The thought of your car arriving with a dent, or not arriving at all, sits at the back of most people's minds the whole time it is at sea. Damage in transit is uncommon, and in all our years of shipping cars we have not had to rely on our marine insurance. Still, it pays to know what protects you, and most of that protection is set up before the car is collected.
Where damage can happen
A car is most at risk when it is being moved, not when it is sitting still. The points to think about are collection, loading at the port, the voyage itself and unloading at the other end.
How exposed the car is depends a lot on the method. In a container, it is strapped down behind sealed doors from loading until our own team unloads it at our site, with nobody driving it on or off a ship. On RoRo, port staff drive the car on and off and it sits in an open hold beside other cars, so it is more exposed to knocks. The usual risk there is a scuff during loading.
| Feature | Container | RoRo |
|---|---|---|
| During the voyage | Sealed in a steel box | Open hold, beside other cars |
| Driven by others | No | Yes, on and off the ship |
| Usual risk | Handling at loading and unloading | A scuff during loading |
| Unloaded by | Our own team, at our site | Port staff, at the UK port |
Our guide to how cars are loaded into a container explains the handling in more detail.
Your normal insurance stops at the port
This catches people out. Your everyday car insurance will not cover the car while it is being shipped. If something happened to the ship that resulted in a total loss, you would not be covered at all.
That is the gap marine insurance fills. It is separate from the insurance you will need to drive the car in the UK, which our guide to insuring an imported car covers.
What our marine insurance covers
Our marine insurance policy covers your car up to its full value if it is damaged in transit, and it covers a total loss. If the unlikely happens, you are paid out for the value of the car or the cost of repairing it. It is available on container, RoRo and air freight alike.
It usually costs a few percent of the car's value. Tell us you want it on the quote form and we will include it in your price.
The excess, and why small marks are different
An excess applies to minor damage. In plain terms, small damage such as a minor scuff would not be covered, while major damage or a total loss would be. Your quote tells you what the excess is, so you know where the line sits before you commit.
This is worth understanding up front, because it shapes what a claim is for. Marine insurance is there for the serious things: real damage and the car not arriving. It is not designed for a light mark that a detailer could polish out.
Read your quote for the details. We do not publish a single excess figure here, because it is set per policy. If anything about what is or is not covered is unclear, ask us before the car is collected, not after it arrives.
Photos before shipping: your best evidence
Any question about damage comes down to one thing: what the car looked like before it left. Your own photos are the clearest answer, and they cost nothing.
Photos to take before collection
0 of 8 done
Take them in good light, and do it as close to collection as you can. Our guide to preparing your car for shipping covers the rest of the prep, including the mechanical checks.
The arrival inspection
When the car arrives in the UK, a delivery inspection report is taken. That report is what gets compared with your photos from before collection. If both show the same car, there is nothing to discuss. If the report shows something new, there is now a clear before and after.
For container cars, that inspection happens at our own facility in Castle Donington, after our team has unloaded it. We are not paid by the hour to empty boxes, so nobody is rushing, and a careful unload is part of avoiding damage in the first place.
If something has happened
-
Straight away
Tell us
Let us know as soon as you see the delivery inspection report or the car, whichever comes first.
-
Next
Gather the evidence
Your photos from before collection, with their dates, alongside the arrival report.
-
Then
Check the cover
Together we look at the damage against the excess and the cover set out in your quote.
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Outcome
Repair or value
A covered claim pays out the cost of repairing the car or the value of the car.
Do not start repairs before you have spoken to us. Keeping the damage as it is, along with the photos, keeps the before and after clear.
Things that reduce the risk
- Choose a container for a valuable, classic, modified or non-running car
- Ask for enclosed collection for a valuable car
- Remove loose items, so nothing moves around inside the car
- Take the photos, every time, whatever the car is worth
For the full comparison of methods, see container, RoRo or air, and for the cover itself, our marine insurance page.
Questions people ask
Does marine insurance cover my car up to its full value?
Yes. Our policy covers the car up to its full value if it is damaged in transit, and covers a total loss. You are paid out the value of the car or the cost of repairing it.
Is minor damage covered?
An excess applies to minor damage, so small marks such as a minor scuff would not be covered. Major damage and total loss are. Your quote sets out the excess.
Will my normal car insurance cover the car while it is shipped?
No. Normal car insurance will not cover the car while it is being shipped, and would not cover a total loss at sea.
How do I prove the damage happened in transit?
With photos taken before collection, showing the whole car and close-ups of existing marks, compared against the delivery inspection report taken when the car arrives in the UK.
How much does marine insurance cost?
Usually a few percent of the car’s value. Tell us you want it on the quote form and we will include it in your price.
Want the cover included from the start? Ask for marine insurance on the quote form and we will put it in your price.
