Rivalane assigns only carriers that hold active FMCSA operating authority and active cargo insurance, and we confirm that coverage before the car is collected.
Who insures what
The carrier's cargo insurance covers your vehicle from the moment it is loaded until it is unloaded. Rivalane is a broker and never takes custody of the vehicle, so Rivalane's own insurance does not cover the car in transit; the carrier's does. That is why the Bill of Lading and the claim are with the carrier.
What is excluded
Under our Terms and Conditions, neither the carrier nor Rivalane is liable for damage caused by things outside their control: weather including hail or storms, acts of God, riots or strikes, loose, worn or broken parts on the vehicle, or personal items left in the car. Personal items themselves are never covered.
Your own policy
Many personal auto policies continue to cover the vehicle while it is shipped, and some owners of high-value cars add transit coverage. Check with your insurer before pickup if the car's value matters to you; it costs nothing to ask.
How to make the coverage work for you
Document the car at pickup and delivery, note any new damage on the Bill of Lading before signing, and tell us within 48 hours. A claim with good records is simple; a claim without them is hard.
How the coverage is layered
Three policies can touch a shipped car. The carrier's cargo insurance covers the vehicle while it is in the carrier's custody and is the primary coverage for transit damage. The carrier's liability insurance, which the FMCSA requires and records in its Licensing and Insurance system, covers injury and property damage to third parties, not your car. Your own auto policy may cover the vehicle during transit, depending on its terms.
Rivalane confirms the carrier's cargo coverage from its certificate of insurance before assignment and before pickup, because cargo coverage for general freight is not always filed with the FMCSA. If you want to see the certificate for the carrier on your order, ask us.
What the carrier is liable for
Under the Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. 14706, a motor carrier is liable for loss or damage to the property it transports, with limited defenses such as an act of God or the shipper's own fault. The carrier's cargo policy is what pays that liability. The amount of coverage varies by carrier, and a high-value car can exceed a smaller carrier's policy limit, which is one reason to tell us the car's value at booking.
What the Terms say: Rivalane is a broker and is not liable for cargo loss or damage; the carrier is the liable party and the customer files the claim with the carrier (Sections 9a and 9b). Neither is liable for damage from weather, acts of God, loose or worn parts, or personal items (Section 9d of our Terms and Conditions).
Reading the exclusions honestly
Hail on an open trailer is the exclusion people meet most often. If weather matters to you, choose enclosed transport, which removes the exposure rather than arguing about it afterwards. Loose or worn parts means a cracked bumper clip or a peeling spoiler that lets go at highway speed; secure or remove them before pickup, as Section 3b requires. Personal items are never covered, so ship them separately.
Your own policy and transit coverage
Many comprehensive auto policies continue to cover the car while it is being transported, and some classic car policies include transit coverage explicitly. Call your insurer, ask whether the car is covered on a commercial carrier's truck, and ask what the deductible would be. For a high-value or collector car, a short-term transit policy or a rider is inexpensive next to the car. The enthusiasts page covers how collectors usually handle it.
Making a claim work
Coverage only pays when the record supports it. Photograph the car at pickup after the driver marks the diagram, inspect at delivery before signing, write any new damage as an exception, and report it to Rivalane within 48 hours under Section 9c. Federal claims rules in 49 CFR Part 370 then give the carrier 30 days to acknowledge and 120 days to resolve. The claims article linked below walks through each step.
Questions to ask before pickup
What is the carrier's cargo limit per vehicle, and does it cover the value of my car? Does my own policy cover the car on a commercial carrier, and with what deductible? Is the car going open or enclosed, and does that change the weather exclusion I am accepting? Who do I call at delivery if I find damage, and what is the 48-hour reporting address? Having those four answers written down before the truck arrives turns an abstract question about insurance into a plan.
For the Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico routes, add a fifth: what coverage is the shipping line offering for the ocean leg, and what does it cost to raise it? Section 2f of the Terms puts that question on you, and the Hawaii and Puerto Rico pages explain the lines' options.
Related questions
- How do I file a damage claim after car shipping?
- Are personal items in my car covered by the carrier's insurance?
- How does the bill of lading work with Rivalane?
Go deeper: Car Shipping Insurance: Who Covers Your Car and Who Pays.
