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Insurers We Work With
We work with a panel of UK insurers to help compare suitable cover options for a wide range of businesses.
What Is Freight Forwarder Cargo Insurance?
Cargo insurance covers physical goods being transported by sea, air or land. It protects against loss or damage during transit and is often used to support customer shipments where full-value protection matters more than legal liability arguments.
This page sits within our freight forwarders insurance cluster and should be considered alongside freight liability insurance and warehouse insurance.
Who Needs It?
- Freight forwarders
- Import and export businesses
- Logistics providers
- NVOCC operators
- Operators moving goods internationally
- Businesses handling higher-value shipments
- Firms offering cargo protection to customers
- Forwarders with multimodal movements
What Does It Cover?
- Damage during transit
- Theft
- Loss at sea
- Handling damage
- Certain loading and unloading incidents
- Some warehouse or staging exposures where agreed
- High-value or specialist cargo extensions where accepted
- Multimodal cargo movements depending on wording
What’s Not Covered?
- Intentional acts or fraud
- Poor packing by the wrong party where excluded
- Wear and tear or gradual deterioration
- War and terrorism unless specifically arranged
- Certain delay or consequential loss exposures
Key Risks
- Container damage
- Theft in transit
- Port or warehouse handling loss
- Weather or sea-related damage
- Cross-border handover issues
Claims Examples
£95,000 container lost at sea.
£60,000 goods damaged during loading.
How Much Does It Cost?
Cargo insurance is typically based on shipment value, cargo type, destinations, claims history and the scope of cover needed. Clause breadth and specialist extensions can materially change price.
For broader premium context, see our freight forwarder insurance cost page.
How Insurers Assess Risk
- Shipment values and accumulation risk
- Cargo sensitivity and theft attractiveness
- Routes, territories and modes of transit
- Packing, handling and handover controls
- Claims history and frequency
- Use of subcontractors and warehousing
- Security standards and incident reporting
- Clause choice and policy extensions required
How To Reduce Premiums
- Declare cargo accurately
- Improve security and handover controls
- Use the right clause level for the exposure
- Keep claims data clean and well documented
Why Choose Insure24
- Specialist freight and logistics insurance broker
- Access to UK and international cargo markets
- Fast quote turnaround
- Support on cargo versus liability structure
FAQs
What is cargo insurance?
Cargo insurance covers physical goods being transported by sea, air or land against loss or damage.
Who needs cargo insurance?
Freight forwarders, importers, exporters and logistics providers often need it where the shipment value matters.
What do Institute Cargo Clauses do?
They define the breadth of cover, with Clause A being broader than Clauses B or C.
Does cargo insurance cover theft?
It can, depending on policy wording and security conditions.
Does it cover loading damage?
Often yes, where the wording includes handling-related physical loss or damage.
Can I insure high-value cargo?
Yes, but insurers usually need more detail on values, security and routes.
Does it replace liability insurance?
No. Cargo insurance protects the goods, while liability insurance protects the forwarder's legal responsibility.
Can cover be arranged quickly?
Yes, where shipment, value and route information is clear from the start.
Get A Quote
Speak to Insure24 for tailored cargo cover.
Also see freight forwarders insurance, freight liability insurance and freight forwarder warehouse insurance.