Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Lockton: Cargo and Transit Insurance

Lockton's Cargo & Logistics team is the broker placing cargo and marine coverage, starting from a contact form; Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance's ocean cargo guide states up to a $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile.

Embarcadero Risk brings together source-based comparisons for businesses moving people and goods.Research updated 2026-09-29

Lockton’s cargo and logistics team describes a broker placement spanning cargo in transit, motor-truck cargo, warehouse legal liability, stock throughput, perishables, and war or strike risks. BHSI’s catalog lists Ocean Cargo, Stock Throughputs and Project Cargo, with a separate Inland Marine category. Lockton publishes a broad placement menu and starts with an inquiry; BHSI identifies named carrier products and target accounts. Neither supplied comparison evidence establishes a specific buyer’s policy terms.

What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Lockton Cargo and Transit Insurance?

Placement Menu and Product Structure

Lockton lists cargo in transit, motor-truck cargo, warehouseman’s legal liability, stock throughput, deterioration of perishables, and war, strikes and terrorism risks among coverage areas it can help place. BHSI’s current catalog lists Ocean Cargo, Stock Throughputs and Project Cargo under Ocean Marine, while keeping Inland Marine separate. Lockton’s list describes placement capability, not specimen policy wording; BHSI’s catalog likewise does not promise that every product fits every risk. [7] [2]

Broker Inquiry and Target Accounts

Lockton says its Cargo & Logistics team brokers coverage and routes public engagement through a contact form, rather than a self-serve quote or bind path. Its reviewed pages do not name the insurers used for a particular placement. BHSI names target marine customers including importers/exporters, freight and logistics operators, and manufacturers. [7] [8] [2]

Insurer, Capacity and Policy Terms

Lockton’s pages do not provide cargo limits or identify a specific carrier for this placement. BHSI’s older overview gives risk-dependent marketing capacity, not the limit a buyer would receive, and its project-cargo appetite wording conflicts with the current catalog. Compare the named carrier, forms, limits, retentions, valuation, territory and commodity acceptance in written quotes. [7] [8] [3] [2]

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Lockton Cargo and Transit Insurance Quotes?

  • Which Lockton placement options apply to your operation: transit, motor-truck cargo, warehouse liability, stock throughput or another marine coverage?
  • Which carrier will issue the policy, and what commodities, transit stages, per-shipment limits, deductibles and exclusions apply?
  • For BHSI project cargo, what is the current underwriting position and policy scope?

Coverage topics

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  • coverage: BHSI's marine program lists ocean cargo, project cargo and stock-throughput coverage. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine catalog; not inland transit or proof of the policy territory. Material limitation: Policy territory and transit definitions must be checked; catalog does not itself establish global scope.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The marine catalog names importers/exporters, freight/logistics operators and manufacturers among its target customers. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine target-account list only; not Inland Marine eligibility. Material limitation: Target customer examples do not define every acceptable cargo or shipment.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: BHSI’s marine catalog distinguishes ocean marine and inland marine, and separately lists stock-throughput as an option. US BHSI catalog. Material limitation: Confirm how Spot's shared cargo-transit key maps to these distinctions before coding coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: BHSI’s Ocean Marine Cargo overview lists stock throughput, ocean/international transit, domestic transit, excess stock, logistics, and contingent cargo coverage as coverage types available. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo marketing overview marked US-12/22-A; the current marine catalog independently lists Ocean Cargo and Stock Throughputs under Ocean Marine. Material limitation: Not all types are necessarily combined or available for every insured. Domestic transit wording is not a basis to merge this line with the separately listed Inland Marine catalog. Verify current forms, exclusions, territory and issuer.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo guide states up to $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile, a $15,000 minimum premium, worldwide coverage, and primary or excess positions. U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo/STP marketing guide marked US-12/22-A; $25 million capacity expressly depends on risk profile. Material limitation: The document is dated 2022-12 and says multinational policy ability would follow in 2025; do not treat its worldwide wording or current availability as confirmed. Capacity is not an insured limit, and minimum premium is not a quote. Reconfirm current appetite and issuer.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The Ocean Marine Cargo guide describes target risks including manufacturers/distributors of finished goods, machinery and equipment, food and beverage, bulk liquids, containerized goods, and stock with balanced exposure; it lists pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos, DOL, and livestock as out of appetite. BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo/STP appetite in U.S. marketing material marked US-12/22-A. Material limitation: This is historical appetite guidance, not a policy exclusion list or current acceptance commitment. The current BHSI Marine catalog separately lists Project Cargo as an Ocean Marine product while this 2022 guide lists it out of appetite; current product-specific meaning and appetite must be reconciled with underwriting. It does not establish Inland Marine eligibility.company-reportedSource ↗

Lockton

  • role: Lockton's Cargo & Logistics team places marine and cargo coverage for companies that ship goods; it sits alongside auto, general/product liability, umbrella and workers' compensation under Lockton's broader Casualty Insurance Solutions. Lockton is the broker arranging this coverage, not the insurer. Cargo & Logistics and Casualty product pages, U.S. site, as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Lockton lists cargo and marine coverage areas it can help place, including cargo in transit, motor truck cargo, warehouseman's legal liability, stock throughput, deterioration of perishable goods, and war, strikes and terrorism risk. This is a capability list, not a specimen policy; actual terms depend on the placing insurer. Cargo & Logistics product page as read 2026-09-23. Not a summary of any one policy form.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Neither page names the marine or cargo insurers Lockton places coverage with. The carrier depends on the specific placement. Cargo & Logistics and Casualty pages checked 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: Public engagement starts as an inquiry: the Cargo & Logistics page routes buyers to a contact form rather than a self-serve quote or bind flow. Cargo & Logistics page as read 2026-09-23. No online quote tool was found for this line.company-reportedSource ↗

Source material

  1. 01
    Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage

    American Association of Insurance Services, Inc.; hosted by National Unity · Coverage and Property Covered pp.1–2; Perils Excluded pp.6–7; Valuation p.8; How Much We Pay p.9; Transit definition p.13 · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Marine

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Inland and ocean marine product list, covered property classes and target businesses; lines 18-69 · accessed 2026-09-28

  3. 03
    Ocean Marine Cargo Overview

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Two-page U.S. marketing PDF marked US-12/22-A; product types lines 14-20; ocean marine cargo appetite, capacity and placement lines 43-57; out-of-appetite and target risk characteristics lines 58-72; terms disclaimer lines 103-114 · accessed 2026-09-28

  4. 04
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Commercial Property; Inland Marine; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent · accessed 2026-09-16

  5. 05
    Shipping Options

    International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce · Export Shipping Basics; Tips on International Shipping from U.S.; Working with Freight Forwarders · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Special Documents

    International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce · Insurance Certificate bullet · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Cargo & Logistics

    Lockton · Risk management challenges intro; Wide array of experience: list of marine and cargo coverage areas (guaranteed outturn, bailees liability, motor truck cargo, carrier's legal liability, stock throughput, war and strikes risk, and more) · accessed 2026-09-23

  8. 08
    Casualty Insurance

    Lockton · Casualty Insurance Solutions list: Auto, Cargo, General & Product Liability, Umbrella & Excess Liability, Workers' Compensation; dedicated service team paragraph · accessed 2026-09-23

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