Cargo Insurance FAQ

What cargo insurance is and what cargo insurance is not.

Cargo insurance is insurance designed to protect the insured from financial loss due to physical damage or loss of the shipment due to a covered peril.

Cargo insurance is neither designed nor intended to cover general liability nor liquidated damages related to their shipment.

What types of cargo insurance are there?

There are typically two types of coverage used in today’s market.  Clause A ‘all-risks’ coverage and Clause C ‘total loss’ coverage.

Clause A covers all perils but does not cover items the policy specifically excludes.  Examples of common standard exclusions are listed below,

  • inherent nature of the goods,
  • insufficient or inadequate packing,
  • ordinary wear and tear,
  • consequential loss or loss of market.

Clause C covers ONLY the perils that it states it covers, perils not stated as covered are excluded.  Examples of Clause C Coverage items are listed below,

  • fire or explosion
  • vessel or craft being stranded grounded sunk or capsized
  • overturning or derailment of land conveyance
  • collision or contact of vessel craft or conveyance with any external object other than water
  • discharge of cargo at a port of distress
  • loss of or damage to the subject-matter insured caused by
  • general average sacrifice
  • jettison

Quite often the Clause C coverage is extended to cover theft of the whole shipment or conveyance.  Ask your provider if this is the case with their coverage.

What do I do if I discover my shipment has been damaged or lost?

In the event of a loss, there are complete instructions on how to file a claim on each cargo insurance certificate TJO Cargo issues. Moreover, unlike most cargo insurance providers, TJO Cargo is there for you every step of the way.

I am a U.S. exporter. Can I add my profit margin to the insured value?

Normal cargo insurance is structured to pay claims for covered perils for the amount you actually lost. Profit margins that have not yet been earned, cannot be a part of a potential claim settlement as you cannot lose something you did not have.

I am moving overseas, am I required to have a valued inventory list for my possessions?

Most cargo insurers require a ‘valued manifest’ be provided prior to the ship date. If the company you are working with for cargo insurance does not ask you for one, this is a red flag the cargo insurance you are buying may not be viable in the event of a claim.

Will getting my cargo risk considered and obtaining a cargo insurance quote cost me anything?

No, all reviews related to assessing your shipments for cargo insurance are at no cost to you. Get a free quote now.

What kind of information do I need to obtain a quote?

Quotes for cargo insurance can be produced with as little as, a complete description of the commodity, mode of transport, full container, less than full container, or breakbulk, insured from where to where. See out Online quote page how easy it is.

Do you need cargo insurance?

International air and ocean transportation includes little, if any, cargo insurance on shipments.  If you can’t afford to lose it, insure it.  It is a misconception the ocean or air carrier holds liability for freight losses.

What if my cargo isn’t high value?

Consider ‘general average’ risks and the policies of your ocean carrier.  Most ocean going cargo vessels hold the right to declare ‘general average’ if the vessel, the crew, or cargo is jeopardized.  General average is the maritime law that allows the vessel to jettison cargo it sees fit to save life, the vessel, or other cargo.  It is agreed by all shippers that the expense of the jettisoned freight be shared by the rest of the shippers.  Similar maritime law can go right up to the shared expense of the loss of the entire vessel.  Also consider for lost freight, re-shipping may be required.

If you need cargo insurance when should coverage start and stop?

In most cases cargo insurance should run parallel to your risk and the terms of the transaction.  When you relinquish ownership your risk ceases and so will the cargo insurance.

How do I value my freight?

Value is typically calculated CIF + 10% (C= Cost of goods I=Insurance F= Freight)  Your situation may be different.  The CIF + 10% is used on the standard that if you own the freight it cost you money, if you insured the freight, it cost you money, and if you shipped the freight, that cost you money as well.  If the shipment is lost, you would incur those expenses all over again.  The 10% allows for losses that may occur protecting freight from further damage if there has been a covered loss and the freight must have emergency handling such as movement to a safe area, weather protection, etc.  Although no claims can be paid for amounts not actually lost.

Does the type of freight I am shipping impact the rate or terms?

Yes it does along with where you are shipping to.  Shipments heading to a first world country will have a lesser premium than a shipment headed to a third world country where risk can be higher.  What you are shipping can impact the premium as well as deductibles and conditions.  Complex cargo that may contain more delicate precision instruments may have a higher rate or higher deductible than a shipment of hard to damage machine parts.  Resist the temptation of fudging the description to save a buck as it may end up costing you many of them.

The seller is providing insurance while I am at risk and is supplying insurance so I am covered, right?

Positively maybe.  Trusting sellers and buyers to secure coverage on your behalf can be risky.  The other side of the transaction may only purchase limited risk coverage from less than reputable sources.  This may leave you attempting to file a claim with an overseas claims agent who does not answer their phone.  Even if the other side is securing the insurance, be sure to carve your terms to mandate Clause A ‘all risks’ coverage from an approved insurers list.  If the event they balk, bring the insurance to your side if you are the one at risk.

Loss Payee

The loss payee for the transport coverage must be the entity who is at risk of a loss in the event of a covered incident at the time of the incident. In short, it is who owns the freight at the time of a loss. As an example, if a USA exporter (US) sells their product to a United Kingdom importer (UK) and the terms of the deal have the ownership changing at the USA port of exit, (risk) changes from USA shipper to UK buyer at that time. In the event the USA shipper secured cargo insurance from their door US to the door UK and named themselves as the sole ‘loss payee’, the coverage stops when the freight changed ownership.  This leaves the shipment uninsured for the remainder of the transit unless the UK buyer secured separate cover to insure from the point they took ownership at the ships rail at the port of loading. Be aware of the terms of sale and when you are, and are not, on risk

My company has a blanket policy for all of our shipments so we are set, correct?

Absolutely could be.  Policies selected years ago to fit your company’s shipping needs may fall short today.  Be sure to contact your insurance carrier and get a full accounting of what your insurance covers and what it does not.  Many existing policies cover domestic ground shipments but fall short on international shipments.  Another example is many policies don’t pay for re-shipping when necessary after a covered shipment is lost.  Be sure to compare available coverage for your international shipments to make sure they fit your needs.

Over Dimensional Shipments

When shipping an over dimensional shipment, be sure to alert your insurance provider. Many insurers exclude over dimensional freight in their general policies. Quite often underwriters will approve over dimensional shipments, but require the opportunity to review the details prior to shipping. Without letting your insurance provider know your are shipping an over dimensional item, your cargo insurance certificate may be at high risk of being a worthless piece of paper.

Under-Deck VS Above-Deck Freight

All containerized ocean freight is considered under-deck freight by most insurance companies no matter the location on the vessel. In the event your freight is breakbulk or roll on roll off (not containerized ), it does matter whether it is stowed above deck or below deck. In the event you secure Clause A ‘all risks’ coverage for your ocean breakbulk/roll on roll off shipment, most insurers policies automatically revert to the lesser cover of Clause C cover in the event the freight is transported above deck when not containerized.

How do I become familiar with the coverage offered by an insurance vendor? 

There are two portions to the average insurance coverage for marine insurance sold by most vendors, the policy and the terms and conditions of the policy.  Good vendors should be able to provide you with a copy of the ‘terms and conditions’ of the policy.  The terms and conditions will outline exclusions and conditions that guide the policy.

In closing, consider your cargo insurance much like a parachute carried in an aircraft.  No one really thinks about the quality until they need it.  The time to find out you are wearing the lowest of three quotes on your back should not be as you jump out of the plane.

If you have any cargo insurance questions that aren’t listed on our FAQ, use the contact form and ask or call directly 904.781.6531.