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Hansen’s car carrier transporting vehicles across Canada

Do I Need Insurance to Ship a Car Across Canada?

Are you planning to ship your vehicle across Canada and wonder if you need to get vehicle shipping insurance? Understanding what your existing insurance covers and what’s provided by the shipping company will help ensure your asset is well protected during transit.

Do I Need Insurance to Ship My Vehicle?

Car insurance isn’t a legal requirement to ship your vehicle across Canada. However, having appropriate insurance in place is a sensible step to safeguard your vehicle against any unexpected damage or loss during transportation.

Does My Existing Insurance Cover Vehicle Shipping?

Your existing car insurance may offer some coverage during the shipping process, but it's typically limited. It's essential to review your policy and speak with your insurance provider to understand the extent of coverage while your vehicle is in transit and explore additional insurance options if needed.

What Insurance Will the Vehicle Shipping Company Provide?

It is important to understand the protection provided. Confirmation of business insurance does not ensure that damage to customer property is covered.  If the company is a broker of shipping services, they may deny all liability and rely solely on the third party carrier’s insurance (trucking company, railway, etc.). In the event your car is damaged, you may find yourself in negotiations with third party carriers rather than the company you hired.

You can avoid this by hiring a trusted shipping company like Hansen’s that owns all its own transportation equipment and provides its own insurance. Note that in all cases, the coverage will have limits and exclusions.  

Car Shipping Insurance at Hansen’s

Hansen's provides auto shipping insurance subject to deductible options between $0 and $500, with a limit of $50,000 per vehicle. If you have a classic or luxury car, you may want to consider purchasing extra coverage. You can also keep your personal auto insurance in place for additional coverage above this limit.

We also have our own claims policies and in-house claims department. This means that any claims related to new physical damages during transportation are processed through us. We will cover claims related to new physical damage during transportation while the vehicle is in our possession, excluding items not claimable per the terms and conditions of shipment.

Ship Your Vehicle Across Canada or to the U.S.

At Hansen's, we offer insurance options to protect your vehicle from the moment you give us the keys to when we hand them back over to you. We are not a broker and oversee every part of the transport process, from our licensed drivers to our fleet of vehicles. Contact us today to get a quote to ship your vehicle.