Delays, port congestion, driver shortages, cyber incidents, severe weather, insolvencies, and geopolitical shocks have made supply chain disruption a board-level risk. For UK importers, exporters, manufacturers, wholesalers, and eCommerce brands, the pain is rarely just “late delivery”. It’s damaged goods, rejected consignments, contractual penalties, lost sales, and reputational harm.
Freight insurance (often called cargo insurance or goods in transit insurance) is one of the most practical ways to protect the value of goods while they’re moving through the supply chain. The key is understanding what you’re actually buying, where the cover starts and ends, and how it interacts with carrier liability, Incoterms, warehousing, and business interruption.
This guide explains how freight insurance helps you manage disruption, what to look for in a policy, and how to avoid the common gaps that catch businesses out.
Freight insurance is a policy designed to cover loss of or damage to goods while in transit. Depending on the wording, it can also cover related costs such as salvage, survey fees, and sometimes certain extra expenses.
Freight insurance can be arranged as:
Single shipment (one-off) cover: Ideal for occasional imports/exports or high-value consignments.
Annual/open cover: Covers multiple shipments throughout the year, often with a declaration process.
Stock throughput: A broader approach that can cover goods from supplier to customer, including storage.
It can apply to:
Road haulage (UK and Europe)
Sea freight (containers, breakbulk)
Air freight
Rail
Courier and parcel networks
Multimodal shipments (e.g., road + sea + road)
A common misconception is that the carrier “insures the goods”. In reality, carriers usually operate under limited liability regimes, and their liability may be reduced or excluded depending on the circumstances.
Examples of why carrier liability can fall short:
Liability limits may be based on weight, not value.
The carrier may not be liable for certain causes (e.g., inadequate packaging, inherent vice, delay).
The carrier may successfully defend the claim by showing they took reasonable care.
You may face disputes about where the damage occurred (handover points in multimodal chains).
Freight insurance is designed to protect your financial interest in the goods, rather than relying on a third party’s limited liability.
Disruption creates loss in several ways. Freight insurance primarily addresses the physical loss/damage part, but understanding the broader picture helps you structure cover correctly.
Typical disruption-driven loss scenarios include:
Container delays leading to goods spoiling, expiring, or becoming unsaleable
Port congestion increasing handling, storage, and demurrage risks
Rerouting increasing time in transit and exposure to theft/damage
Insolvency of a supplier, freight forwarder, or logistics provider
Theft from vehicles, depots, or during cross-docking
Water ingress from storms, poor container condition, or handling errors
Temperature excursions for chilled/frozen goods or sensitive components
Cyber incidents causing documentation errors, misrouting, or release of goods to fraudsters
Freight insurance won’t fix the delay itself, but it can stop a disruption turning into a balance-sheet event.
Cover varies by insurer and wording, but common insured perils/sections include:
All risks (ICC(A) style): Broad cover for physical loss/damage, subject to exclusions.
Named perils (ICC(B) or ICC(C) style): Narrower cover for specified events (e.g., fire, collision, sinking).
Theft and pilferage: Often included in broader wordings, sometimes with conditions.
General average and salvage charges: Important for sea freight.
Loading/unloading damage: Depending on wording and where responsibility sits.
Transit interruption: Sometimes includes limited cover for extra costs to minimise loss.
“All risks” doesn’t mean “everything”. It means you’re covered for physical loss/damage unless an exclusion applies. Named perils policies only respond if you can prove the loss was caused by one of the listed events.
For disruption-heavy supply chains, “all risks” is often the more resilient option because the cause of damage isn’t always clear.
This is where many claims fall down. Common exclusions include:
Delay (pure delay is usually excluded)
Inherent vice (e.g., goods that naturally deteriorate)
Inadequate packing or preparation
Ordinary leakage, ordinary loss in weight/volume
Wear and tear
War and strikes (often available as extensions)
Cyber exclusions (increasingly common, wording-specific)
Unattended vehicle theft conditions (time limits, locked vehicles, alarm/immobiliser requirements)
Temperature control warranties (specific requirements for refrigerated transport)
If your biggest disruption risk is “late delivery”, freight insurance alone may not address the full financial impact. You may need to consider contingent business interruption, trade credit, or contractual risk management alongside cargo cover.
Incoterms define responsibilities for transport, risk transfer, and costs between buyer and seller. They don’t automatically decide insurance, but they strongly influence who should arrange it.
Practical points:
If risk transfers to you early (e.g., certain sea freight terms), you may be exposed while the goods are still overseas.
If you’re selling on terms where you retain risk until delivery, you may need cover right up to the customer.
Don’t assume the other party’s insurance protects you. Even if they insure, you may not be the beneficiary.
