Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 724952. Companies House 07014570. Cover availability and terms depend on insurer underwriting at the time of quotation.
If you operate trucks, vans, trailers or a logistics yard out of Avonmouth, Portbury, Bridgwater or anywhere along the M4 and M5 corridor, your insurance programme is doing more work than almost any other business class we place. The motor fleet sits on the V5; the Operator's Licence sits on the wall; the Goods in Transit policy sits behind every consignment note; the Warehouseman's Liability sits behind every pallet on a rack. When something goes wrong, whether a load shift on the M5 northbound, a refrigerated breakdown at a sub-contractor's yard, or a stolen curtain-sider off Smoke Lane, you find out very quickly whether your schedules were written by someone who actually understands road haulage and parcel distribution.
We act for hauliers running their own fleet, owner-drivers under another firm's O-Licence, parcel and sameday couriers in the DPD, Evri, Royal Mail, UPS and Amazon Flex sub-contractor cohort, vehicle hire operators, yard and storage operators, and lighter-end fleet maintenance workshops. Fleet motor and cargo cover are now in a properly hard market: fewer HGV underwriters quoting, tighter security warranties on theft from unattended vehicles, and shorter patience for fleets with a poor OCRS score or weak telematics evidence. This page pairs with our Fleet insurance page, Distribution & wholesale for warehouse-led businesses, and Importer & exporter for buyers whose risk sits in international cargo.
What transport & logistics insurance is
It is not a single policy. It is a programme, usually three or four contracts, assembled around the way the business moves goods, stores them, and earns from them. The motor element is regulated under the Road Traffic Act and the Operator Licensing regime. The cargo element sits under the contractual carriage terms: RHA Conditions of Carriage 2020 domestically, the CMR Convention internationally, BIFA Standard Trading Conditions for forwarders. Premises and warehouse follow standard property and liability lines. Goods in Transit liability, Warehouseman's Liability, contingent cargo and errors and omissions for forwarders bridge the gaps.
Off-the-shelf SME packages work to a point. For a single LCV running parcels for a national network, a packaged courier policy will often cover Motor, GIT to £10,000 and basic Public Liability adequately. Once a buyer adds a second vehicle, takes on overnight stops, parks away from a secured base, runs an HGV, holds an Operator's Licence, takes goods into storage, or accepts contractual liability above standard RHA limits, the packaged product falls over.
The other reason a broker matters here is access. Several of the strongest HGV motor and cargo insurers, including NIG, Aviva, AXA Commercial, QBE, HDI Global, RSA, Travelers, Zurich and a number of Lloyd's freight syndicates, do not deal direct. They underwrite through brokers, with full proposal forms, loss runs, vehicle schedules and risk surveys, and they expect the broker to know the difference between a CMR shipment and a domestic RHA movement. Broad market access, claims advocacy when an underwriter disputes a Theft From Unattended Vehicle (TFUV) clause, and a renewal timeline starting 60 to 90 days out are the three things we sell.
The covers you actually need
Motor Fleet (Commercial Vehicle / HGV / LCV)
Compulsory under the Road Traffic Act, and the single largest line of premium for almost every transport buyer. We place it on a fleet basis (typically five vehicles and up) with any-driver or named-driver terms, or on individual vehicle policies for smaller operators. Third-party property damage at £5 million is now the floor most insurers will write; £20 million or unlimited is the position we push for on any contract-haulage account where the customer demands it. Own-damage cover sits on a market-value or agreed-value basis depending on age and specification.
Premium drivers: GVW mix, fleet size, mileage radius, predominant goods carried, driver age and licence history, five-year claims experience (loss runs are now mandatory at submission with almost every HGV underwriter), telematics adoption, overnight base security, and OCRS score. Minimum-age and experience requirements ("minimum 25, two years HGV licence held") have hardened materially since 2023. On the wording, watch any-driver versus named-driver, foreign-use limits (most fleet policies allow 90 days EU use cumulatively across the fleet), trailer cover (own and attached vs detached), and breakdown recovery which is rarely included as standard on HGVs.
