.