KNOW YOUR COVERAGE. PREPARE WITH CONFIDENCE.
Car Shipping Insurance Coverage
Understand how carrier cargo insurance relates to your vehicle shipment, what to confirm before pickup, and how to document your car’s condition along the way. Onyx Auto Transport helps you get the information you need before your vehicle is on the road.
Carrier Coverage
Vehicle shipments include carrier cargo insurance, subject to the assigned carrier’s policy.
Clear Documentation
Photographs and pickup and delivery inspection reports create a record of your vehicle’s condition.
Help When You Need It
Our team can help you obtain relevant carrier documents and understand the next steps.
How Car Shipping Insurance Works
When you ship a vehicle with Onyx Auto Transport, the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance is the coverage to review for eligible transport-related loss or damage. Insurance is included with the shipment, but the policy’s limits, exclusions, deductibles, and conditions still apply. Coverage is not a promise that every type of loss will be paid.
Onyx coordinates your shipment with a carrier. The carrier transports your vehicle and is the party to contact for a cargo claim. Our team can help provide relevant carrier information and documents. A claim decision depends on the circumstances and the applicable policy.
Before pickup, ask us to help you review the assigned carrier’s coverage details. This is especially useful if you are shipping a valuable vehicle, a modified car, or a vehicle with existing damage.
What to Confirm Before Pickup
- Carrier and policy details: Request the assigned carrier’s insurance information and insurer contact details.
- Coverage limits: Ask how the policy limit applies to your vehicle and the vehicles sharing the trailer.
- Vehicle value: Tell our team if your car has a high value, restoration work, or aftermarket equipment.
- Deductibles and exclusions: Ask which conditions apply and whether any deductible could affect a claim.
- Coverage period: Confirm how the policy applies during loading, transportation, and unloading.
- Claim instructions: Know whom to contact and what documentation the carrier or insurer requires.
Discuss questions before loading. A certificate of insurance provides useful policy information; it does not replace the full policy or establish that a particular claim will be accepted.
Coverage Has Conditions and Limits
Carrier policies differ. Do not assume that all vehicles, events, or belongings receive the same protection. Ask the carrier or insurer about the specific circumstances that matter to your shipment.
Personal belongings: Items left inside your vehicle travel at your own risk under Onyx’s terms. Remove valuables and review our vehicle preparation checklist before pickup.
Existing damage and mechanical issues: Record the vehicle’s condition and disclose problems before shipping. Transport coverage should not be treated as a warranty for the vehicle’s existing condition or performance.
Loose parts and accessories: Secure or remove removable exterior items and tell our team about modifications.
Weather and other events: Onyx’s terms address events beyond the parties’ control, including weather-related damage. Review those terms and ask the assigned carrier about its policy exclusions.
Document Your Vehicle at Pickup
Clean the vehicle enough to make its condition easy to see. Take clear, dated photographs of the exterior, glass, wheels, and any existing scratches or dents. Include both wide views and close-ups so the photographs are easy to compare later.
Inspect the car with the driver before loading. Make sure existing damage is recorded on the pickup inspection report or Bill of Lading. Read the report, check that it matches your vehicle, and keep a copy. If a representative handles pickup, share these instructions and ask them to send you the report and photos.
Keep all shipment records together, including the booking confirmation, pickup report, and photographs. Good documentation makes it easier to identify the vehicle’s starting condition.
Inspect Again Before Completing Delivery
At delivery, compare the vehicle with your pickup photographs and inspection report while the driver is present. Look carefully at the body panels, bumpers, glass, wheels, and any areas noted at pickup. Take new photographs before signing the delivery report.
If you notice new damage, describe it clearly on the delivery Bill of Lading or inspection report. Ask the driver to acknowledge the notation and provide a signed copy. A general comment such as “check later” is less useful than a specific description of the affected area.
