CMR · load · drivers
Business insurance for transport and logistics through Allianz
A haulage business insures three things at once: the vehicles, someone else's load and the people behind the wheel. Each of them has its own liability regime.
- Several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Bedrijfsverzekeringen voor transport en logistiek via Allianz.
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 for yourself what it would cost.
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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
Finass acts as an intermediary for the range of Allianz without being tied to it. We compare more than thirty companies objectively. The first question is whether you carry on your own account or for third parties. If you carry only your own goods, it is about the property itself and own goods in transit insuranceis appropriate. If you carry to order, it is about your liability as a carrier, see carriers' liability and the sector overview at transport and logistics.
In carriage for hire and reward it is not your policy but transport law that determines how far you are liable. For cross-border road transport the CMR Convention applies, for domestic carriage usually the AVC conditions. Both work with liability limited per kilogram of load damaged or lost. If the value per kilo is higher than that limit, a gap remains between what the client loses and what you owe, unless a higher value has been declared. For the load itself there is goods in transit insurance.
The third layer is the the fleet and the driver. Tractor units, trailers and vans fall under the insurance obligation in Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) and are bundled on a fleet insurance. Injury to a driver in traffic does not fall under ordinary liability cover; separate employer's cover exists for that, see WEGAS and WEGAM.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on SME insurance package.
Where load claims break down
Four situations in which a haulier thinks they are covered and are not.
Parking in an unguarded place
Theft of a complete trailer or of pallets happens while the vehicle is stationary. Policies therefore impose parking clauses: driving up to a certain number of hours, stopping only in lit or guarded places, or a requirement that the driver stays with the vehicle. If those are not met, there is no payout or a heavily reduced one, even where the locks were genuinely forced.
Temperature and refrigeration
Spoilage of chilled or frozen loads is only covered with refrigeration cover, and even then often subject to a requirement for working temperature recording. Failure of the refrigeration unit through a defect falls under inherent defect of the vehicle, and a thermostat set incorrectly is an operating error. Without a log file, a claim cannot be substantiated.
Delay and consequential loss
If the consignee misses a production slot or a place on the shelf because of a late delivery, that is pure financial loss. Under CMR the compensation for delay is limited, and consequential loss suffered by the client is excluded as standard on the liability policy. Customs charges, import duties and fines for incorrect documents also remain outside the cover.
Inherent defect of the load and the packaging
Goods offered for carriage already damaged or inadequately packed remain at the consignor's expense. Under CMR and AVC those count as grounds for exemption. So make a note on the consignment note where there are visible defects. Without one, the load is assumed to have been received in good condition.
What does your premium depend on?
- Type of transport: own-account carriage, carriage for hire and reward, or freight forwarding
- Nature of the load: bulk, general cargo, electronics or temperature-controlled
- Area of operation. Benelux, Western Europe or beyond
- Composition of the fleet: the number and type of vehicles on one contract
- Security and storage: a secured yard, alarms and tracking systems
- Claims record: the history of the fleet and of load claims
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered on your vehicles
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Your tractor unit runs into the back of a car and writes it off | Yes | Yes |
| Your own trailer is damaged in a single-vehicle accident on a roundabout | No | Yes |
| A van burns out overnight in your secured yard | No | Yes |
| Damage to a flyover because your driver goes under it with the load too high | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of the complete tractor unit from an unguarded parking area abroad | No | Provided that |
| Your driver is injured in an accident that they caused themselves | No | No |
The load in the trailer follows a regime of its own and is separate from the cover on the vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Why is CMR not load insurance?
CMR governs the carrier's liability and limits it per kilogram. Carrier's liability insurance follows that liability. The owner of the goods may therefore recover less than the true value. Anyone who wants their load fully covered takes out goods in transit insurance on the property itself, regardless of who is at fault.
What if I subcontract work to a charter operator?
You then remain liable to your client for performance. If something goes wrong at the charter operator, you have to recover from their insurer and you depend on their cover. So record which conditions apply and ask for a valid certificate of insurance before you subcontract the journey; check their territorial limits at the same time.
Is injury to my driver covered on the fleet policy?
Not automatically. The third-party liability cover under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) relates to damage to others, and the driver is not an injured third party. As an employer you can be liable under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code and the case law on taking part in traffic. Separate cover exists for employers' liability in traffic, possibly supplemented with road accident cover for employees.
What about a load standing temporarily in a warehouse?
Transit cover runs from collection to delivery. If a consignment stands still for longer during transhipment or storage, a stay period or separate storage cover is needed; see warehousing and storage. If you store third-party goods professionally, your liability as a warehouse keeper also comes into play, which is governed differently from that of a carrier.
Read more
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