Goods In Transit Insurance
Competitive Freight Liability Insurance Backed By Independent Advice
Goods In Transit Insurance
Looking for competitive goods in transit insurance that’s backed by outstanding customer care? Call the JMG Sandbach team today on 0345 340 2111 and let our independent specialists compare the market to find you the freight liability insurance that’s right for you. Whether you’re a courier, have a haulage business or are moving your own goods, to get a competitive goods in transit insurance quote, call us on 0345 340 2111 or contact us today.
Why Get Your Goods In Transit Insurance From JMG Sandbach?
Since our founding in 1995, we’ve helped thousands of couriers, hauliers and companies delivering their own goods get the goods in transit insurance they need. Our clients choose us as we offer a fantastic combination of service and value that gives you:
- Highly competitive cover from leading insurers
- Personal service from quote to claim
- Independent advice
- Help from specialists who are freight liability insurance experts
To experience our exceptional service, call us on 0345 340 2111 or contact us and let our team help you get the freight liability insurance that’s right for you.
What is goods in transit insurance?
Goods in transit insurance, GiT insurance, freight liability insurance or freight insurance as it’s also known, is a specialist policy for road transport businesses that ensures the goods they are carrying – be they theirs or a customer’s – are protected if they are lost, stolen, or damaged while being moved. Freight liability insurance can not only cover goods while they are being moved, but while they are in your care, custody, and control.
With thefts from couriers and other delivery drivers rising in the UK, reaching a record £376 million in 2024 (source: Quadient), having goods in transit insurance in place is now seen as essential for any business that’s doing deliveries.
What can goods in transit insurance cover?
GiT insurance can protect your cargo and your business against several risks, such as:
- Loss of goods – if you accidentally lose some or all of the goods you’re carrying, your goods in transit insurance will cover the loss up to the limit set in your policy
- Damage to goods – if your cargo is damaged while being moved, then you can make a claim to cover the replacement of your goods. This not only covers breakage but also risks such as water damage or damaged packaging
- Deterioration of stock – deterioration of stock insurance covers damage to goods carried or stored in cold storage spaces. Damage typically occurs due to a breakdown of the refrigeration equipment or accidental damage to it. If you’re carrying ambient or frozen goods, then this is an important cover to have
- Theft – as we have said, vehicle-related thefts are on the rise in the UK, with couriers and delivery vans and trucks being targets for thieves. This is in part as they are often seen as easy pickings, as vehicles are often left unattended while the driver makes a delivery, and as the value of the goods being carried has soared as more and more people buy expensive items online
- Public liability insurance – this is a popular policy add-on to goods in transit insurance. It means if you are responsible for causing injury or damaging the property of a member of the public and they decide to take legal action against you, it will help with the costs of mounting a defence and paying any compensation
- Personal effects – drivers will often have personal possessions in their vehicles. Personal effects cover provides financial protection if any of their belongings are stolen or damaged while driving
- EU and worldwide protection – if your business does European deliveries or ones even further afield, then you can have your truck goods in transit insurance cover you for these foreign travels
- Contingency insurance for subcontractors – also known as contingent public liability insurance, this covers you should a subcontractor be held liable for damage or injury and their insurance fails to pay out. It protects you when another policy has been invalidated
Who needs GiT insurance?
If your business is involved in delivering other people’s goods for money or your own goods, then it would be sensible to get a GiT insurance quote. As it protects goods that are being moved from loss, theft, or damage, GiT insurance is ideally suited to:
- Couriers
- Haulage companies
- Delivery businesses
- Businesses delivering goods directly to their customers
- Businesses moving supplies, materials and finished goods to other parts of their business
To find out more or to get a freight liability insurance quote, please call us on 0345 340 2111 or contact us and let our team help you get the GiT insurance that’s right for you.
How much does goods in transit insurance cost?
