What insurance does a courier need?
There's no one-size answer. The right mix depends on how you work, who you work for, and what your contracts ask for. These are the coverages a courier typically looks at first:
Commercial auto
The core policy for courier work. It covers liability, collision, and comprehensive losses for a vehicle used for business, with limits available up to $1,000,000 CSL, since personal auto policies often exclude delivery driving.
General liability
Covers third-party injuries and property damage at drop-off sites, like a scuffed lobby floor or a dented dock door, with the $1,000,000 per-occurrence limit commercial clients typically request.
Business property
Scanners, hand trucks, and cargo equipment travel with you on every route, and this helps protect them against theft and damage.
Coverage always depends on your specific situation. The fastest way to see what fits is to get a quote and review your options.
What does it protect against?
The risks that matter aren't abstract. They're the everyday accidents of the work. A few scenarios that turn into real claims:
A delivery run ends in a collision
Rushing between drop-offs, you rear-end a car stopped at a light. The other driver's medical bills and vehicle repairs become a claim, and personal auto coverage typically excludes accidents that happen while you're using the car for delivery work.
You back into a loading dock
Reversing up to a dock to make a drop-off, you clip the dock door or a parked delivery van. Vehicle-to-property collisions like this are common in courier work, where tight docks and lots leave little margin.
A dropped package damages the floor
A box slips off a hand truck and gouges a marble lobby floor, or a pallet jack leaves a scuff down a hallway just installed. Property damage inside a building you're delivering to is a claim against your business, not the client receiving the package.
Equipment goes missing from your vehicle
A handheld scanner, a hand truck, or a cargo rack is stolen from your van overnight or during a stop. Replacing delivery equipment out of pocket can stall routes until it's back.
Certificates of insurance
Courier work brings certificate requests from two directions: the businesses that hire you for regular routes typically want commercial auto and general liability on file before the first pickup, and the buildings you deliver into, especially office towers and medical facilities, sometimes ask for proof before granting dock or loading access. Olli's general liability policies include instant certificates, so a new client account doesn't wait on paperwork.
New to certificates? Start with our guide to the certificate of insurance: what's on one, who asks for it, and how to provide yours.
Related trades
Other trades & home services professions face many of the same risks. See how the coverage compares: