Why Compare Goods In Transit Insurance?
Van Policies Miss The Cargo
Motor insurance protects your vehicle in an accident, not the cargo on board. Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who arrange standalone Goods in Transit (GIT) cover for couriers and owner-drivers every day.
Contract Requirements Vary Widely
Delivery networks and business clients can set their own minimum cover in their contracts. Check the figure before you compare, so every quote meets it.
Sum Insured Tiers Are Not One-Size-Fits-All
A policy with a low per-item limit could leave you paying for a high-value item yourself. Clean Green Cars introduces you to brokers who can match the sum insured to the loads you actually carry.
Goods In Transit Insurance At A Glance
- Your goods in transit policy covers the cargo itself, usually against loss, theft and accidental damage while it's in your care.
- Your motor policy is for the vehicle. It doesn't usually cover the goods you carry for customers, so the two policies do different jobs.
- Your sum insured should cover the most you carry at any one time. Check whether the limit applies per vehicle, per load or per item.
- Your parcel network or commercial customer may ask to see a GIT certificate before you can run their routes.
What Is Goods In Transit Insurance?
Goods in transit insurance covers the goods you carry if they're lost, stolen or damaged on the way. It protects the load, not the vehicle, so it sits alongside your motor policy rather than replacing it.
Couriers usually buy it for the parcels and goods they carry for customers. It can also cover your own stock if you move it by road.
What It Usually Covers
- Theft: goods stolen from your vehicle, subject to the policy's security conditions.
- Loss or damage: goods lost or damaged while they're being transported, for example in an accident.
- Loading and unloading: goods in your care while you load and unload them, where the policy includes it.
- Overnight: goods left in the vehicle overnight, where included, usually only if you park where the policy says.
What It Doesn't Cover
- Your vehicle: it doesn't cover your van or car. For that, you need motor insurance with hire and reward, the use class for paid deliveries.
- Short-term van cover: if you only need a van covered for a few days, temporary courier van insurance is a separate product, sold separately from the annual quotes on this page.
- Some goods: policies often leave out certain goods, such as cash and dangerous goods, so tell the insurer exactly what you carry.
The main exclusions are listed under What May Not Be Covered below.
Do I Need Goods In Transit Insurance?
You're likely to need it if you're paid to carry goods that belong to someone else. Your courier van or car insurance covers the vehicle, not the goods inside it.
- Parcel and Multi-Drop Couriers - you deliver other people's parcels on a round. For the van itself, see parcel delivery van insurance.
- Contract Requirement - a delivery network, platform or business client asks for proof of cover. Check its onboarding documents for the minimum amount.
- High-Value Cargo - you regularly carry items worth more than a standard per-item limit, such as electronics.
- Own Goods Transported - you move stock or samples for your own business in a van or car.
Goods In Transit And Public Liability: What Each Covers
They cover different things, so one doesn't replace the other. Goods in transit covers the goods you're carrying. Public liability pays compensation if your work injures a member of the public or damages their property, such as a customer's door frame scraped during a heavy delivery.
Many couriers choose both, because a delivery can go wrong either way: the goods get damaged, or someone gets hurt. Business clients may ask to see proof of either cover, so check any limits in your contract before you buy.
Neither covers your own vehicle, and public liability doesn't cover claims from your own employees. The courier insurance guide explains public liability for delivery drivers in more detail.
Cover Levels Explained
Goods in transit policies differ most on the points below, so check each one when you compare quotes.
| Cover Feature | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Sum insured | The most the policy pays out. Check whether it applies per vehicle, per load or per item, and set it to the most you carry at any one time. |
| Per-item limits | Many policies have a lower limit for any single item. Declare anything worth more before you carry it. |
| Basis of cover | All-risks cover responds to more causes of loss than a policy that only lists named events, though exclusions still apply. Check which one you're quoted. |
| Your contract's liability limit | Your contract may limit what you owe a customer for lost goods, for example by weight. Your policy's limit is separate, so check both. |
| Transit to and from storage | Cover typically applies while goods are on the vehicle, not while they sit in a static warehouse or storage facility. |
| Claims settlement | The policy wording sets how a lost or damaged item is valued, up to the sum insured and after any excess. Check it before you buy. |
Extras such as loading and unloading cover, overnight cover and European cover vary by insurer and policy, so check what's included in each quote.
Policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers.
Tip: The Road Haulage Association's Conditions of Carriage are for its members. Where they're properly part of the contract, they limit the carrier's liability for goods lost, wrongly delivered or damaged to £1,300 per tonne, unless agreed otherwise with the customer. Light parcels can be worth far more than that, so tell your broker what the goods are actually worth.
