As a freight forwarder, you plan door-to-door movements by combining different modes of transport and subcontracted carriers. Where you issue your own transport document or bill of lading and assume the role of contracting carrier, you can be held liable for loss of or damage to the goods even though you did not perform the carriage. An error in documentation or a misrouting can also lead to serious financial consequences. Defining the limits of your liability correctly is therefore essential.
Forwarder Liability Insurance can bring together your liability for the goods, financial losses arising from errors and omissions, customs and regulatory penalties and third-party claims within a single structure. A policy aligned with FIATA documents and your standard trading conditions helps you maintain your contractual relationships with customers with confidence. The cover structure is shaped around the scope of the services you provide.
Who is it for?
- International freight forwarders and transport organisers
- Logistics companies issuing their own transport documents, bills of lading or FIATA documents
- Businesses providing combined and multimodal transport services
- Logistics providers offering warehousing, customs clearance and handling alongside forwarding
Scope of cover
- Liability for goods: liability for loss of or damage to cargo as carrier or forwarder
- Errors and omissions: financial losses from misrouting, documentation errors and failure to follow instructions
- Customs and regulatory penalties: fines and duty differences arising from operational errors
- Third-party liability: damage caused to third parties in the course of your operations
- Defence and survey costs: investigation of claims and legal defence expenses
- Warehousing and handling: optional extensions for liability arising from bonded and general warehouse activities
Scope of cover, limits and deductibles are determined by the insurer’s general and special conditions; the final scope is set out in the policy.
The Proxima Brokers approach
We analyse your service model, the documents you issue, your subcontractors and your standard trading conditions to clarify when you may be liable as a carrier and when as an agent. We structure and place cover accordingly, aligning the policy wording that determines the final scope with your contracts. At renewal we reflect changes in your operations, and during a claim we manage recovery actions and documentation with you.