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With global trade increasing, there are lots of business opportunities for freight forwarders. But arranging the movement of goods from seller to buyer, often using multiple modes of transport, is complicated and many things can go wrong.
As a freight forwarder, you are exposed to various risks, from the incorrect release of cargo to failing to comply with customs regulations and rerouting of cargo. If you lack insurance, you could be left facing significant costs if things don’t go to plan. At Markel Direct, we offer freight forwarder insurance designed to help safeguard your finances when the unexpected happens.
Our simple quote system will ask about your business operations and build a policy around them, offering you covers that may be of interest. You can choose to buy all or just some of the covers quoted, so you will only ever pay for the cover you want.
Cover at a glance:
- Protect your income and business from legal risks
- Policies tailored specifically to the needs of your business
- Covers errors in supply chain planning and operational advice
- Legal expenses and occupational personal accident cover optional
What is freight forwarder insurance?
Freight forwarder insurance is financial protection that shields your businesses from the specific risks you face in your role arranging the transport of goods from producers to consumers. It can incorporate a number of different types of cover, including public and product liability insurance, employers’ liability protection, legal expenses insurance, professional indemnity cover and more.
When you purchase freight forwarder insurance from Markel Direct, you can take your pick from a full range of cover options.
Cover starting at
£5 a month*
*Price based on a freight forwarder requiring £1 million of public liability insurance.
Do I need freight forwarder insurance?
As a freight forwarder, you may need various types of financial protection. After all, you take on responsibility for the goods you arrange to transport on behalf of your clients. No matter how diligent you are in your approach, you can’t entirely rule out the possibility that problems will arise.
You might often be dealing with complex international logistics and relying on transport providers such as shipping lines, hauliers, freight operators and airlines to help you get the job done. Issues such as vessel rerouting and delayed customs release, for example, can result in goods arriving late. You may be liable in situations like these, posing a major risk to your finances.
The right freight forwarder liability insurance will help to protect you if problems like these arise, meaning you won’t be left out of pocket. In fact, having the right insurance in place could make the difference between your business succeeding or failing.
It’s also important to know that if you employ anyone, you’re legally required to take out employers’ liability insurance.
Example policy documents
If you have an existing policy with us, please sign in to view your policy documents.
Below you will find examples of the documents provided.
What types of insurance do freight forwarders need to consider?
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Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance covers the cost of defending your business against allegations of professional negligence (such as giving your client incorrect or wrongful advice) and any compensation or damages subsequently awarded against you. This is vital protection for transportation, distribution and logistics advisors and consultants. Insurance cover is available with limits ranging from £50,000 to £5m.
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Public and product liability insurance
Public and product liability insurance covers the cost of defending your business (including damages awarded against you if unsuccessful) if someone is injured, or their property damaged, which arises from you going about your business or supplying products. The legal fees alone could cost your business thousands of pounds. This is an important cover if you regularly deal with clients or members of the public. Limits range from £1m to £5m.
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Employer’s liability insurance
Employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement if your business has employees. It covers your business against claims for injury or illness suffered by employees arising from their employment. If your business employs staff, you need this cover. Cover for £10m.
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Legal expenses insurance
Commercial legal expenses insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided for the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.
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Directors and officers insurance
Directors and officers insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided in respect of the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.
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Office insurance
Office insurance covers your office buildings, office contents and computer equipment against accidental damage (including theft) whilst on your business premises. You can also choose to cover your business equipment (such as laptops and mobile phones) on a worldwide basis, and insure your business against loss of income and/or additional trading expenses following events such as damage to your property.
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Occupational personal accident insurance
Occupational personal accident insurance provides a weekly payment if you are unable to work due to temporary total disablement (subject to a 14-day deferment period) due to an accident at work, or when travelling to and from work. In the event of loss of limbs, sight, speech, hearing, permanent total disablement or death, a lump sum would be paid out. You should consider this cover if you would struggle to maintain an income following an accident that left you unable to work. Limits from £100/week to £500/week for temporary total disablement (£25k lump sum to £100k lump sum for permanent total disablement).
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Cyber and data risks insurance
Cyber insurance pays the costs of restoring data and equipment, informing clients, meeting ransom demands and loss of your net profit following a cyber-attack. It also pays your legal defence costs and damages you are legally liable to pay to other parties. If you hold confidential information about your clients and their projects on computers and other internet connected devices, you should consider to this cover.
How it works
Choose the cover you require
Get a quote you need in minutes
Buy online or contact one of our advisors
How much does freight forwarder cost?
At Markel Direct, we offer freight forwarders insurance from £5 a month* for £1 million worth of public liability cover. When it comes to insurance, the cost of your policy will vary depending on;
- The size of your business - your turnover and whether you have any employees
- The level of cover you choose
- The types of projects you work on and the equipment you use.
*Price based on a freight forwarder requiring £1 million of public liability insurance
Ready to build your quote?
Our simple quote process will help you to find the right business insurance for your individual needs.
Frequently asked questions
These frequently asked questions are designed to help you and include questions relating to policy cover, pricing and ‘technical’ terms.
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I need professional indemnity insurance to secure a contract - do you provide proof of cover?
Yes. If you purchase your policy with us, your documents are emailed to you instantly and include a dedicated 'Confirmation of Liability Insurance' document (detailing the cover you have with us) which you can present to agencies and clients as proof of cover.
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Is my past work covered?
We cover past work if you have held professional indemnity insurance uninterrupted prior to arranging your policy with us.
If there was a period of time where you did not have professional indemnity insurance in force (for example, you have never arranged professional indemnity insurance before, you chose not to renew a previous policy or you cancelled a previous policy at the end of a contract) we are unable to cover past work.
If you require further clarification, don't hesitate to call us on 0800 640 6600.
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What's the difference between professional indemnity and public liability?
Professional indemnity insurance covers against allegations of professional negligence - which means it would cover you if you were to make an error or mistake in a piece of work (such as a project or report) for a client.
Public liability insurance covers against allegations of injury or illness caused to third parties by your negligence. This includes many of the slips, trips and falls that are associated with personal injury claims. In addition, public liability insurance covers against damage to third party property - for example, if you were to damage a client-owned laptop or smartphone.
As they insure against different scenarios, it's important you consider arranging both types of cover to ensure you are properly protected.
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What limit of cover should I choose?
Many clients and industry bodies with regulatory requirements will require you to have a minimum level of cover for you to undertake a contract, so it's worth checking this before you arrange cover. If you're unsure, give some thought to a worst-case scenario and the likely costs involved in putting your mistake right. We offer a range of limits on insurance, so you're sure to find the right cover for your business.
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Why should I choose Markel Direct's Insurance
Markel Direct has over 25 years of experience insuring contractors, consultants and self-employed professionals. We insure over 200,000 micro businesses and are highly rated by our customers at Feefo.com.
We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s of London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023
To talk about your insurance requirements and better understand our cover, call us on 0800 640 6600 or get a quick quote online.
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How are Markel Direct regulated?
Markel Direct is a trading name of Markel International Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Find out more on the Financial Services Register.
We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s of London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023
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