Goods in transit insures the load rather than the lorry. It is bought by hauliers, couriers and any trade that moves other people's property, and it is the cover whose small print decides more claims than any other in transport.
What it covers, and against what
The policy covers loss of or damage to goods being carried, usually while in or on a specified vehicle, and often while temporarily stored in the course of transit. Cover is written either on a named perils basis, commonly fire, theft and accidental damage, or on a wider all risks basis. The distinction matters for the losses that are neither a crash nor a break in: a load that shifts, gets wet, or is simply delivered to the wrong address sits differently under the two.
The limit is per vehicle, per journey
Goods in transit limits are expressed per vehicle rather than per year, and that figure has to cover the most valuable load the vehicle ever carries, not the average. A carrier who normally moves low value freight and occasionally takes a single high value consignment is underinsured on exactly the day it matters. Where a load exceeds the standing limit, the answer is a declared increase for that journey rather than hoping the limit stretches.
The conditions that defeat claims
More goods in transit claims fail on conditions than on exclusions. Common ones require the vehicle to be locked and immobilised, to be parked in a secure compound or attended location overnight, to have an operating alarm, and to have keys removed and not left in the cab. Loads left in a vehicle overnight on a residential street are the classic declined claim. The conditions are printed and specific, and reading them shapes where a driver parks far more usefully than shopping on price.
Carriage conditions, and who is liable to the customer
Hauliers usually trade under standard carriage conditions, which limit liability to the customer by weight rather than by value. Goods in transit cover is often written to match that liability rather than the full value of the goods, which is efficient and surprising if nobody explained it. A carrier who has agreed a contract overriding those conditions has accepted a bigger liability than the policy was priced for, so a contract that mentions full value or consequential loss is worth showing to the insurer before signing.
Questions people ask about goods in transit insurance
Is goods in transit cover included with van insurance?
No. Motor cover insures the vehicle and third party liability; the load needs its own policy with its own limit and conditions.
How is the limit set?
Per vehicle, and it needs to cover the highest value load carried rather than the typical one. A one off high value consignment should be declared separately.
Why was a theft claim declined?
Usually an overnight security or vehicle condition: unattended parking outside a secure location, an alarm not set, or keys left in the cab. These are policy conditions rather than exclusions.