The full mechanics of fleet underwriting, telematics scoring, claims defensibility on third-party RTA claims and MID flagging sit on our Fleet insurance page.
Goods in Transit (GIT)
Liability cover for the carrier's responsibility for cargo carried under contract. The distinction we hammer at quote stage is liability versus all-risks. Most road hauliers buy CMR-and-RHA-Conditions liability cover (a legal liability indemnity capped at the contractual limit, broadly £1,300 per tonne under RHA 2020, 8.33 SDR per kg internationally under CMR), with limits of £25,000 to £250,000 per vehicle/per load as standard and higher for declared high-value cargo. Couriers and same-day operators usually need all-risks cover up to a single-load limit, often £5,000 to £10,000 for general parcels, with separate higher limits for declared consignments.
The wording battlefield is theft, specifically TFUV. Almost every GIT policy now excludes theft from unattended vehicles unless conditions are met: vehicle locked, alarmed and immobilised; parked at a recognised secured truckstop; two-driver overnight regime for certain commodities; target-stock cargo (electronics, tobacco, alcohol, perfumes, pharmaceuticals) carried only with named-driver pre-approval. Wordings have tightened through 2023 to 2025 to the point where some insurers will only cover overnight stops on Park Mark or TAPA-accredited sites. If a driver stops on an unlit lay-by because they have run out of hours, the TFUV cover may simply not respond.
Other watch-outs: refrigerated cargo and temperature deviation (covered only if the reefer has a working recorder and documented pre-trip checks), groupage and consolidation (subcontracting clauses), demurrage and consequential loss (excluded by default), and contractual liability above carriage terms (excluded unless contracts are disclosed and accepted).
Warehouseman's Liability (WHL)
Different cover, different doctrine. Taking goods into storage, even briefly between collection and onward dispatch, makes you a bailee for reward, governed by UKWA Standard Trading Conditions, BIFA conditions, or the customer's bespoke storage terms. We place WHL on a per-occurrence and any-one-warehouse basis with limits matched to peak stock-at-risk values. £250,000 to £5 million is the typical range; higher for cold storage and 3PLs holding branded inventory.
WHL is liability cover, not property cover. It does not pay out for damage to your own goods. A 3PL holding £4 million of client stock under contract needs WHL, not "warehouse contents". A wholesale distributor holding £4 million of its own stock at the same address needs stock cover. A business doing both needs both, and the schedules must make clear which goods sit in which bucket.
Marine Cargo / Open Cover
For international cargo, particularly imports through Bristol Port, Felixstowe, Southampton or by air, Marine Cargo on an Open Cover (annual declaration) basis is usually the right structure. Cover sits under the Institute Cargo Clauses: ICC(A) is the broadest all-risks wording, ICC(B) covers named perils, ICC(C) is the narrowest. Most of our placements are ICC(A) with war and strikes extensions on seven-day cancellation. This sits alongside, not inside, a GIT policy; road legs are usually bolted on as warehouse-to-warehouse extension or covered under the carrier's CMR-and-RHA programme. For the customs and HMRC dimension (IPR, customs warehousing, deferment guarantees, duty surety bonds), see Importer & exporter.
Employers' Liability, Public Liability and Premises
Standard liability lines, but premium and wording reflect the work. EL is compulsory at £10 million minimum under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. We typically place Public Liability at £5, £10 or £20 million; many 3PL and supermarket distribution contracts mandate £10 million, and FORS Silver and Gold work expects evidence at the higher end. Watch inner limits on damage to property in care, custody or control: they exist on most standard policies and sit awkwardly with how a logistics business actually operates. We negotiate these out wherever the buyer has meaningful goods-handling exposure.