What May Not Be Covered
Every goods in transit policy has exclusions, and they vary between insurers. These are common ones to check in the policy wording.
Standard Exclusions
- Cash, Bullion and Negotiable Instruments - Cash, bullion, deeds, securities and precious metals are often excluded on standard GIT policies. A specialist policy may be needed if you regularly carry these.
- Hazardous Goods and Substances - Hazardous goods, explosives and flammable liquids are often excluded, or need to be declared and accepted by the insurer before you carry them.
- Unsuitable Packaging by the Sender - Losses caused by packaging that was inadequate or unsuitable when the sender handed the goods to you are typically excluded. The packaging condition at collection is a key factor at claim time.
Important Limitations
- Unattended Vehicle in a Non-Declared Location - Overnight goods left in a vehicle parked somewhere other than a declared secure location can see cover restricted or excluded. Always confirm what counts as a declared location in your policy schedule.
- Goods Carried Outside the Declared Territory - Cargo carried outside your stated territorial limit, such as a cross-border run not declared to the insurer, may not be covered. Confirm European cover before taking any international work.
- Per-Item Value Limits - Many standard policies set a lower limit for any single item. If you carry electronics, jewellery or other high-value goods above that limit, they may need to be declared and accepted separately.
Optional Extras Worth Adding
Miss cargo cover for a specialist shipment and one transit loss could exceed your sum insured. These optional extras could be worth adding.
May help lift the sum insured above your standard per-vehicle limit for higher-value consignments, subject to insurer acceptance and any additional security requirements stated in the policy.
May be available for occasional loads that sit above the standard per-item limit, such as specialist electronics or time-critical goods, subject to prior declaration and insurer acceptance.
May be needed if you carry goods abroad. Check the policy covers the countries you drive in, and ask whether it covers your liability under the CMR convention on international road haulage.
May be available where goods are held on a parked trailer awaiting delivery rather than only while in active transit, subject to secured-location requirements and declared values agreed with the insurer.
May suit operators running more than one vehicle who want a single GIT policy covering all vehicles in one place, depending on the terms of your fleet arrangement and insurer acceptance criteria.
What Affects The Cost Of Goods In Transit Insurance?
Underestimate your cargo value and a single theft could cost far more than the premium saved. There's no set price for goods in transit cover, so here are the key factors that could affect yours.
| Key Factor | Impact on Your Price |
|---|---|
| Sum insured per vehicle | A higher per-vehicle limit increases the premium, particularly where you regularly carry high-value consignments. |
| Type of goods carried | General parcels usually rate lower than electronics, pharmaceuticals or fragile specialist goods, which attract closer underwriting scrutiny. |
| Vehicle type and number of vehicles | Cars and small vans typically rate lower than 3.5-tonne vans or larger trucks. See fleet insurance if you run multiple vehicles. |
| Annual turnover or mileage | Higher usage and turnover can increase your exposure, which feeds into the rated premium a broker may offer. |
| Claims history | Previous cargo losses, theft claims or declined claims can influence the quote you receive from specialist brokers. |
| Vehicle security | Approved alarms, immobilisers, tracking and secure overnight parking can help reduce the rate a broker is able to offer. |
| Territorial scope | Adding European cover or occasional overseas routes increases the premium compared with UK-only cargo cover. |
| Driver experience and age | Drivers with longer commercial experience are often viewed more favourably by underwriters pricing GIT risk. |
| Voluntary excess level | A higher voluntary excess usually reduces the annual premium but increases your share of any cargo claim. Check the excess for each type of claim, not just the first figure shown. |
| Platforms and contract requirements | Network contracts that specify higher sums insured drive the cover level needed, which in turn affects your price. |
The quotes you get will depend on your own details.
Price Insight: Tell the insurer or broker what your largest typical consignment is worth, and how often you carry one. When you line quotes up, compare them on the same sum insured, per-item limit, basis of cover and excess, and check that loading, unloading and overnight storage are included if you need them. A lower price that leaves those out isn't a saving.
Ways To Keep Goods In Transit Insurance Costs Down
Declare Your Goods Profile Accurately
Give your broker a clear picture of what you carry, how often and what a typical load is worth. Insurers tend to rate unknown risk more cautiously than a well-described one, so detail helps.
Invest In Vehicle Security
Thatcham-rated alarms, trackers, deadlocks and secure overnight parking can all influence the quote. Keep fitting certificates handy so your broker can pass the detail to the insurer.
Consider A Higher Voluntary Excess
Taking a slightly higher excess can reduce the annual premium, provided you are comfortable carrying that first layer of a cargo claim yourself if one arises.
Combine GIT With Your Hire And Reward Policy
Where a specialist broker places your motor hire and reward and GIT cover together, admin is often simpler and pricing may be more competitive at renewal than buying each separately.
