Goods in transit insurance (GIT insurance) pays for goods that are lost, stolen or damaged while a courier or haulier is carrying them. This guide from First Choice Transportation Ltd explains what it covers, what it costs a courier, how carrier liability works, and what our own cover of £20,000 per day means when you send with us.
Office: 020 8202 2008 · WhatsApp: 07507 612919
✓ Registered company 15276847 ✓ VAT registered ✓ £20,000 goods in transit cover ✓ £2m public liability ✓ Open 24/7
Get a price in minutes
Goods in transit insurance is a policy held by the business moving the goods. It pays out if goods are lost, stolen or damaged from the moment they are collected until they are delivered, usually including loading and unloading.
It protects the goods, not people or property. Injury to someone, or damage to a customer’s premises during a delivery, falls under public liability insurance instead.
A typical policy covers:
Policies often exclude, or limit, cover for:
Every policy is different, so the terms of the courier you book are what count.
Goods in transit insurance for couriers is usually set as a limit per load, per vehicle or per day, chosen to match the value of what the courier normally carries. A same day courier carrying documents and parts needs a different limit from a haulier moving full lorry loads of electronics.
When you book a courier, the questions that matter are: what is the limit per load or per day, what is excluded, and how long do you have to report a problem.
For a courier, the goods in transit insurance cost depends on:
For a customer, it is part of the courier’s price. You do not normally pay for it separately, unless you ask for extra cover above the courier’s limit.
| Goods in transit | Public liability | |
|---|---|---|
| Protects | The goods being carried | Other people and their property |
| Example claim | A parcel stolen from the van | A door frame damaged while carrying a sofa in |
| First Choice cover | £20,000 per day | £2 million |
The two are often confused. A courier’s £2 million public liability cover does not mean your goods are insured to £2 million.
Carrier liability is what the courier agrees to pay under its terms when goods are lost or damaged in its care. It is set by the contract, not by the insurance policy, and the two usually match: the courier limits its liability to the cover it holds.
For road journeys from the UK into Europe, the CMR Convention sets a carrier’s liability by the weight of the goods unless a higher value is declared. For UK journeys, the courier’s own terms apply, so read them before booking anything valuable.
When you book with First Choice Transportation Ltd:
See our courier prices, business courier services and licences and registrations, or get a quote.
No. UK law does not require couriers or hauliers to hold goods in transit insurance, unlike employers’ liability insurance, which most employers must have. In practice most business customers and many contracts ask for it, so a courier without it will struggle to win regular work. Always ask a courier what cover it holds before booking.
Only up to the courier’s cover and its terms. Most couriers limit what they pay per consignment, or per kilo, and some exclude certain goods. If your goods are worth more than the limit, declare the value before booking and ask whether extra cover is possible, or insure the goods yourself under your own policy.
Tell the courier in writing as soon as you find the problem, within the time limit in its terms. With First Choice Transportation that is within 7 days of delivery. Keep the packaging, take photos, and send the invoice or other proof of the goods’ value. Note any visible damage on the proof of delivery when you sign.
Tell us the value when you book. Our goods in transit cover is £20,000 per day, so for anything worth more, or several valuable jobs on the same day, you may want to arrange your own cover for the extra value before the goods travel. Call 020 8202 2008 to discuss it.