Premises cover (yard, office, workshop, fuel installations, wash bays) runs on standard property terms. Site-specific questions worth getting right are fencing and perimeter, CCTV coverage and retention, fire compartmentation, fuel tank bunding, and whether tractors and trailers are kept on-site overnight.
Engineering inspection, cyber and crime
Where the business operates lifting equipment (forklifts, vehicle-mounted cranes, tail-lifts), LOLER 1998 requires thorough examination at six-monthly intervals for equipment lifting people and twelve-monthly for goods; see Engineering inspection. Cyber and crime cover is increasingly a transport need: TMS systems integrated with customer ERPs, EDI links to customs and parcel networks, and fuel-card and driver-payment systems are prime ransomware and authorised-push-payment targets. Standalone cyber at £250,000 to £5 million with crime bolted on. Premium is modest; the claim, when it comes, is not.
Sector-specific risks we see most
Theft from unattended vehicles
The single largest battleground in transport cargo claims. A trailer parked at a non-accredited yard or roadside lay-by, sometimes with the driver inside on a statutory rest break. Cargo stolen. The GIT insurer points to the TFUV clause and the security warranty, and the claim turns on whether the warranty conditions were met. We have seen claims declined for parking at a service area that was on the insurer's approved list two months earlier but had since been removed. The lesson is operational: drivers need a written instruction set, dispatchers need real-time visibility of overnight parking, and the insurer's approved list needs reconciling into route planning.
Load shifting and load securing
Load-securing failures cause two kinds of claim: damage to cargo (under GIT) and third-party injury or damage when the load leaves the trailer (under Motor). The regulatory backdrop is PUWER 1998, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 where the driver climbs onto the bed, and the DVSA Roadworthiness Guide. DVSA prosecutions for insecure loads now run into significant penalties, and a load-shift claim involving third-party injury will see police, DVSA and HSE all involved. Telematics evidence of harsh-braking events leading up to the incident is routinely subpoenaed. We have placed cover for a haulier whose defensibility on a £400,000 third-party RTA claim turned entirely on the camera and telematics file from the lead vehicle.
Refrigerated breakdowns and temperature deviation
Reefer trailers fail, fridges run out of fuel, recorder probes ice up. Cargo arrives at temperature and is rejected. Whether the GIT policy responds depends on whether the wording covers "temperature deviation" or only "refrigeration machinery breakdown"; the two are not the same. Temperature deviation cover requires pre-trip inspection records, working data loggers with calibration certificates, and contemporaneous evidence of reefer status. A 3PL we placed cover for last renewal had a £180,000 reefer claim turn entirely on a five-line pre-trip checklist their drivers had been filling in for years.
Operator's Licence interface
Vehicle insurance is a condition of fleet operation, and a lapse, even briefly, is notifiable to the Traffic Commissioner. Operators on Earned Recognition, FORS Bronze/Silver/Gold or CLOCS site requirements must evidence cover continuously. A poor OCRS score following a DVSA roadside check pushes motor and GIT premiums up at renewal and reduces the number of insurers willing to quote.
Hard market dynamics
Motor fleet underwriting hardened materially from late 2023 through 2025: inflation in third-party bodily injury settlements, supply-side withdrawal (several Lloyd's syndicates pulled back from HGV motor), and large US nuclear verdicts spilling into reinsurance pricing. On cargo, TFUV losses and rising freight values pushed insurers to tighten security warranties. For Bristol operators this has meant fewer markets quoting and longer subjectivities lists at renewal. We are honest at the first conversation: we cannot promise rate reductions in a hard market, but we can promise the submission is well-prepared, the panel is wide, and the claims advocacy is real.
Forwarder and contractual liability gaps
Freight forwarders and 3PLs trading on BIFA Standard Trading Conditions face a particular exposure. Where a customer signs a bespoke contract overriding BIFA, the forwarder may accept liabilities the standard GIT policy does not cover. Errors and Omissions cover for forwarders is a specific product, not a standard bolt-on, and it is the largest uninsured loss waiting to happen for that cohort.
