When you fill out a freight quote with us, you'll be asked to choose one of three insurance options. It's easy to skip past this section, but the option you pick genuinely changes what happens if something goes wrong in transit - so it's worth two minutes to understand the difference.
The three options
Owner's risk
Freight travels at your risk, not ours. We still take every precaution, but if it's lost, damaged or delayed, we don't carry liability for it - this suits inexpensive or already-insured goods.
Carrier's liability
Applies automatically under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 unless another option is selected. Cover is limited to loss or damage directly caused by our negligence, capped well below the actual value of most higher-value freight.
Declared value cover
You tell us what the goods are worth, we arrange insurance for that value, and the premium is added to your quote. If something goes wrong, you're covered for the real value, not a capped statutory amount.
A rule of thumb: if the freight cost is a small fraction of what the item is worth - a $300 freight charge for something worth $3,000 - declared value cover is almost always worth the extra premium. If you're shipping something low-value or easily replaced, owner's risk or standard carrier's liability is probably fine.
If you're not sure which applies to your shipment, ask us when you get your quote. We'd rather talk it through upfront than have a difficult conversation after the fact.
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