Actual value
- Not capped per kilogram
- Regardless of who is liable
- Including freight and costs
ADR · environment · certification
Goods in transit insurance for hazardous substances
In ADR carriage the cargo is rarely the largest item of loss; clearing up, soil remediation and the disruption you cause in the surrounding area are.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Transportverzekering voor gevaarlijke stoffen.
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The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert.nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out your own premium with the calculator.
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- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
When dangerous goods are carried, the loss spreads outwards. An overturned tanker costs you the contents, but on top of that a closed road, a pumped-out verge, a polluted ditch and sometimes an evacuated street. Goods in transit insurance pays for the cargo; everything beyond it comes under other policies or under none.
The second difference from ordinary road carriage is that the cover hangs on paperwork. ADR requires a valid driver certificate, an approved vehicle or tank, correct labelling and orange plates, a transport document with the consignment and an appointed safety adviser. Insurers adopt those requirements as conditions of cover. If it turns out after an incident that an inspection had expired or that the substance was wrongly classified, the conversation shifts to Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code and the question whether there was recklessness.
So for ADR carriage we always set three policies side by side: the goods in transit insurance for the cargo, public and employers' liability insurance (AVB) for injury and damage to third parties, and environmental damage insurance for soil, water and clean-up.
What does transport insurance for dangerous goods cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Liability
What a carrier bears at most.
- CMR: 8.33 SDR per kilo
- AVC: € 3.40 per kilo
- Rarely the actual value
Type of cover
From limited to all risks.
- All external perils
- Limited perils
- Storage in transit
What is covered
| Situation | Carriers' liability | Goods in transit |
|---|---|---|
| Damage from an accident, up to the weight limit | Yes | Yes |
| Damage above the weight limit | No | Yes |
| Theft of the cargo | Sometimes | Yes |
| Damage with no identifiable fault | No | Yes |
| Storage during the journey | No | Sometimes |
| Inherent defect or inadequate packaging | No | No |
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Clean-up and remediation are not on the transit policy
Soil or water pollution after an incident falls outside goods cover and usually outside standard liability insurance as well. There is separate environmental damage insurance for that, with a limit of its own. If the road authority or the water board holds you responsible, that runs through Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code, and for mistakes by your driver through Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code. The remediation costs can far exceed the value of the cargo.
Certification is a condition of cover, not a formality
The driver's ADR certificate, the inspection of the vehicle or tank, and the periodic inspection of tank containers all have an expiry date. Put those dates in the same schedule as your MOT and your tachograph inspection and check them before every journey with dangerous goods. An expired inspection not only makes the carriage an offence, it also gives the insurer an independent argument for disputing the claim.
Route, tunnels and mixed loading determine what is allowed
Tunnels are graded in categories that bar certain classes, and local authorities designate routes that dangerous goods may not pass through. ADR also has prohibited combinations: certain substances may not travel together on one vehicle. Record the route chosen and the combination of goods in the journey records. If the driver departs from them and something goes wrong, that is a culpable deviation and not an unlucky coincidence.
What is not reimbursed
Administrative fines, penalty payments and criminal sanctions can never be insured; they belong to breaking the rule and not to the risk. Third parties' business interruption loss, such as the turnover a neighbouring company misses during an evacuation, also falls outside standard cover. Loss arising because the substance was wrongly presented or classified is for the shipper's account and not for your policy.
What does your premium depend on?
- Class and UN numbers of the substances — Flammable liquids, gases under pressure and corrosive substances each have their own risk profile.
- Tanker carriage or packaged units — A tank that empties in one go produces a different pattern of loss from individual drums or IBCs on a pallet.
- Routes and tunnel categories — Routes through urban areas or alongside open water increase the chance of damage to the surroundings.
- Training and experience of the drivers — Current ADR certification and demonstrable refresher training count in the assessment of the risk.
- Inspection status of vehicle and tank — Valid ADR inspections and a complete maintenance file are a condition and affect acceptance.
- Chosen limit for clean-up costs — With this kind of carriage, the level of environmental and clean-up cover is the decisive choice in the premium.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
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Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Is environmental damage covered on the transit policy?
No. Goods in transit insurance pays for the cargo and not for the consequences the cargo causes outside the vehicle. For pollution of soil, water or air and for the cost of remediation, environmental damage insurance is needed, with a limit that suits the substances you carry. We always assess that limit separately from the value of the cargo.
What if the vehicle's ADR inspection has expired?
Then you are driving in breach of the rules and the insurer has an independent ground for refusing or limiting payment. Insurers make compliance with ADR a condition, and ignoring an expired inspection can be regarded as reckless conduct within the meaning of Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. So keep active track of inspection dates.
Are fines and penalty payments insured?
No, and that applies to every indemnity policy. Fines are a sanction on your own conduct; if they could be insured, the incentive to comply with the rules would disappear. A penalty payment imposed by the authorities to clear up pollution also falls outside it, although the actual remediation costs can be insured.
Who pays for clearing the road after an incident?
In the first instance the road authority or the emergency services, which then recover the costs from whoever is liable. That is usually the carrier, through Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code or through Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code for the driver's conduct. Without environmental and clean-up cover that bill lands directly with your business.
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About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.