A good freight insurance setup starts with mapping your most common Incoterms and identifying where risk sits on each route.
Disruption often pushes goods into temporary storage: port facilities, bonded warehouses, cross-docks, or third-party logistics (3PL) sites.
Policies vary on:
Warehouse-to-warehouse cover (common in marine cargo)
Time limits for storage during transit
Whether storage is “incidental” or needs to be declared
Whether goods are covered at a 3PL warehouse or only during movement
If you regularly hold stock at a 3PL, consider whether you need:
A stock policy for that location
A stock throughput policy that blends transit and storage
Clear contract terms with the 3PL about liability and insurance
Risk: High-value goods targeted at service stations.
Reduce it: Use approved routes, secure parking, two-person crews for high-value loads, vehicle tracking, and comply with unattended vehicle conditions.
Risk: “Sweat” (condensation), damaged seals, or poor container condition.
Reduce it: Container inspections, desiccants, moisture barrier packaging, correct stowage, and photos at loading.
Risk: Forklift punctures, drops, crushing.
Reduce it: Clear handling instructions, proper palletisation, fragile labelling, and choosing experienced handlers.
Risk: Reefer failure, doors opened too long, incorrect set points.
Reduce it: Data loggers, pre-cool procedures, equipment maintenance, and documented temperature checks.
Risk: Release of goods on false documents.
Reduce it: Strong release controls, verified contacts, secure documentation, and cyber-aware processes.
Most freight insurance is based on an agreed valuation method. A common approach is:
Invoice value of goods
Plus freight and other costs
Plus a percentage uplift (often 10%–20%) to reflect anticipated profit
The right valuation matters because underinsurance can reduce claim payments.
Also consider:
Maximum any one conveyance (MAOC): The highest value you have on one vehicle/container/vessel.
Accumulation risk: Multiple consignments in one place due to disruption (e.g., port storage). Your policy needs to cope with this.
To quote and place freight insurance, insurers commonly ask:
Goods description (including hazardous or temperature-sensitive items)
Annual turnover/value shipped
Maximum single shipment value
Routes and modes (UK, EU, worldwide)
Packaging methods
Security and risk controls
Claims history
Incoterms and who arranges transport
The more accurate this is, the fewer surprises you’ll face at claim time.
When something goes wrong, speed and documentation matter.
A practical claims checklist:
Notify the insurer/broker immediately
Preserve evidence: photos, packaging, seals, container numbers
Keep damaged goods (don’t dispose without approval)
Obtain a survey report if required
Gather documents: invoice, packing list, bill of lading/CMR/air waybill, delivery notes
Mitigate loss: reasonable steps to reduce further damage
Record timelines: when goods were handed over, stored, moved, delivered
Delays in reporting or missing paperwork are common reasons claims become slow or disputed.
Here’s a simple way to structure your decision:
Map your supply chain: routes, modes, handovers, storage points.
Identify your top disruption risks: theft, water, temperature, handling, insolvency, cyber.
Decide your cover type: all risks vs named perils; single vs open cover.
Set realistic limits: MAOC, accumulation, seasonal peaks.
Align contracts: Incoterms, carrier terms, 3PL agreements.
Build a claims-ready process: photos at loading, seal checks, temperature logs.
For many UK SMEs, an annual/open cover policy is the most efficient option once shipment frequency increases, because it avoids gaps caused by forgetting to insure a particular load.
Usually not for “pure delay”. It typically covers physical loss or damage. Some policies may include limited extra expenses to minimise a covered loss, but late delivery penalties and lost sales are generally outside standard cargo cover.
They’re related. “Goods in transit” is often used for road/courier movements (including UK-only). “Marine cargo” often refers to international shipments and may include warehouse-to-warehouse terms. The exact wording matters more than the label.
They can be, but you must confirm the policy includes courier networks, unattended vehicle conditions, and any limits for high-value items.
In sea freight, if a shipowner declares general average after a major incident, cargo owners may have to contribute to shared losses before goods are released. Cargo insurance often covers these contributions.
Forwarders often have liability cover, not full-value cargo insurance for your goods. Ask what it covers, who the insured party is, and what the liability limits are.
If you ship returns (repairs, recalls, warranty returns), you may need the policy to include return transits and the correct valuation basis.
Freight insurance is most effective when it’s built around your real-world supply chain, not a generic template. If you want to reduce disruption risk, focus on three things: broad “all risks” cover where appropriate, realistic limits for peak accumulation, and a documented process for packing, security, and claims evidence.
If you’d like, tell me:
What you ship (and typical values)
Where it goes (UK only, EU, worldwide)
Your most common Incoterms
…and I’ll suggest a sensible cover structure and the key questions to ask before placing the policy.
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