If lighting, weather, or access makes inspection difficult, tell the driver and contact Onyx promptly. Under our terms, signing at delivery without noting damage confirms receipt in satisfactory condition. Plan time for a careful inspection.
What to Do If You Notice New Damage
- Record the issue: Photograph the affected area and note new damage on the delivery inspection report while the driver is present.
- Keep your documents: Save the signed pickup and delivery reports, photographs, booking details, and any relevant correspondence.
- Notify Onyx promptly: Our terms require reporting a loss or damage claim to Onyx no later than 48 hours after delivery so we can provide relevant carrier documents.
- File directly with the carrier: Request the carrier’s claim instructions and insurer details. Follow the applicable claim process and deadlines.
The 48-hour notice to Onyx is separate from filing a claim with the carrier. Contact us even if you are still collecting documents; do not wait until you have a repair estimate to report the issue.
Build a Clear Claim File
A useful claim file tells the story of the shipment without requiring someone to guess which photographs or documents belong together. Label the vehicle, order number, pickup date, delivery date, and the area of concern.
Keep the original photographs, both inspection reports, the carrier’s name, and the communications about the issue. Request repair estimates or other supporting information when the carrier or insurer asks for them. Ask for guidance before making repairs that could affect the opportunity to inspect the damage.
Onyx can help you obtain relevant carrier documents. We do not decide coverage or guarantee reimbursement. Keep communicating directly with the carrier and insurer about their review and any outstanding requirements.
Open, Enclosed, and High-Value Vehicle Shipping
Choose transport equipment and confirm insurance as two related parts of planning. An enclosed trailer offers a physical barrier around the vehicle, but enclosed transport does not automatically mean unlimited coverage or that every event is insured.
If you are shipping a classic, luxury, exotic, or restored vehicle, tell us its value and any special handling requirements before booking. Ask the assigned carrier how its coverage applies to that specific vehicle. If additional insurance is needed, confirm its availability and terms before pickup.
Your personal auto insurance may have its own provisions for transport. Contact your insurer to understand your policy rather than assuming it adds protection.
Car Shipping Insurance FAQs
Is insurance included with my shipment?
Carrier cargo insurance is included, subject to the assigned carrier’s policy limits, exclusions, and conditions. Ask for the policy details before pickup.
How much insurance coverage does my vehicle have?
The amount depends on the assigned carrier’s policy. Ask how its limits apply to your vehicle and the full trailer load. We do not publish a single coverage amount that applies to every carrier.
Who handles a damage claim?
File a cargo loss or damage claim directly with the carrier that transported the vehicle. Onyx can help provide relevant carrier documents; the carrier and insurer review the claim.
How quickly should I report damage to Onyx?
Notify Onyx promptly and no later than 48 hours after delivery, as required by our terms. This notice is separate from the carrier’s claim filing process and deadlines.
Are belongings inside the car insured?
Under Onyx’s terms, personal items left inside the vehicle travel at your own risk. Remove valuables and follow the vehicle preparation checklist.
Does enclosed transport mean everything is covered?
No. Enclosed transport offers a physical barrier around the vehicle, but the carrier’s policy limits and exclusions still apply. Confirm the coverage for your particular shipment.
What should I do before signing at delivery?
Inspect the car with the driver, compare it with your pickup records, photograph its condition, and clearly note any new damage on the delivery report. Keep a signed copy.
Can I request insurance information before pickup?
Yes. Contact Onyx to request relevant assigned-carrier insurance information. Ask about coverage limits, exclusions, deductibles, and the claim process before loading.
Helpful Shipping Resources
Prepare for pickup with our vehicle preparation checklist, review car shipping payment options, and read the Terms of Service for inspection and claim requirements.
This page explains the process in plain language. It does not replace the carrier’s insurance policy, your shipment documents, or the applicable terms.
Questions About Your Vehicle’s Coverage?
Call (800) 808-0176 or email info@onyxautotransport.com. Have your order number and vehicle details ready so our team can help you request the right carrier information.