The freight is not your property, and that is exactly why the loss is yours.
Motor truck cargo covers the freight you are hauling while it is in your care. Shippers and brokers require it before they will tender a load, and the limit has to match what you actually carry.
Tell us the situation.
A licensed human replies the same business day — not an auto-responder, and not five producers calling at once. We shop it across our carriers and tell you if the policy you already have is the right one.
We use this to quote and service your insurance, and we do not sell it or pass it to lead networks. Privacy policy.
What motor truck cargo businesses actually need.
Freight in transit
Loss or damage to the cargo while it is on the truck — collision, fire, theft.
Without it — You owe the shipper for the value of the load directly, with nothing behind you.
Refrigeration breakdown
Spoilage when a reefer unit fails, usually as a scheduled add-on with its own conditions.
Without it — A failed reefer on a produce load is a total loss the base form excludes.
Debris removal and cleanup
The cost of clearing a spilled load from the roadway.
Without it — The cleanup bill after a spill can rival the value of the freight itself.
Where motor truck cargo shows up.
- Trucking
A damaged or stolen load is money you owe the shipper directly, with nothing behind you.
- Tow Truck & Recovery
On-hook coverage is what pays when the vehicle you are towing is damaged in transit — it is not part of your liability policy and it is the claim you will actually have.
- Tanker & Hazmat
A load of product lost in an incident is money owed to the shipper immediately.
- Refrigerated Freight
A spoiled load is the claim in this class, and without a reefer breakdown endorsement the cargo policy declines it as mechanical failure.
- Livestock Hauling
Standard cargo forms commonly exclude death of livestock except from named perils, so the loss you are most likely to have is the one written out.
- Auto Transport
A general freight cargo limit does not come close to a loaded stinger, and the shortfall is owed by you.
- Hot Shot Trucking
Brokers routinely require $100,000 of cargo before they will tender a load, regardless of your equipment.
- Box Truck & Straight Truck
Freight in the box is owed to the shipper if it is damaged or stolen.
- Last Mile & Delivery Contractors
Packages in the van are somebody else’s property until they are delivered.
- Dump Truck & Aggregate Hauling
Material lost or contaminated in transit is still owed to whoever bought it.
- Local & Short-Haul Trucking
Local freight is still owed to whoever shipped it.
- Regional & Intermediate Radius
Longer lanes mean more time in transit and more chances to lose a load.
- Long Haul Trucking
Loads are larger, longer in transit and further from anyone who can respond to a problem.
- Mobile Mechanics & Heavy Truck Repair
On-hook and in-tow coverage, where you recover or move vehicles as part of the service, because the vehicle you are towing is not covered by liability.
What motor truck cargo operators ask us.
What limit do I need?
Enough for the most valuable load you will ever carry, not the average one. $100,000 is the common default because it satisfies most broker requirements, but a single load of electronics or pharmaceuticals can exceed it comfortably. Brokers check the certificate before tendering, so an inadequate limit costs you the load as well as the claim.
Does it cover theft of the whole trailer?
Usually yes, though this is where the exclusions live and they are worth reading. Many forms restrict cover for unattended vehicles, or require specific security measures, and some exclude particular commodities outright — tobacco, alcohol, electronics and pharmaceuticals are the usual list. If you haul any of those, the schedule matters more than the limit.
Is cargo the same as the shipper’s insurance?
No. A shipper may insure their own goods, and their insurer can still come after you for causing the loss. Carrier liability for freight is set by the bill of lading and by federal law, and cargo cover is what answers that liability. Do not assume someone else’s policy protects you.