Damage to the cargo you're hauling. Required by nearly every broker contract; the line where rookie carriers leak the most premium.
Physical loss of or damage to the cargo you're transporting, from the time it leaves the shipper's control until it reaches the consignee. Standard MTC covers collision, fire, theft, and most named perils; reefer breakdown carve-back endorsements (when bound) extend coverage to spoilage from refrigeration-unit failure. Federal cargo filing (BMC-32) applies only to household-goods motor carriers — but virtually every broker-carrier contract requires $100K+ MTC regardless of commodity.
These are public-facing baselines for typical risk profiles. The intake re-derives line-specific limits based on your actual operation, contract obligations, and loss profile.
From the panel that ranks top-3 per line for your risk profile. Each carrier clears the A.M. Best A- floor; final selection is made in the piece-out matrix at quote time.
My broker said his cargo insurance covers my loads.
It might cover the shipper's interest, not yours. If you damage cargo and the broker's policy pays, the broker (or shipper) can subrogate against you. Most broker contracts contractually require YOU to carry MTC naming the broker as additional insured.
Reefer breakdown is standard cargo coverage.
It's not. Standard cargo policies exclude refrigeration-unit mechanical breakdown. The reefer breakdown carve-back is an endorsement — specifically priced, specifically bound, and not every cargo carrier writes it well (Markel and Hudson are the names that do).
$100K cargo is plenty for general freight.
For palletized dry goods, often yes. For high-value freight (electronics, pharma, retail), one truckload routinely exceeds $200K combined value. We size MTC limits to actual exposure, not to the broker's contractual minimum.
Yes — broker contracts almost universally require it, and the broker's policy doesn't protect YOUR contractual liability to the shipper. Standard limit demanded: $100K minimum.
It's a carve-back endorsement to the standard cargo policy. Requires temperature-recorder data preserved, regular reefer maintenance documentation, and the policy language must specifically read 'mechanical breakdown' (not just 'malfunction').
Auto haul requires PER-VEHICLE limits ($25K-$90K per vehicle typically) and aggregate per-load ($250K-$500K). Standard combined-limit cargo policies do not work for auto haul.
Usually yes, but with conditions — many policies require active security (driver in truck, gated yard, alarm). Unattended parking-lot theft has specific carve-outs. Read your policy's 'theft from unattended vehicle' clause carefully.
Yes — MTC covers covered perils regardless of fault. But a driver-fault theft (driver participated) or willful destruction triggers exclusions. Driver MVR / criminal history vetting is part of the underwriting conversation.
One intake. Per-line submissions to your top 3 carriers. A coordinated binder.