Goods-in-Transit Insurance Explained

Goods-in-transit insurance covers your consignment against loss or damage while it’s being carried by the courier. It’s one of the most important — and most overlooked — things to check before you book.

What it covers

If your item is lost, stolen or damaged while in the courier’s care, goods-in-transit cover provides protection up to the insured value. It’s separate from the courier’s general liability — which, under the haulage industry’s standard RHA Conditions of Carriage, is typically capped by the weight of the goods rather than their value — and specific to the goods being moved.

Why it matters

A same-day courier gives your item a dedicated, direct journey, which is inherently lower-risk than passing through multiple depots. But things can still go wrong, and for valuable, sensitive or irreplaceable items — contracts, medical samples, expensive parts — insurance is essential peace of mind.

What to check

• Is the courier goods-in-transit insured? (Ask directly.)
• What’s the cover level, and does it suit the value of your item?
• Is the item also tracked, so its location is known throughout?

Per item or per day?

Cover limits are written in different ways, and it is worth asking which one a courier means. Some policies set a limit per consignment; others set a limit per day, shared across every job the courier carries that day. A daily limit can be perfectly adequate, but if you are sending something valuable on a busy day it is the total that matters, so ask.

Red Eagle’s cover

Every consignment Red Eagle carries is goods-in-transit insured and tracked, nationwide. Our goods-in-transit cover has a limit of £20,000 per day across all our jobs, and we hold £2 million public liability and £5 million employers’ liability insurance.

High-value or specialist items

Because our limit is daily rather than per item, tell us the value of anything high-value or irreplaceable when you book, so we can talk it through before it is collected. Get an instant quote.