Goods in the company van: does motor insurance settle the question?

Map an actual delivery

Fictional example: a small shop takes lamps to a customer in its own van. Staff move the boxes from the warehouse, load the vehicle and unload at the destination. The manager has the motor insurance reference but cannot find an answer about damage to the boxes. He prepares the operation’s description for assessment.

Record the origin, destination, type of goods, packaging, frequency and participants at each stage. Separate sold merchandise, returning goods and equipment used by the team. This explains the risk; it is neither a universal list of mandatory quotation fields nor confirmation of who would be liable for damage.

Ask what is actually insured

Lusitania presents Transport insurance as addressing cargo and distinguishes arrangements for individual journeys and recurring transport. This illustrates why the object and frequency deserve their own assessment. It does not establish acceptance of transport in your own vehicle under a particular quotation.

Ask the intermediary to explain the insured object and the period or operation considered. Ask specifically about loading, unloading, stops and temporary storage where they form part of your work. A commercial presentation’s silence does not establish either inclusion or exclusion.

Sources: Lusitania — Transportes, objeto e modalidades; consultado 20/10/2026 ↗

Do not stop the description at the van door

Use the delivery sequence to identify where the assessed operation begins and ends. Identify any outside business involved in a stage without deciding responsibility in advance. A sales invoice may identify the transaction but does not alone establish which policy responds or the amount of any payment.

Separate known facts from open questions. If delivery frequency increases, destinations change or different goods are carried, explain the change before relying on an earlier answer. Keep the clarification reference with the quotation and avoid supplying complete customer lists unless necessary. Ask what limited supporting information is appropriate for the actual assessment.

Request assessment of the operation described

Read the Goods in Transit guide on rmachado.group and select Transportes in the request. Describe the route and protection objective through the indicated flow. If damage has already occurred, use the existing policy’s process rather than presenting a new quotation as retrospective protection. Keep commercial records and customer contacts out of public comments.