Ask any drayage carrier for a certificate of insurance and you will have one in your inbox within the hour. It is a standard ACORD form, one page, mostly boxes. Most shippers glance at it, confirm it exists, and file it. That is a missed opportunity, because the form tells you a fair amount about who you are about to hand a container to.
What a COI is and is not
A certificate of insurance is a summary. It is evidence that policies existed on the date it was issued. It is not the policy, it does not modify the policy, and it does not grant you any rights under the policy on its own. The form says so, in small print, at the bottom.
What it does give you is a set of facts you can verify: which carrier is insured, by whom, for how much, and through what dates.
The lines that matter
Named insured
Check that the name on the certificate matches the legal entity you are contracting with, exactly. A certificate for “ABC Logistics LLC” does not cover moves performed by “ABC Trucking Inc.” Mismatches are sometimes innocent and sometimes not, and either way they are worth a question.
Automobile liability
Covers bodily injury and property damage caused by the truck. Federal minimum for general freight is $750,000; the working standard shippers ask for is $1,000,000 combined single limit. Hazmat moves require substantially more — $5,000,000 for certain commodities. If you ship hazmat containers, this line is not a formality.
Cargo legal liability
Covers the goods while in the carrier’s care. $100,000 per occurrence is the common drayage figure. Read that number against what is actually in your containers. A container of electronics or pharmaceuticals can easily exceed it by a multiple, which is exactly when your own marine cargo policy matters — see how the two layers work together.
Also worth asking about: the deductible, and whether the policy has exclusions for unattended vehicles, theft, or specific commodities. Those exclusions do not appear on the certificate.
General liability
Covers incidents at premises and operations that are not the truck itself — someone injured in the carrier’s yard, damage at your dock during a non-driving operation. $1,000,000 per occurrence is typical.
Workers’ compensation
Should be present. A carrier using owner-operators may carry occupational accident coverage instead, which is different and generally narrower. Worth understanding which model the carrier runs, because it affects who is responsible if a driver is hurt on your property.
Policy dates
The single most common problem with certificates on file: they expired eleven months ago. Set a renewal reminder for every carrier you use, or ask to be listed as certificate holder so you receive updates automatically.
Verify it independently
A certificate is a PDF, and PDFs can be edited. Two free checks take about five minutes:
- FMCSA SAFER. Look up the carrier’s DOT and MC number. Confirm the authority is active, the authority type is motor carrier rather than broker, and the insurance on file is current. Check the safety rating and the out-of-service rates while you are there.
- Call the agent. The producer’s name and phone number are on the certificate. A thirty-second call confirms the policies are in force. Legitimate carriers expect this.
Beyond insurance, a drayage carrier needs port-specific credentials — TWIC cards for the drivers, UIIA registration to interchange equipment, and a customs bond for bonded moves. Our guide to drayage carrier credentials covers what each one is and how to verify it.
If the carrier is actually a broker
Brokers carry contingent cargo coverage, not primary cargo coverage. Contingent means it responds only if the underlying motor carrier’s insurance fails to. That is a meaningfully weaker position than direct carrier liability, and it is a reason to know which kind of company you are dealing with — covered in our comparison of drayage carriers and freight brokers.
A reasonable standard to hold carriers to
- $1,000,000 auto liability, higher for hazmat.
- $100,000 cargo minimum, scaled to your actual container values.
- $1,000,000 general liability.
- Workers’ compensation per statute.
- Active FMCSA authority under the same legal name.
- You listed as certificate holder, with renewal certificates sent automatically.
None of this is unusual to ask for, and a carrier that hesitates on any of it has told you something useful. Our carrier selection checklist covers the operational side of the same evaluation, and you can request our documentation any time.
Frequently asked questions
What insurance limits should a drayage carrier carry?
Federal minimums for general freight are $750,000 in auto liability, but the practical market standard is $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo. Higher-value freight, hazmat, or shipper requirements often push those higher. Check what your own contracts and your cargo value actually require.
Should I be named as a certificate holder?
Yes, request it. Being listed as certificate holder means you receive the certificate directly and, depending on the policy language, notice of cancellation. It does not by itself give you coverage – that requires being an additional insured, which is a separate endorsement.
Does the carrier’s cargo insurance replace my own?
No. Motor carrier cargo coverage is liability insurance with a per-load limit and a list of exclusions. Marine cargo insurance covers your goods on their actual value regardless of fault. For containers worth more than the carrier’s cargo limit, you need your own policy.