Excess Single Trip Cargo Insurance,
bought per load.
Get excess per-trip cargo insurance online in minutes. Bind up to $1MM in excess limits for the one load that needs it, get your certificate instantly, and skip the annual policy, the minimum premium and the 3–5 day wait on an underwriter.
- Up to $1MM in limits per load
- Certificate emailed the moment you bind
- No annual policy or minimum premium
- Available 24/7, nights and weekends
- Excess limit
- $50K – $1MM
- Sits over
- $100K+ primary cargo
- Term
- Per trip
- Paper
- Crum & Forster Specialty
- Territory
- US & Canada
- Certificate
- Instant, 2 holders
What it is
What is excess single trip cargo insurance?
Excess single trip cargo insurance covers one shipment for one journey. Instead of paying for a limit you only need occasionally, you buy the coverage a specific load requires — and only for as long as that load is on the road.
You will also hear it called excess per-trip cargo insurance, excess per-load cargo insurance, spot excess cargo coverage, or trip transit insurance. It raises the limit above an existing annual policy for a single load — which is exactly what CargoLabs' XS Cargo product does.
Why carriers use it
Most carriers carry $100K to keep premiums down
Then they compete with everyone else for freight that fits that limit. Higher-paying loads — electronics, pharma, high-value freight — often require $250K to $1MM.
Asking an underwriter for a trip charge takes days
3–5 business days is typical, and the minimum premium often makes the load not worth it. By then the freight is gone.
Per-trip excess fixes both
Buy up to $1MM for the load in front of you, get the certificate now, and pay only for the trips that actually need it.
How it works
XS Cargo coverage in three steps
From quote to certificate in minutes, not days. Everything is self-service.
Quote
Enter the trip, equipment or driver details. You get a price in seconds — no paper application, no phone call.
Bind
Pick the limit or term you need and pay online. Coverage is bound instantly for exactly that period.
Get certified
Your compliant certificate of insurance is emailed immediately, ready to forward to the broker, shipper or rental company.
Who it's for
Built for the people who move the freight
Carriers, brokers and equipment providers all work from the same platform, so the certificate the shipper needs shows up in everyone's inbox at once.
Motor carriers & owner-operators
You carry a standard annual cargo limit but a shipper wants more for a specific load. Buy the extra limit for that trip instead of paying for it all year.
See carrier coverageFreight brokers & 3PLs
Stop leaving loads on the table because a carrier's limits fall short. Send them a link and get compliant limits on the shipment in minutes.
See broker toolsShippers with high-value freight
Require the limit your cargo deserves without shrinking your carrier pool. Carriers can meet your bid spec on the spot instead of declining the load.
Compare
Excess per-trip cargo insurance vs. an annual policy
An annual Motor Truck Cargo policy is still the right base layer. Per-trip excess is how you say yes to the loads it doesn't reach.
| Per-trip with CargoLabs | Annual cargo policy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay only for the loads that need it | Yes | No |
| Minimum premium | None | Typically required |
| Time to bind | Minutes, online | Days to weeks |
| Raise limits for one shipment | Yes | Underwriter request, 3–5 days |
| Certificate delivery | Instant, emailed | Agent turnaround |
| Available nights & weekends | Yes | No |
From a carrier
“My shipper suddenly told me I needed $1,000,000 in Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability, but I normally only carry $250,000 annually. CargoLabs helped me buy the extra limit instantly only for the loads it was required. It saved my business and it was way easier than I thought.”
Ronald “Cookie” Davis · BSN Transport Inc.
More per-trip coverage
Every coverage a load can require
The same quote → bind → certificate flow works across the CargoLabs product line.
Per-Trip Excess Auto Liability Insurance
Add $1MM or $2MM of excess auto and general liability above your $1MM primary — for one trip, not a whole year.
Learn moreShort-Term Truck Physical Damage Insurance
Daily physical damage for a rental, substitute or interchanged unit. Certificate with year, make, VIN and stated value — in minutes, 24/7.
Learn moreOccupational Accident Insurance for Owner-Operators
Monthly occ/acc for 1099 owner-operators and contract drivers — accidental death, medical and disability benefits, with contingent liability included.
Learn moreNon-Trucking Liability Insurance
Liability coverage for leased owner-operators when the truck is off dispatch — $1MM limit, ~$1/day per unit, start online.
Learn moreTrailer Interchange Insurance
Coverage for non-owned trailers in your possession under an interchange agreement. Dedicated per-trip product in development — daily physical damage on non-owned trailers available today.
Learn moreDouble Brokering Protection
Protection for freight brokers and carriers against losses from double-brokered loads. In development.
Learn moreFAQ
Excess Single Trip Cargo Insurance, answered
- What is excess single trip cargo insurance?
- Excess single trip cargo insurance (also called excess per-trip, per-load, spot or trip transit cargo insurance) covers a specific shipment for a specific journey instead of covering every load for a full year. You buy it only when a load needs it, and it ends when the trip does.
- How is excess per-trip cargo insurance different from an annual cargo policy?
- An annual Motor Truck Cargo policy sets one limit for every load you haul all year and usually carries a minimum premium. Per-trip excess coverage lets you buy a higher limit for one load — for example, $1MM for an electronics shipment when you normally carry $100K — and pay only for that trip.
- How much excess cargo insurance can I buy for a single load?
- CargoLabs lets you bind excess cargo limits from $50,000 up to $1,000,000 per load, in $50,000 steps, on the spot. Enter the load's details to see the price for the limit you need.
- Do I need an existing cargo policy to buy excess per-trip coverage?
- Yes. XS Cargo is excess coverage: it sits above your existing annual Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability policy (a primary limit of at least $100,000) for a specific load. Your annual policy stays your primary layer, and the per-trip limit stacks on top of it.
- How fast can I get a certificate of insurance?
- Immediately. The certificate is generated and emailed the moment the policy binds, with up to two certificate holders listed, so you can forward it to a broker, shipper or rental company within minutes of getting the quote.
- How long does excess single trip cargo coverage last?
- You choose the coverage start date and duration to match the pickup and delivery dates on the bill of lading. Coverage is tied to that specific trip.
- Can freight brokers buy excess single trip cargo insurance for a carrier?
- Yes. Brokers and 3PLs can send a carrier a quote link or work directly in the CargoLabs platform to get compliant limits on a shipment before it moves.
- Is excess single trip cargo insurance available 24/7 and in Canada?
- Yes. Everything is self-service — quote, bind and certificate — so you can buy coverage nights, weekends and holidays. Pickup and delivery points can be in any US state or Canadian province.
- What does excess single trip cargo insurance cost?
- Price depends on the commodity, limit, trip and equipment. CargoLabs quotes it instantly online — you pay only for the coverage you bind on that trip, with no annual policy and no annual minimum premium.
Have a load that needs more coverage than you carry?
Quote excess single trip cargo insurance now. Bind in minutes, certificate in seconds, pay only for this trip.