Goods in transit
„Your goods are properly insured”
Goods in transit are exposed to many risks, such as theft, traffic accidents, human error and deterioration. The cover starts as soon as the goods to be transported are picked in the warehouse and terminates when the goods are delivered to the addressee's storage location (‘warehouse to warehouse’).
As the transport is usually carried out by a third party, you do not have a direct influence on the security of your goods. Particularly if your organisation has very valuable goods to transport, it is well-worth taking out insurance for your goods in transit.
An example
When exiting the motorway on a journey from the Port of Rotterdam a lorry driver doesn't reduce speed sufficiently so that the heavy goods vehicle skids in the corner and crashes down the slip road embankment. The cargo in transit, a shipment of navigation equipment worth € 500,000 is scattered along the motorway verge. The assessor assigned to the case concludes that the goods are total loss. The costs of clearing up amounts to € 10,000.
The haulier cannot claim unforeseen circumstances beyond his control, (the speed limit was exceeded) and is bound to compensate the owner of the goods. however, the liability limit for domestic road transport is € 3.40 per kilogram of goods damaged or lost. As the weight of the navigation equipment transported amounted to 10,000 kilo, the haulier is only liable to pay € 34,000 in compensation to the owner of the goods.
It is clear that the owner will now suffer a substantial financial loss unless he arranged insurance cover for the goods in transit. The situation is even more critical if it transpires that the damage to the goods was not caused by driver error by is the result of unforeseen circumstances beyond his control; for example, if the driver was involved in an accident caused by another road user. In that case, the haulier is not liable at all and will therefore not pay out any compensation.
Den Hartigh Adviesgroep will ensure a solution that fits the needs of your company perfectly. We look at the goods being transported, the terms and conditions of sale and the route to be travelled.
We have developed special conditions for insuring special events such as exhibitions and trade fairs, temporary storage or storage in vehicles (a samples collection, demonstration models etc.) that take account of these specific risks. In other words, we can create a policy tailored to your needs.
The goods in transit insurance can also be used to insure certain goods for specific events such as exhibitions and trade fairs, temporary storage or storage in vehicles (a samples collection, demonstration models etc.).