Insurance in the auto transport industry is standard operating procedure for every single auto transport company out there. It’s required by federal law – as long as your vehicle is loaded onto an auto transportation carrier, it will be insured by the carrier’s insurance policy. Of course, like with anything else, auto transport insurance comes with some fine print, and since not everyone actually reads the fine print, it’s up to us to dispel some of the more common myths associated with auto transportation insurance and give you the truth about it.
Auto transport insurance is required…but only so much
Auto transportation insurance may be a requirement, but how much insurance that an auto shipper can have is pretty slim. Every auto transport company has to carry enough cargo insurance to ensure full coverage should something catastrophic happen to the vehicles on the truck, which of course is rare. Insurance policies are provided by a number of different companies, so keep that in mind too.
Auto shippers have to give you a copy of their insurance policy if asked
This is something a lot of people don’t know – if you ask for a copy of your carriers’ auto transportation insurance, they are required by law to provide it. They are also required by law to carry it with them at all times, specifically so they can give it to you. Make sure to ask for it, and if they don’t give it to you or give you some BS excuse, call your representative and tell them what’s going on – it’s likely the carriers’ insurance has expired if they’re avoiding give you the information.
Household goods are NOT insured
This is a no-brainer, but it’s something we’re going to repeat for you because we need to say it as often as we can: if you choose to put household goods in your vehicle (which is kind of illegal, but a lot of people get away with it and it is on the carrier to make sure they’re not transporting anything they shouldn’t be), it will not be insured by the carrier’s insurance. This is an important distinction to make: if you do put goods in your vehicle, put them in the trunk, out of sight and out of mind.
Insurance policies vary by company
Some auto shippers are just plain better than others. While only comprehensive cargo insurance is required, many carrier companies will carry additional insurance to help better protect their customers from harm should the worst arise. Plus, better policies tend to equal better coverage for the minor damages that can occur, like dings and dents from being transported across the country. This shouldn’t have any impact on your price, but keep in mind that policies vary by company. It’s always best to get a copy of any potential shippers’ insurance policies before you book with them.
These are just a few tips regarding auto transportation insurance, though they should help give you a good idea of what you’re looking at come transport time. Insurance can alter your auto transportation price, but generally it’s included in the total that you get from your shipping company. Every auto transport broker is required to keep insurance certificates for the carriers they use on file, and you can always request a copy from them – it’s public knowledge, after all, and if they have expired insurance certificates for carriers that they are actively using they can get in big trouble. Give us a call at 800-930-7417 for more information, and fill out our free online quote request form to get a free quote to ship your vehicle today.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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