Your goods in transit insurance premiums will be calculated based on factors such as:
- The value of the goods you’re carrying
- The routes you are working
- The distances you are carrying goods over
- Your claims history
- Whether you want to pay monthly or annually, annual will usually be cheaper
- Your no-claims bonus
- The type of goods you are carrying – hazardous goods/ones that appeal to thieves will push up your premiums
- Your business’s postcode
- The nature of your business – couriers may find cover more expensive than haulage firms as the chances of a theft/accident are higher, as they make so many stops in a day, their vehicles are easy to access, and their cargo is likely to be bulkier
To find out more or to get a goods in transit insurance quote, please call us on 0345 340 2111 or contact us today.
How to save on GiT insurance
There are a few ways you can potentially get cheaper GiT insurance, including:
- Use an independent insurance broker such as JMG Sandbach – as we’re not tied to any one insurer, we can compare the market to find you great cover for a competitive premium, and we can also offer you independent, expert advice
- Complete a risk assessment with us and see where you can save money – reducing policy limits and unnecessary policy options can mean cheaper cover
- Renew early – get in touch with your broker a couple of months ahead of renewal to give them time to compare their markets to find you great cover for a great price
- Make sure you have accurate valuations of the goods you’re carrying, or else you could end up paying more
- Set a higher excess, the amount you pay in the event of a claim – this will also reduce the chance of you making small claims that will affect your no-claims discount
- Build up your no-claims bonus
- Add additional security features to your delivery vehicles – internal cameras and extra locks can deter would-be thieves
- Add a vehicle tracker – so-called ‘black box’ devices can reduce quotes as insurers can see how the vehicle is being driven
Goods In Transit Insurance FAQ
Goods in transit insurance can be a complicated area of cover. To help you get the protection you need, here are our GiT insurance frequently asked questions. We hope they’ll be of use, but if you’d like some personalised, independent advice, then please call us on 0345 340 2111 or contact us and one of our insurance specialists will be happy to help.
No, but some customers may want you to have it in place
No, it’s suitable for anyone who is delivering goods, be that other people’s goods for money, such as couriers or haulage firms, or those delivering their own goods or moving materials and finished goods to other parts of their business
Primarily, it covers the goods you are carrying from loss, theft or damage while being moved by you
No, you’ll need a van or truck insurance policy too
Yes, typical ones include specific cargoes such as human organs, livestock, explosives, or other high-risk items. Goods in transit claims may also be refused on the grounds of:
- Poor/defective packaging
- Shortage in weight
- Thefts from unlocked, unattended vehicles – a big problem for couriers
- Damage that results from dangerous driving
- Confiscation by the police/authorities
Yes, so long as the vehicle is locked and parked in a secure place. This is part of the care and custody element of the policy
That depends on things like the value of the goods you’re carrying, how far, how many deliveries you make in a day, your claims history, where you’re making your deliveries – inner city routes may prove more expensive – and the types of goods you’re carrying
That will depend on what you’re carrying and if the goods are under any contractual conditions/international rules. If your contract with your clients states that you will be liable for £X should goods be lost, stolen, or damaged while in your care, then you must have sufficient cover for that; this is known as full value cover. Specific types of contractual conditions include:
- RHA Conditions of Carriage – you’ll need to be a Road Haulage Association (RHA) member and use the RHA’s Conditions of Carriage correctly. This enables you to limit your liability for the goods you carry to a maximum of £1,300 per tonne (correct as of September 2022) on the gross weight of goods lost, wrongly delivered, or damaged. The RHA conditions set out the responsibilities of the customer and consignor towards the collection, transportation and delivery of goods
- CMR conditions (Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route) – if goods are being transported internationally by road, you’ll need to make sure your goods in transit insurance covers you for the liabilities created by the UN’s CMR convention. This is a standard set of transport and liability conditions, which replaces individual businesses’ trading terms and conditions
Getting a goods in transit insurance quote from us is easy. You can call us on 0345 340 2111 or contact us today, and one of our GiT insurance specialists will be happy to help. Thanks to our wide range of insurer partners and our own underwriting teams, we can compare our markets to find you the cover you need at a premium you’ll like