What is the difference between cargo insurance and freight liability insurance in Germany?
In short
What is insured makes the difference between them: cargo insurance (Warentransportversicherung) covers your goods and pays their value, whoever is at fault. Freight liability insurance (Verkehrshaftungsversicherung) covers the carrier and pays only if the carrier is liable, in Germany usually up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram, about EUR 10. Which you need depends on whether you ship goods or carry them.
The two policies are priced differently: cargo insurance as a rate on the value of the goods, freight liability by freight turnover or number of vehicles.
Example
Typical range
Cargo insurance, standard goods, rate on insured value
Own-goods transit insurance, one van, EUR 12,000 sum insured
about EUR 250 a year plus 19 percent insurance tax
Freight liability for hauliers over 3.5 t
priced by turnover or vehicles, cover of at least EUR 600,000 per event
As of October 2026.
Figures for cargo and own-goods cover are a guide value from quoting practice (Richtwert aus der
Angebotspraxis), based on the examples listed.
There are no reliable public prices for freight liability insurance, so we give no amount there.
Your premium comes with the quote.
Worked example
Box of electronics, 10 kg, worth EUR 8,000, lost in transit
How much you get back depends on which policy pays.
Carrier's liability (10 kg × 8.33 SDR × about EUR 1.21)
about EUR 100
Paid by the carrier's freight liability insurance
the same EUR 100 or so
Paid by your own cargo insurance
EUR 8,000 minus deductible
Storm or other unavoidable event
carrier often pays nothing, cargo insurance pays
Without your own cargo insurance you lose about EUR 7,900. With it you get the value, and your insurer recovers the EUR 100 from the carrier.
Goods or liability: who buys which policy
Cargo insurance is property insurance. It belongs to whoever bears the risk of the goods in transit, the seller or the buyer, depending on the delivery terms (Incoterms) in the sales contract. If the goods arrive damaged or not at all, it pays the insured value without asking who caused the loss.
Freight liability insurance is liability cover for transport companies. It pays only when the carrier or forwarder is legally or contractually liable, and only up to that liability limit. For a business that ships goods, it does not replace its own cargo insurance.
Feature
Cargo insurance
Freight liability insurance
Who buys it
seller or buyer of the goods
carrier, forwarder, warehouse keeper
What is insured
the goods
the carrier's liability
Pays after a storm
yes, with all risks cover
usually not, no liability
Amount paid
insured value of the goods
up to the limit per kilogram
Compulsory
no
for road haulage over 3.5 t (§ 7a GüKG)
Why a carrier's liability rarely covers your goods
Under § 431(1) of the German Commercial Code (HGB), a carrier pays at most 8.33 units of account per kilogram of gross weight for loss or damage. The unit is the Special Drawing Right (SDR) of the International Monetary Fund, worth about EUR 1.21 in October 2026. That is roughly EUR 10 per kilogram.
For heavy, cheap goods such as building materials, that may be enough. For light, valuable goods such as electronics or spare parts, the carrier's liability covers only a fraction. Standard terms may set the limit anywhere between 2 and 40 units if the customer is clearly told (§ 449(2) HGB), so check your forwarder's terms before relying on them.
Who needs freight liability insurance
Anyone carrying goods commercially in vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must hold goods damage liability insurance of at least EUR 600,000 per event under § 7a of the Road Haulage Act (GüKG) for trips loaded and unloaded in Germany. Freight liability insurance usually includes this and adds forwarding, warehousing and international CMR trips.
Retailers, manufacturers and online shops that only send goods do not need freight liability insurance, even if they occasionally drive their own van. For that situation, own-goods transit insurance is the right policy.
When you need both, or neither
Forwarders that also trade goods, or logistics firms that arrange cargo insurance for customers, often need both. That means two separate policies or a combined policy with two parts.
You do not need cargo insurance if you sell ex works and the buyer carries the risk from handover, or if your goods are so heavy and cheap that the carrier's statutory liability already covers their value. Norman Nammert arranges cover as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler); the insurer pays the commission, so advice is free for you.
Step by step
Work out your role: do you ship your own goods, carry for others, or both?
Check in the sales contract when the transport risk passes to you.
Divide the value of your goods by their weight and compare with about EUR 10 per kilo.
Read your forwarder's terms for different liability limits.
Ask for cargo insurance or freight liability insurance to match your role.
Checklist
Role clear: shipper, carrier or both
Value per kilogram compared with the statutory limit
Delivery terms in the sales contract checked
As a haulier over 3.5 t: proof of § 7a GüKG cover in the vehicle
Own vehicles with goods on board covered separately
Common mistakes
Assuming the forwarder's insurance protects your goods
Mixing up compulsory haulier cover with cargo insurance
Overlooking lower liability limits in a forwarder's terms
Forgetting own vehicles, which neither policy covers
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is freight liability insurance the same as CMR insurance?
Nearly.
CMR insurance is the liability cover for international road transport.
It is usually one part of freight liability insurance.
Does freight liability insurance pay after a storm?
Usually not, because the carrier is not liable for unavoidable events.
Your own cargo insurance with all risks cover does pay.
Can I make the carrier liable for more?
Yes, by declaring a value or agreeing a higher limit, for an extra freight charge.
It still does not cover losses the carrier is not liable for at all.
Do I need freight liability insurance as an online seller?
No.
At most you need cargo insurance for your shipments, if your goods are worth a lot per kilogram.
What if the carrier was grossly negligent?
With intent or recklessness the liability limit falls away (§ 435 HGB), but you have to prove it.
