Cargo insurance for Arkansas — protect the value of your goods everywhere they travel.
Coverage for loss or damage to your freight while it's in transit — by truck, rail, air, or ocean, across town or around the world. Cribb Insurance Group insures shippers, importers, exporters, brokers, and carriers across Northwest Arkansas and statewide, and helps you close the gap between what a carrier will pay and what your cargo is actually worth.
What cargo insurance actually is.
Cargo insurance — also called freight or transit insurance — covers physical loss or damage to goods while they're being transported. It protects the value of the shipment against fire, theft, collision, water damage, and the other hazards of moving freight, whether it's on a truck across Arkansas or a container ship across an ocean. Domestic transit is often called inland marine; international shipping falls under ocean marine cargo.
Here's the point that saves businesses the most money: if you rely on the carrier's liability, you're usually badly under-covered. A trucking company's or ocean carrier's legal liability for your freight is limited by law and contract — often to just cents per pound — and only pays if the carrier is at fault. Cargo insurance covers the full value of your goods regardless of who's at fault. Cribb Insurance Group is an independent agency based in Bentonville, Arkansas that shops cargo across many markets and structures it around how and what you ship.
What is cargo insurance?
Cargo insurance (freight or transit insurance) covers loss or damage to goods while they're being shipped by truck, rail, air, or ocean. It protects the owner's full value of the shipment — unlike a carrier's legal liability, which is limited by law and only pays when the carrier is at fault. Types include inland transit (domestic), ocean/marine cargo (international), motor truck cargo (a carrier's liability), and contingent cargo (for brokers). Coverage can be all-risk or named-perils, and international shipments use Institute Cargo Clauses (A, B, C) with risk allocated by the sale's Incoterms.
Cargo insurance vs. carrier liability — they're not the same.
These two get mixed up constantly, and the difference is expensive. One protects your goods; the other protects the trucking company. Most businesses that ship valuable freight need cargo insurance in addition to whatever the carrier carries.
Cargo / Transit Insurance
Covers your goods for their full insured value while in transit, regardless of who caused the loss. This is what a shipper, importer, or exporter buys to make sure a damaged or stolen shipment is actually made whole — not settled for pennies on the pound.
Motor Truck Cargo (Carrier Liability)
A trucking company's coverage for freight it hauls — but a carrier's legal liability is limited by law and contract, and only responds when the carrier is at fault. It's not a guarantee your goods are covered for full value. See our trucking program for carrier-side coverage.
Coverage for everyone with goods on the move.
If you own, buy, sell, ship, store, or arrange the transport of goods, you have cargo exposure the moment freight leaves the dock. These are the operations we quote most often.
Importers & Exporters
Businesses moving goods internationally by ocean or air, where Incoterms and Institute Cargo Clauses decide who insures.
Domestic Shippers
Manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors shipping goods by truck or rail across the U.S.
Motor Carriers
Trucking operations needing motor truck cargo (legal liability) coverage for the freight they haul.
Freight Brokers & Forwarders
Intermediaries needing contingent cargo to respond when a hired carrier's coverage falls short.
Warehouses & 3PLs
Distribution and third-party logistics operations with goods in storage and in transit.
E-commerce & High-Value
Parcel shippers and sellers of electronics, jewelry, and other target commodities exposed to theft.
What a cargo program includes.
Cargo coverage is shaped by what you ship, how you ship it, and where. All-risk covers any cause not specifically excluded; named-perils covers only listed causes. International shipments use the Institute Cargo Clauses (A is broadest, C is narrowest).
Core & commonly included
- All-risk transit coverage — physical loss or damage from any non-excluded cause
- Warehouse-to-warehouse — coverage from origin through to final destination
- Theft, fire, collision & water damage in transit
- General average & salvage — your share of a sacrificed-cargo loss at sea
- Loading & unloading and short-term storage in transit
- Contingent cargo — for brokers, when the hired carrier's coverage fails
Exclusions & gaps to watch
- Improper packing — damage from inadequate packaging is excluded
- Inherent vice — spoilage or defect from the nature of the goods
- Ordinary leakage, wear, and loss in weight/volume
- Delay and consequential loss
- War & strikes — added by separate clause on international cargo
- Temperature variation unless reefer / refrigeration breakdown is added
- On-deck ocean stowage limits, and rejected or contraband goods
- Under-declared shipment values (insure to full commercial invoice value)
Two ways to buy it: a single-shipment policy for a one-off high-value load, or an annual open / blanket cargo policy that automatically covers every shipment up to a limit — the right fit for anyone shipping regularly. We help you pick based on your frequency and values.
How cargo insurance is priced.
Cargo premium is driven by what you ship (commodity and theft appeal), how and where you ship it (mode and route), your total annual shipping values, and your loss history. It's commonly rated as a rate per $100 of shipped value, or as an annual policy based on projected shipments. These are general planning notes, not quotes.
| How you buy it | How it's priced | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single-shipment policy | Rate per $100 of that shipment's value | One-off or occasional high-value loads |
| Annual open / blanket cargo | Based on projected annual shipping values | Regular shippers, importers, exporters |
| Motor truck cargo (carrier) | Per truck / fleet, by commodity & radius | Trucking operations hauling freight |
| Contingent cargo (broker) | Based on brokered volume | Freight brokers & forwarders |
Commodity is the biggest single factor — general freight rates far lower than electronics, pharmaceuticals, or other high-theft "target" goods. Good packaging, tracking, and security lower the rate, and always insure to full commercial invoice value plus freight (and duty, on imports).
Shipping profile & coverage matcher.
