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What's your freight worth, and what are you liable for?

Two different questions with two different answers. Work out a sum insured for the goods you carry, and separately, a liability limit for what you're on the hook for if someone else's freight is lost or damaged in your care.

Goods in transit — what are the goods worth?

This insures the freight itself, regardless of who was at fault. Size it to the busiest moment, not a typical one.

$

Not one parcel's value — everything on board together at your busiest, e.g. a full multi-drop run.

%

Buffer above your peak for the occasional bigger load, or values creeping up over time (typical range 0–30%).

Peak load value
$15,000
Safety margin (15%)
$2,250
Suggested goods in transit sum insured
$17,250

Carriers liability — what limit do you need?

This caps what you are legally liable for when a customer's freight is lost or damaged in your care — a different question from what the goods are worth.

$

Your best estimate of the most expensive single consignment you'd ever be responsible for.

Self-assessed exposure
$20,000
Recommended carriers liability limit
$50,000

Standard tiers: $50,000 · $100,000 · $250,000 · $500,000 · $1,000,000 · $2,000,000.

The two together

These are two separate cover lines with different mechanics, not one number to add together. Goods in transit ($17,250) insures the freight itself. Carriers liability ($50,000) caps what you owe if you're found legally liable for someone else's freight. A load can trigger one, the other, or both at once — they don't get summed into a single figure.

General guidance only, not a quote. The arithmetic here is exact, but it is only as good as the figures you put in — we do not invent per-load-type benchmarks, because a generic number would produce exactly the underinsurance this tool exists to avoid. A licensed broker will confirm the right figures against your actual contracts and runs.

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Send us your details and we'll confirm the right sum insured and liability limit for your actual contracts.

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Goods in transit and carriers liability, explained

What's the difference between goods in transit and carriers liability?
Carriers liability responds to what you're legally liable for when a customer's freight is lost or damaged in your care — it's a limit on your legal exposure. Goods in transit insures the freight itself, regardless of who was at fault — it's an indemnity for the goods' actual value. Courier marketing uses the two terms interchangeably, but they answer different questions, and conflating them is a common way drivers end up uninsured for the thing they thought they had covered.
How do I work out what my goods in transit sum insured should be?
Size it to the highest total value of goods you'd ever have on the vehicle at one time, not a typical run. If you carry multiple parcels or drops before anything is delivered, add their values together — a single incident affects everything on board, not just one parcel.
Why insure to the peak value, not the average?
Because insurers price to the worst realistic moment, not the typical one. Declaring an average load value is a common way courier operators end up under-insured on the one day it actually matters — a full multi-drop run, or an unusually high-value consignment.
What if my contract specifies a carriers liability limit?
Use that figure — it's not something to estimate, it's a term of your contract. If it falls between two standard limit tiers, expect to round up to the next tier available, since insurers sell carriers liability in bands rather than arbitrary dollar figures.
I don't have a contract that specifies a limit — how do I choose one?
Base it on the highest single load value you could realistically be found liable for, then pick the limit tier at or above that figure. It's a starting point for a conversation with your broker, not a substitute for one — your actual exposure depends on the work you do and who you carry for.
How accurate is this calculator?
The arithmetic is exact, but it's only as good as the figures you put in. We deliberately don't invent per-load-type benchmarks — every courier's freight values and contracts are different, and a generic number would produce exactly the underinsurance this tool exists to avoid.

Want the figures done properly?

We can go through your contracts and typical runs properly and place cover that will actually hold up at claim time. 19,000+ clients, and claims handled by our own team — exactly when getting these numbers right pays for itself.

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