Ocean & inland marine
Global trade.
Personal commitment.
We insure billions of dollars in goods moving by sea, air, and truck, and held in warehouses. Our clients include businesses shipping hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise.
Wholesale. Manufacturing. Distribution.
Major shippers.
Specialist knowledge.
We serve large wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, and importers, including medical supply distributors, some of the largest Amazon sellers, and manufacturers supplying major retail chains.
Ocean & air freight
International shipments from overseas suppliers to their destination, with attention to when your responsibility begins and ends.
Domestic transit
Truck movements, transfers between facilities, and customer deliveries. We examine protection for the goods themselves, beyond a carrier’s liability.
Storage & fulfillment
Owned and third-party warehouses, distribution centers, and fulfillment locations, including seasonal peaks and inventory awaiting sale.
Medical & specialty goods
High-value and sensitive products need accurate descriptions, suitable valuation, and review of handling and temperature-related exposures.
Transit and storage, together
Coverage should follow
the inventory.
Goods can pass through factories, ports, trucks, and warehouses before reaching the customer. We examine the insurance at each stage, including storage and transfers between carriers.
Where suitable, a stock-throughput policy combines transit and storage in one marine program. Coverage can extend to inventory awaiting sale, subject to the agreed start and end points.
For eligible stock, this can offer broader terms and substantial savings over separate cargo and property policies. We compare the wording, deductibles, and cost, and coordinate the inventory cover with the remaining property insurance.
Direct market access
Capacity for major
cargo and stock values.
We work directly with many of the largest national and international insurance markets, arranging substantial cargo and warehouse limits, including high catastrophe limits where available.
Limits must reflect the largest shipment, peak warehouse stock, and values that could be affected by a single event. We separately review flood, windstorm, earthquake, deductibles, and aggregate limits.
A high overall limit will not compensate for an inadequate sublimit.
Where policies fall short
Cargo theft.
Coverage gaps that matter.
We frequently find insufficient transit or storage limits, incorrectly described goods, and unnecessarily expensive placements. Some businesses are paying too much and still carrying substantial uninsured exposures.
Truck hijacking, stolen trailers, fraudulent pickups, and diverted shipments require specific attention. We examine security conditions, unattended-vehicle restrictions, and exclusions for deception or voluntary parting.
Limits at the point of loss
We compare shipment and location limits with actual peak values, including goods accumulating at ports, warehouses, and fulfillment centers.
Ownership & classification
We check the goods, operations, territories, and sales terms so coverage follows your financial interest and contractual responsibilities.
Valuation & restrictions
We review the basis of settlement, freight and duties where applicable, deductibles, sublimits, and loss-specific exclusions.
Storage & handling
We examine third-party locations, loading and unloading, returns, and any special packing or temperature requirements.
Claims advocacy
Millions recovered.
Claims pursued with resolve.
Our work has helped clients recover millions of dollars in cargo and inventory losses.
We help document the loss, substantiate values, meet reporting requirements, and present the claim to the insurer. When issues are disputed, we pursue the relevant wording and supporting evidence.
Trust between the client, broker, and insurer matters. Accurate information and established relationships help us work through difficult claims and press for a fair resolution.
After the loss
After a loss,
protect the renewal.
We help clients strengthen carrier vetting, pickup procedures, security, and other loss controls. We then present those improvements to underwriters at renewal.
This has helped us retain coverage after large losses. Some accounts have renewed with little or no premium increase, depending on the improvements made and the insurer’s assessment.
We work best with clients who are candid with us and committed to reducing losses. They can expect us to remain involved in the coverage, the claim, and the work that follows.
A closer look at your program
Put your cargo coverage
under review.
Send us your policies, shipping values, and warehouse schedule. We will examine where coverage begins and ends, whether limits are adequate, and how the program could be improved.
IF Insurance 