Bristol & South West considerations
The South West is one of the densest logistics clusters in the UK outside the East Midlands triangle. Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock together make Bristol Port the UK's largest dock for finished-vehicle imports, with significant tonnage in animal feed, aviation fuel and dry bulk. Severnside, Smoke Lane, Western Approach Distribution Park and Central Park host large 3PL operations including DHL, Wincanton, Yusen and GXO. South of the city, the M5 corridor through Bridgwater (Gravity Smart Campus and Express Park), Cullompton and on towards Exeter is one of the highest-density warehouse corridors in southern England.
The M4 corridor adds Swindon, Reading and Slough Trading Estate. Cardiff Bay and Newport docks add Welsh distribution flows. Yeovil's aerospace cluster (Leonardo Helicopters and the wider Westland supply chain) generates specialist component transport. Hinkley Point C remains a heavy-haulage and abnormal load magnet, with STGO Category 2 and 3 movements running on programmed routes through Bridgwater and the M5.
The geographic risk worth flagging is the Severn crossing: closures and high-wind weight restrictions mean Welsh-customer operators need a routing contingency via Gloucester and the A40. Avonmouth and Cardiff Bay flood-plain exposure also matters for premises and stock cover; insurers ask, and the answer needs evidencing with flood resilience measures, raised stock heights and ground-level kit kept off the deck.
How to get it right at renewal
A managed transport renewal starts 60 to 90 days before inception. The work in that window is what separates a competitive placement from a defensive one.
The submission file. Five years of loss runs from the incumbent, separated into Motor, GIT, EL, PL and Property. A vehicle schedule with registration, make/model, year, GVW, value and use category. A driver schedule with name, date of birth, licence number, date passed, claims and convictions. The Operator's Licence, OCRS score, and any FORS, CLOCS or Earned Recognition certificate. Standard contract terms of carriage. A site plan of the operating centre and the overnight stop policy.
Photos. Of the yard, perimeter, gatehouse, CCTV positions and recording equipment, wash bay, fuel tanks and bunding, workshop and office. Underwriters discount photographs because they save survey time, and they notice when photographs match the proposal form.
Risk-management evidence. Telematics platform and data export, driver scoring methodology, CPC training records, induction documentation, ADR certification, TAPA certification where target-stock cargo is carried, FORS audit reports.
Claims advocacy. Loss runs alone are not the story. Where claims are open we annotate the file with reserve movement, the operational change since the incident, and any third-party recovery in progress. An open claim with a hardened reserve looks worse than a closed claim at twice the cost. We have moved accounts on the strength of a well-annotated loss run alone.
The broker timeline. Day 90: proposal and risk register filed. Day 75: panel selection and first market approaches. Day 60: subjectivities returned. Day 45: indicative terms. Day 30: comparison and decision. Day 14: cover bound, certificates issued, MID updated. Day 0: incept.
Multi-quote shotgun approaches, where five brokers all hit the same panel, actively hurt the buyer. Insurers see the duplication, decline both, and the buyer ends up with fewer options. Single broker, wide panel, well-prepared submission is the model that works.
How Apex helps
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is an independent commercial broker based in Bristol, FCA FRN 724952. We hold broad market panel access for transport and logistics risks, including the Lloyd's syndicates and specialist insurers that do not deal direct, and we place fleet, GIT, WHL, marine cargo, EL, PL, property, engineering inspection, cyber and crime as a single managed programme.
Our renewal process is 60 to 90 days, the submission file is built to underwriter standard, and the claims advocacy is real. We have negotiated TFUV declinatures, fought load-shift third-party claims, and rebuilt loss runs for buyers moving from a packaged direct policy to a properly structured programme. We sit in Bristol but place risks across the 50-mile catchment: Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cardiff, Newport, Swindon, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil, Taunton, Wells, Stroud and the M4/M5 corridor in between. If you operate fleet, hold an Operator's Licence, or take goods into storage anywhere in the South West, speak to us.
