Motor Truck Cargo Insurance in Massachusetts
Motor truck cargo insurance offers specialized liability protections for cargo consignments. It may help protect transporters from being sued if something happens to their customer’s cargo.
Moreover, an increasing number of businesses are requiring that the transporters they work with carry this insurance protection. Risk managers often insist on these requirements, as a means of reducing their business’s risk if cargo is lost.
Accidents and collisions
Accidental overturning
Severe weather
What is motor truck cargo insurance?
Transporting goods comes with certain risks, and those are largely liability risks when moving customers’ goods. To protect against many of the liabilities that come with transporting customers’ goods, freight transporters in Massachusetts can get motor truck cargo insurance.
Motor truck cargo insurance offers specialized liability protections for cargo consignments. It may help protect transporters from being sued if something happens to their customer’s cargo.
What transporters in Massachusetts purchase motor truck cargo coverage?
Motor truck cargo coverage is purchased by many different Massachusetts businesses that transport customers’ goods. Coverage is generally recommended for any cargo consignment that a transporter has.
Moreover, an increasing number of businesses are requiring that the transporters they work with carry this insurance protection. Risk managers often insist on these requirements, as a means of reducing their business’s risk if cargo is lost.
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What types of cargo can be insured with motor truck cargo coverage?
Motor truck cargo coverage is used to insure goods that are moved in everything from tractor-trailers to cargo vans. It might be purchased for cargo that’s loaded onto a trailer, dump truck, cement mixer, large pickup, cargo van, or pretty much any other work vehicle.
With regard to specific types of goods that can be insured, coverage is readily available for cargos like consumer goods, industrial supplies, heavy equipment, building materials and other common items.
Coverage may also be obtained for high-value and unique cargos, such as expensive goods, live animals, artwork, collections, weapons, hazardous materials, radioactive materials, and most other uncommon items that are moved via truck. Transporters that accept these types of consignments will likely need to work with an insurance agent who specializes in motor truck cargo, however, in order to find suitable coverage.
What risks are covered by motor truck cargo?
Motor truck cargo typically protects insured goods against a range of potential risks that could lead to damaged or lost cargo. A policy might cover:
- Accidents and collisions
- Accidental overturning
- Severe weather
- Smoke and fire
- Vandalism and theft
- Highjacking
What costs are paid for by motor truck cargo coverage?
Should there be a covered loss of cargo, motor truck cargo coverage might help with most associated costs. These could include:
- Lost freight revenues
- Contractual penalties
- Settlements with customers
- Court fees and attorney fees
- Equipment relocation
- Debris removal
- Pollution cleanup
Is cargo protected when loading and unloading at docks?
Motor truck cargo coverage can extend to loading and unloading at docks (or other locations). This isn’t a universal protection, however. It’s often only found in some policies, and maybe even an add-on option when available.
An insurance agent who knows motor truck cargo well should be able to find a policy that covers the loading and unloading of cargo.
Is cargo protected when stopped during a trip?
In most cases, cargo is covered while drivers make stops related to their trips. Transporters normally don’t need to worry about drivers stopping for fuel or a break, and many policies can cover overnight stops for trips that exceed a driver’s legally allowed hours.
Personal stops, such as short detours to see family or friends, might not be covered.
A knowledgeable insurance agent can help transporters make sure overnight stops are covered, if drivers take longer regional or national tri
How are motor truck cargo premiums calculated?
The premiums for motor truck cargo policies are affected by multiple factors. Insurance companies typically look at:
- Cargo type and value
- Miles and routes driven
- Expected risks
- Recent insurance claims
An independent insurance agent can help transporters shop around, to see what projections and rates different insurance companies have.
Where can transporters in Massachusetts find motor truck cargo insurance?
For help with motor truck cargo insurance, contact the independent insurance agents at Scotti Insurance Agency. Our Massachusetts agents have assisted many businesses in the freight industry with their insurance needs, and we can certainly help you find insurance for your customers’ cargos.