Review Your Sum Insured Each Year
If your typical loads change, update your sum insured rather than rolling the same figure forward. Under-insurance can lead to reduced claim payouts, while over-insurance means paying for exposure you do not carry.
Compare At Renewal Every Year
GIT prices can shift at renewal. Don't auto-renew without checking the market. Get quotes above to see whether a fresh comparison brings a lower price for the same cover.
Saving Tip: Compare quotes above at every renewal rather than rolling the same policy forward. Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who arrange goods in transit cover for couriers and owner-drivers every day and can shape a sum insured around your actual goods profile.
How To Compare Goods In Transit Insurance Quotes
Getting goods in transit cover matched to your load usually takes a few minutes. Get started above when you are ready.
Work Out Your Typical Cargo Value
Start at the top of this page by working out the value of the largest single consignment you are likely to carry at any one time. This sets the realistic starting point for the sum insured.
Enter Your Vehicle And Driver Details
Enter your registration, make, model, security details and where the vehicle is kept overnight. Specialist brokers will ask about vehicle type, age and driver information.
Declare Your Journey And Territory Profile
Confirm whether you work UK-only or run European routes, and whether you do multi-drop, long-distance or mixed delivery patterns. Declaring this up front helps avoid cover gaps later.
Compare Specialist Broker Quotes
Specialist brokers who handle GIT review your cargo profile and return prices. Compare sum insured, territorial limits, per-item caps and overnight conditions before deciding.
Check Policy Documents Before You Load
Once the policy is in force, read the schedule to confirm declared locations, claims notification rules and any tracking or security requirements tied to overnight cargo cover.
What Our Expert Says
Goods in transit is where couriers most often under-insure without realising it. The van policy feels like the big purchase, but a single high-value load lost overnight can dwarf anything the motor cover would ever pay out. A common gap is assuming that a contract's liability limit, often set by weight, matches what the goods are actually worth.
A specialist broker will usually ask about your largest typical consignment, your overnight parking, and the networks you work on to set a sum insured and territorial scope that match the real risk rather than a rounded default tier. If you carry for a named network, check their onboarding documents carefully for the minimum sum insured they require.
Per-item limits are the detail that catches people out most. A policy can have a much lower limit for any single item than for the whole load. If you ever carry electronics, medical equipment or any specialist goods, get their value declared and accepted before the first load goes on the vehicle.
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
Common Goods In Transit Insurance Questions
Does My Van Insurance Cover Goods In Transit?
No. Van insurance, including basic road risk cover, is about your liability to other people and, depending on your cover level, the van itself, not the load inside it. The Road Traffic Act says compulsory motor cover doesn't have to include damage to goods carried for payment, so if you want the parcels protected, or your contract asks for it, you need goods in transit cover. Check each policy's limits and exclusions separately.
Do Parcel Networks Require Goods In Transit Cover?
It depends on the contract. Delivery networks and business clients can set their own insurance requirements, including a minimum amount of goods in transit cover. Check the onboarding documents before you buy, so the limit on your policy matches.
How Much Goods In Transit Cover Do I Need?
Enough to cover the most valuable load you carry at any one time. Add up what's on board on your busiest day, check the policy's limit for a single item, and check whether your contract sets a minimum.
Are Goods Left In The Vehicle Overnight Covered?
Overnight goods cover is sometimes included and sometimes an optional extension. Insurers usually expect the vehicle to be parked in a declared secure location, and a higher excess may apply to overnight losses depending on the policy terms.
What Does CMR Mean For International Cargo Runs?
CMR is the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. It applies to paid road haulage where the goods are collected in one country and delivered in another, at least one of which has signed up to it. It doesn't apply to journeys between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
CMR limits a carrier's liability by weight, at 8.33 units of account (an international currency measure) per kilogram, unless a higher value is declared. Tell your broker about any international runs and check the policy covers them.
What Happens After I Submit My Details?
Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who arrange goods in transit cover for couriers and owner-drivers every day. You can compare quotes tailored to your goods profile and buy cover directly from the broker with no obligation.
Search & Compare Quotes From UK Goods In Transit Insurance Providers
Useful Resources
- GOV.UK - Goods Vehicle Operator Guidance - Licensing rules, operator obligations and compliance guidance for goods vehicle operators.
- Road Haulage Association - Conditions of Carriage, industry guidance and member resources for road haulage and courier operators.
- Logistics UK - Policy, training and industry support for logistics and delivery operators across the UK.
- GOV.UK - Vehicle Insurance - Legal minimum cover requirements and guidance on motor insurance use classes.
- Financial Conduct Authority - Consumer guidance on insurance products and how to raise a complaint about a broker.
