Motor truck cargo insurance, defined

For-hire trucking companies and owner-operators carry it because shippers and brokers demand a certificate before tendering a load, and because their responsibility for the freight exists under the bill of lading. It pays on the trucker's behalf, so it is a liability form, not the shipper's own property policy. Limits are set per vehicle or per load. Exclusions to read closely: theft from an unattended vehicle unless locked and alarmed, certain commodities such as electronics, tobacco or live animals, refrigeration failure unless endorsed, and loads outside the scheduled radius. Debris removal and pollutant clean-up after a spill are useful add-ons. The commodity hauled and the trucker's claims history drive the premium.