Map custody and control
Identify the party that loads the barge or truck, chooses the route, manages transfers and accepts the material. Distinguish your own vehicles and vessels from hired carriers. Contracts may allocate responsibility differently from operational practice. Record the material description, estimated quantities, packaging or containment and receiving facilities. A transport agreement deserves its own review even where the main construction contract has already been approved.
Connect the relevant policies
Contractors pollution, automobile liability, motor-carrier coverage, vessel pollution and P&I can address different parts of a transport chain, subject to their wording. Review loading and unloading, transit, temporary storage and non-owned disposal locations explicitly. Do not presume an auto policy’s liability coverage resolves pollution obligations or that a vessel policy follows shore-based trucking. Check named insureds, covered equipment and subcontractor arrangements.
Keep records that support a later claim
Maintain manifests or other required shipping records, disposal receipts, carrier agreements and incident reports. Confirm what evidence the receiving facility supplies and how discrepancies are resolved. Use environmental and transportation specialists for applicable regulatory requirements. Insurance evidence should be refreshed when the material, carrier, transfer site or disposal destination changes; last year’s arrangement may not describe the current project. Discuss responsibility for rejected loads and unexpected contamination before mobilization.
Questions worth asking
Does hiring a carrier remove our exposure?
It does not automatically remove contractual or other potential responsibility. Review the agreement, actual duties and insurance with the relevant advisers.
What should be supplied for an insurance review?
A transport flow diagram, carrier contracts, material information, vessel and vehicle details, receiving locations and existing policy wording.