Identify whose property is on the load
Owned inventory and a customer’s freight create different insurance questions. Record who owns the goods, who bears the risk of loss, and when a transport or storage agreement transfers responsibility.
The policy file
Follow the exposure into the wording.
An insurance category is a starting point. The review connects what happens to a shipment with the actual terms of the policies.
Inland marine
Inland marine is a category of property insurance that can address movable property and goods in transit. The particular cargo, equipment, or bailee form matters more than the category name.
Read beyond the cargo limit
Ask how the form values the shipment and treats theft from an unattended vehicle, temperature changes, loading, and temporary storage. A limit on the declarations does not answer those questions.
Keep the warehouse in the conversation
Inventory at a fixed location may need commercial property coverage. A transit form should not be assumed to cover long-term storage, and a warehouse policy should not be assumed to follow every shipment.
What to have at hand
- Types of goods and highest expected shipment value
- Owned freight versus property held for customers
- Storage locations, stops, routes, and transport agreements
- Cargo forms, endorsements, deductibles, and prior loss information
Commercial auto
Commercial auto addresses vehicle-related liability and, when selected, physical damage to covered vehicles. Insurance for the truck does not establish insurance for the freight inside it.
Reconcile the actual fleet
Compare the current vehicle schedule with what dispatch uses. Owned trucks, rented replacement vehicles, and employee vehicles used for business can need different treatment under the policy.
Describe the work behind the mileage
Delivery radius, commodities, parking, driver arrangements, and changes in routes give context to the vehicle list. Tell the procurement team when the operation changes instead of waiting for renewal.
Separate liability from vehicle damage
Review liability limits alongside collision and comprehensive selections, deductibles, and covered-auto designations. Then check cargo separately and identify which agreement governs contracted hauls.
What to have at hand
- Vehicle schedule and ownership or leasing arrangements
- Driver roster, business use, and normal operating radius
- Shipper agreements and hired or subcontracted transport
- Current auto forms and available loss runs
General liability
General liability can address covered third-party injury and property-damage claims arising from business operations or products. It is not a blanket policy for inventory, vehicles, or contractual promises.
Account for visitors and loading activity
A delivery driver entering a warehouse and a customer alleging damage from a supplied product raise different issues. Describe both the premises and the products sold when preparing a submission.
Read customer and landlord requirements
Vendor agreements and leases may ask for additional-insured status or particular wording. Compare those requests with the endorsements attached to the policy; a certificate alone does not rewrite coverage.
Watch the boundaries between forms
Damage to property in your care, custody, or control can be restricted. Auto-related allegations and the cost of replacing your own defective goods also need a separate reading of the relevant exclusions.
What to have at hand
- Description of products sold and any importing or repackaging
- Warehouse leases and customer insurance requirements
- General liability forms and additional-insured endorsements
- Details of handling, installation, or other work beyond delivery
Build a policy reading file.
A complete review needs the forms that change coverage, not just the page that summarizes it. Gather these documents before comparing a proposal with the current account.
- Declarations and schedules identifying property, locations, and vehicles
- Policy forms, exclusions, and every attached endorsement
- Customer, warehouse, or transportation insurance requirements
- Certificates and the endorsements intended to support them
California Department of Insurance: commercial insurance guide