Pick how you move goods to see the cargo coverage that fits, how carriers view the risk, and the details that move your quote — commodity, mode and route, and who bears the risk are the big three. This is general guidance, not a coverage or pricing offer.
Not sure whether you need owner's cargo, carrier liability, or contingent coverage? Tell us what you ship, how, and where — we'll structure it correctly.
How to get a cargo quote in 3 steps.
Cargo quotes come together quickly with a clear picture of what and how you ship.
Send your shipping profile
Commodities shipped, modes and routes (domestic/international), annual shipping values or typical shipment value, and any prior loss history.
We shop the cargo market
We match your commodity and lanes to cargo markets — inland, ocean, motor truck, or contingent — and compare all-risk terms and price.
Bind & ship covered
Once bound, we issue your policy or certificates of insurance so buyers, banks, and partners have proof your goods are protected.
Cargo is where "the carrier's covered" costs businesses the most.
Assuming the trucking company or ocean line will pay full value for a lost shipment is the mistake that leaves owners holding the loss. As an independent agency, Cribb Insurance covers your goods for what they're worth and reads the fine print on modes, routes, and clauses.
Owner's-interest coverage
We insure your goods for full value, so you're not stuck with a carrier's limited, cents-per-pound liability after a loss.
Domestic & international
Inland transit, ocean and air cargo, and the Institute Cargo Clauses and Incoterms that decide who insures a global shipment.
Brokers & carriers too
Contingent cargo for freight brokers and motor truck cargo for carriers — we cover every seat at the freight table.
Fast certificates
Buyers, banks, and letters of credit often require proof of cargo insurance — we turn certificates around so your deal keeps moving.
Cargo insurance FAQs.
Need a fast answer? Call (479) 286-1066 or start the cargo quote form.
What's the difference between cargo insurance and motor truck cargo?
Cargo (or transit) insurance protects the owner of the goods, covering their full value in transit regardless of who's at fault. Motor truck cargo is a trucking company's coverage for its legal liability for freight it hauls — and that liability is limited by law and contract and only pays when the carrier is at fault. If you own valuable freight, you generally want your own cargo insurance rather than relying on the carrier's.
Do I need cargo insurance if the carrier is already liable?
Usually yes. A carrier's liability is capped — for domestic interstate trucking it's governed by the Carmack Amendment and often limited by a released-value rate, and ocean carrier liability is limited by law to a low amount per package or pound. Those limits are frequently far below your goods' actual value, and they only apply if the carrier is at fault. Cargo insurance covers full value even when no one is.
What's the difference between all-risk and named-perils cargo coverage?
All-risk covers physical loss or damage from any cause that isn't specifically excluded — the broadest protection. Named-perils covers only the causes listed in the policy. On international shipments this maps to the Institute Cargo Clauses: Clause A is essentially all-risk, while Clauses B and C cover progressively fewer named perils. Broader coverage costs more but leaves fewer gaps.
Does cargo insurance cover international shipments?
Yes — ocean and air cargo insurance covers international freight, typically written under the Institute Cargo Clauses. On international sales, the Incoterms in your contract (such as FOB, CIF, or DAP) determine which party bears the risk at each stage and is responsible for insuring the goods. We help make sure the coverage lines up with your Incoterms so there's no gap in the middle of the journey.
What is general average?
General average is a maritime principle: if cargo or property is deliberately sacrificed to save a ship and the rest of the cargo — for example, jettisoning containers in an emergency — every cargo owner shares the loss proportionally, even if their own goods weren't damaged. You can be assessed a general average contribution, and cargo insurance covers it, which is one big reason ocean shippers carry it.
What is contingent cargo coverage for freight brokers?
Contingent cargo protects a freight broker or forwarder when the motor carrier they hired causes a loss and that carrier's cargo coverage fails to respond — because it lapsed, excluded the commodity, or fell short. It's a backstop that keeps a broker from being left holding a cargo claim, and it's a common requirement for brokered freight.
How much cargo coverage do I need?
Insure to the full value of the goods — generally the commercial invoice value plus freight charges, and on imports, plus duty (many policies use invoice value plus 10%). Under-declaring the value to save premium can leave you short at claim time, so the insured value should reflect what it would actually cost you if the shipment were lost.
Does cargo insurance cover theft and high-value goods?
Yes — theft is a core covered peril, and it's a major reason to carry cargo insurance, since electronics, pharmaceuticals, and other "target" commodities are frequent theft victims in transit. High-value and high-theft goods rate higher and may require security measures, but they're exactly the shipments where full-value coverage matters most.
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Insuring freight for businesses across Arkansas.
Cribb Insurance Group is based in Bentonville, AR and places cargo, transit, and marine coverage for shippers, carriers, and brokers throughout Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Bella Vista, Cave Springs, Centerton, Gravette, Pea Ridge, Lowell, Siloam Springs, and across Arkansas.
Cover your cargo for what it's actually worth.
Whether you ship a container a year or freight every day — by truck, rail, air, or ocean — Cribb Insurance can structure cargo coverage around your commodities and lanes, so a lost load doesn't become your loss.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc · 1601 SW Regional Airport Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72713 · (479) 286-1066. Coverage descriptions, cost notes, and clause references on this page are general information only and are not an offer of insurance, a coverage determination, legal or trade advice, or a guarantee of price or eligibility. Covered perils, exclusions, clauses (including Institute Cargo Clauses), Incoterms responsibilities, availability, and premium depend on the carrier, underwriting, your commodity, values, modes, routes, packing, claims history, and the terms of the policy issued. Please review your policy or speak with a licensed agent for advice specific to your shipments.