Inland Marine (Goods in Transit)

Despite the name, inland marine is coverage for property that moves or sits away from your fixed premises — it follows the lot rather than the building. For an auction business it covers valuable property in transit and off-site: picked up from an estate, moved between locations, in temporary storage, or delivered and shipped to buyers. It fills the gap left by standard property coverage, which is largely tied to your premises and stops at the door.

Because standard commercial property coverage is location-based — it covers goods at your insured premises and provides little or no protection once property leaves. An auction business constantly moves valuables between estates, your saleroom, and buyers, and that movement happens largely outside what a premises policy covers. Inland marine is the coverage designed for property in transit and away from a fixed location, which is why auction businesses need it alongside property and bailee coverage.

It can cover both, and coordinating it with your bailee coverage is important. Bailee protects property of others while it's in your care; inland marine extends protection to the transit and off-site portions of that care. We structure the two to work together so a consignor's property is covered whether it's on your gallery wall, in your truck, or in temporary storage — with no gap or argument about which policy responds.

Yes — delivery and shipping to buyers is a core part of transit exposure, and it's growing as more sales go online and hybrid with lots shipping to remote buyers. Inland marine covers property in transit to the buyer, including loading, unloading, and handling. For online and hybrid auctioneers especially, this is one of the most important coverages because so much property ships after the sale.

Inland marine responds to physical loss during transit, including handling-related damage like drops during loading or shifting in transit. Handling is where most transit losses actually happen, so this is central to the coverage. We'll also discuss the packing and art-handling practices that reduce these losses and support your coverage at renewal, since careful handling is both good business and good underwriting.

Yes. Inland marine can be written for nationwide transit and extended to worldwide coverage where your business reaches — important for fine-art and specialty houses that ship internationally to buyers and exhibitions. We match the territory of your coverage to where your property actually travels, so an out-of-state or overseas shipment isn't outside your policy's reach.

Possibly still yes, because transit exposure exists even when third parties do the moving, and most auctioneers transport more than they realize — estate pickups, location changes, and buyer deliveries add up. If you ever pick up, move, or ship lots, or arrange for others to, there's transit exposure to consider. We'll assess how your goods actually move and recommend the right level of inland marine coverage.

Call 844-967-5247 or request a free quote and tell us how your lots move — estate pickups, between locations, buyer deliveries and shipping — and how far they travel. We'll place inland marine coordinated with your bailee and property coverage so your goods are protected on the road and off-site. Quotes are free and carry no obligation.