FAQs
Do I legally need Goods in Transit insurance?
GIT is not compulsory by statute, but it is contractually required by almost every customer contract, freight network and pallet network agreement. Trading without it means the carrier accepts uninsured liability under CMR or RHA Conditions, which is rarely commercially viable.
What does fleet insurance cost for a small HGV operator in Bristol?
There is no headline number we will quote without seeing the risk. Premium is driven by vehicle mix, GVW, mileage, driver profile, claims history and operating centre security; two operators with the same vehicle count can pay materially different premiums. We give an indicative range after the first conversation and a firm quote after the proposal is filed.
Does my Goods in Transit policy cover overnight theft?
Only if the conditions in the TFUV clause are met: vehicle locked, alarmed, immobilised, and parked at an approved secured location or recognised truckstop. The conditions have tightened materially since 2023 and we walk every operator through the warranty before binding cover.
What is Warehouseman's Liability and do I need it?
WHL is liability cover for goods you take into storage as a bailee. You need it if you store goods belonging to customers, even briefly. You do not need it for your own stock; that is property/stock cover.
Can I cover my fleet, GIT and warehouse on one policy?
Sometimes, on a combined transport package, for smaller operators. For larger or more complex risks the cover is normally split: Motor Fleet on one schedule, GIT and WHL on another, Property and Liability on a third. We assemble the structure to match the risk.
Do I need a separate marine cargo policy if I have GIT cover?
Yes, for international shipments by sea or air. GIT covers road carriage on a liability basis under CMR/RHA limits, which are too low for most full-value cargo. Marine cargo on an ICC(A) all-risks basis covers the value of the goods, not just the carrier's liability.
How does my OCRS score affect my insurance?
DVSA's Operator Compliance Risk Score is increasingly part of the underwriting picture. A green score helps; a red score reduces the number of insurers willing to quote and pushes premium up. We include it in every submission.
What if I sub-contract work to owner-drivers?
Sub-contracting liability is a defined exposure under most GIT policies, usually conditional on sub-contractors holding their own GIT cover at a stated minimum limit, evidenced before each job. Without that evidence the principal carrier may carry the loss themselves.
Do I need cover for refrigerated cargo specifically?
If you carry temperature-controlled goods, yes, and the wording needs to cover temperature deviation, not just mechanical breakdown of the reefer unit. Pre-trip checks, data logger records and calibration evidence are usually conditions of cover.
Do you place transport insurance outside Bristol?
Yes. We place risks across the South West, South Wales and the M4 corridor: Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cardiff, Newport, Swindon, Taunton, Yeovil and the towns in between.
How long does a quote take?
For a straightforward owner-driver courier, 48 to 72 hours from full submission. For a multi-vehicle HGV fleet with GIT and warehouse exposure, ten working days for indicative terms and three weeks for a firm decision.
Can I add my abnormal load or STGO work to my fleet policy?
Sometimes, but it is normally placed as a separate movement-by-movement or annual specialist policy. Abnormal load and Special Types General Order movements have their own insurer cohort. We arrange both.
Other sectors we cover
Fleet insurance — the motor mechanics behind any transport programme, from telematics and driver scoring to MID compliance and third-party claims defensibility.
Distribution & wholesale insurance — for buyers whose business is goods-on-the-shelf rather than goods-in-motion, covering stock, premises, liability and product recall.
Importer & exporter insurance — marine cargo, customs surety bonds, deferment guarantees and the HMRC interface for businesses moving goods across borders.
Coverage area
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is based in Bristol and places transport and logistics cover across the South West and South Wales. Our Bristol commercial insurance page is the home base, with sister pages for Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cardiff, Newport and Swindon covering the M4 and M5 logistics corridors where most South West haulage and 3PL operators sit. The full picture sits on our pillar page, Commercial insurance Bristol & South West.
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