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Inland Marine Insurance

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We offer flexible payment plans to fit any budget needs.

We offer flexible payment plans to fit any budget needs.

We've helped over 60,000 employers buy more affordable insurance coverage.

We've helped over 60,000 employers buy more affordable insurance coverage.

We shop your coverage with up to 35 national carriers.

We shop your coverage with up to 35 national carriers.

We shop your commercial insurance to save you time and money.

What is Inland Marine Insurance?

Inland marine insurance, also known as tools and equipment insurance, is property insurance for material goods in transit over land, certain types of moveable property, instrumentalities of transportation (such as bridges, roads and piers), instrumentalities of communication (such as television and radio towers) and legal liability exposures of bailee's (having temporary possession of customer property). Inland marine coverage usually applies to property kept in temporary third-party warehouses during shipping, as well.

For example, a dry cleaning business has temporary possession of customer goods, with inland marine insurance, those goods are covered in case of a loss. Another example of coverage includes tools and equipment used outside of the primary business location. Inland marine insurance will cover your tools and equipment while on your truck and at a job-site. A third example of how inland marine coverage can help your business is if you ship products in bulk or on a regular basis. Inland marine will cover delivery truck collisions and even cargo theft.




Find your lowest business insurance rates.

Find your lowest
inland marine rates

We take the time to make sure your business and employees are classified correctly and then we get to work finding the lowest rates available for your insurance coverage.

  • National inland marine specialists.
  • Licensed throughout the United States.
  • Programs for standard and tough class codes.
Compare quotes from over 35 carriers.

Compare quotes
from over 35 carriers

Once we've got your best quotes back from our carriers, we take the time to help you understand your options and take the next steps to get you covered quickly.

  • Easy billing and installment plans.
  • Pay As You Go insurance coverage options.
  • We continue to follow up after binding; our service to you never ends.

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Inland Marine Insurance
We shop your commercial insurance to save you time and money.

Why Do I Need Inland Marine Insurance?

There are five industries that typically need inland marine insurance: Construction, Transportation/Logistics, Manufacturing/Import/Export, Technology/Communications and Energy.

Industry: Includes business such as: Coverages needed:
Construction General Contractors, Subcontractors, Property Owners and Developers, Equipment Rental and Sales Builder’s Risk, Installation, Contractor’s Equipment, Rigger Liability, Equipment Rental and Sales, Associated Real and Personal Property
Transportation/ Logistics Truckers, Warehouse Operators, Third-party Logistics, Wholesalers/Distributors Carrier Logistics Choice, Shipper’s Interest, Warehouse Legal Liability, Rolling Stock, Associated Real and Personal Property
Manufacturing/ Import/Export Shipper’s Interest, Installation, Computer Equipment
Technology/ Communications Data Centers, Local Internet Providers, Broadcasters Computer Equipment, Communications Equipment, Associated Real and Personal Property, Towers
Energy Renewable Energy, Oil and Gas Servicing Renewable Energy Including Course of Construction, Contractor’s Equipment, Pipeline Equipment

Inland marine is also used to cover property that is not typically covered in standard property policies. Some of these items include Bailee's (customer property in your temporary possession), collectibles, exhibitions, fine arts, musical instruments, signs and vending machines.

If your business is covered by a BOP or CPP with general liability and property insurance then you and your tools and equipment are covered, but only at your place of business (or other specified location on your policy). If you do business off-site, in people’s homes or businesses, for example, your tools and equipment are not covered there. If your employee leaves an expensive tool at a job-site and it is stolen, without inland marine, it will not be covered by any insurance. If you ship products to customers or vendors, you want to protect your shipments while in transit. Once it leaves your place of business the shipment is no longer covered by GL and must have inland marine coverage in the event of an incident. Who will pay for lost goods if the truck driving your shipment is in a collision or is the victim of theft while the driver is at a truck stop? Certainly, not your customer or vendor, and delivery services typically have low limits of liability (UPS starts at only $100). This is especially important if you ship high-value products such as computer or medical equipment.

What Does Inland Marine Insurance Cost?

Inland marine coverage costs vary widely depending on the property being covered. Some factors that will affect your premiums include:

  • Size of your business.
  • How much coverage you want/need.
  • What, if any, state requirements you must meet.

The best way to understand the cost and value of inland marine insurance is to talk to an Insurance Shop specialist. We have several experts specializing in inland marine who will work with you to understand how much coverage you need and will get you a fast quote from one of our many carriers.

What are Common Inland Marine Claims?

The two most frequent causes for claims are collisions and cargo theft. Burglary and theft make up 20 percent of all small business claims according to The Hartford. Collisions are fairly common as well and often the cargo being transported is either damaged or late for its delivery—both can be very costly scenarios. In 2011, there were nearly 5.5 million commercial vehicle collisions in the United States, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Of those, 270,000 of those collisions represent large trucks (defined by DOT as a truck with a gross vehicle rating greater than 10,000 pounds).

The FBI reports the value of cargo property stolen and recovered every few years. In 2015, the total value of cargo stolen was almost $28 million; only $5 million was recovered. Such cargo included in this data are building materials, computer hardware, garden equipment, merchandise, trailers and tools.

How Can I Reduce my Risk?

The best way to reduce the risks associated with inland marine perils is to work closely with an experienced agent to identify the risks specific to your business and make sure they are covered in your plan. After assuring you’re covered properly, taking simple precautions such as correctly packaging goods, hiring reputable delivery services and keeping checklists of tools and equipment off-site, will help reduce the number of your claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why is it called inland marine insurance if it doesn’t have to do with water?
  2. Before there was inland marine insurance, there was just marine insurance, which covered shipped cargo by sea. When highways and railways became prevalent the marketplace began shipping goods across land via train and truck, raising the need for marine insurance to cover goods inland as well. Thus was born, inland marine insurance.

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Whether you are looking for the best coverage or to save more money over your current policy, our fast and friendly service staff is always here to help. As we work with numerous carriers across the United States we can offer more products at the best competitive rates. We at The Insurance Shop don't stop there, we also have a highly trained and experienced customer service team who guide and support you both before and after you've obtained your coverage.

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