Search for a removal firm and nearly every advert says "fully insured". That phrase on its own tells you very little. There are two separate kinds of cover a removal or man and van business should carry, they protect different things, and a customer is entitled to ask about both before handing over the keys to a house full of furniture.
This guide explains the two in plain terms, shows where each one applies during a real move, and lists the questions worth asking. It is written from the point of view of a working removals and logistics firm in Birtley, not an insurer, so it deliberately does not quote policy limits or recommend a provider. Your own home contents policy is covered in a separate guide.
Goods in transit: your belongings while we have them
Goods in transit cover is the part that protects your possessions once they are in the mover's care. In practice that means from the moment an item is carried out of your door and loaded, through the drive, until it is unloaded and placed at the other end.
It exists because the riskiest part of any move is the part you cannot see: a wardrobe shifting on a roundabout, a box of glasses at the bottom of a stack, a mirror leaning against the wrong thing. A firm that carries goods in transit cover has accepted that responsibility in writing rather than relying on goodwill.
At LMD Logistics our man and van, removals, collection and delivery, packing and specialist work all run under goods in transit insurance. Packing we do ourselves is covered once the boxes are loaded, which is one reason careful packing matters so much.
Public liability: the property around the move
Public liability is a different policy for a different risk. It is not about the sofa; it is about the doorframe the sofa scrapes, the banister, the newly laid floor, the neighbour's car parked on a tight back lane, or a member of the public walking past the tail lift.
Office, shop and commercial moves lean heavily on this cover, because landlords and building managers often ask to see it before they will let a crew into a shared building or a lift. Our commercial removals are carried out under both goods in transit and public liability insurance, as are our piano and specialist item moves where heavy lifting through stairwells is part of the job.
Where each cover applies on moving day
- Carrying boxes down the path and into the van: goods in transit for the boxes, public liability for the path, gate and anything nearby.
- Driving between addresses: goods in transit.
- Taking a bed frame apart and putting it back together: goods in transit for the frame, public liability for the room it is in.
- Using a tail lift in a shared car park: public liability for people and vehicles around it.
- Items held at our Birtley yard between moves: ask how storage is covered, because storage is a separate arrangement from transit.
Questions to ask any removal firm
A professional firm will answer all five without hesitation. If a mover cannot say which cover they hold, that is the answer.
- Do you hold goods in transit cover, and does it apply to every job type you offer, including single item deliveries?
- Do you hold public liability cover, and can you provide a copy if my building manager asks for it?
- Are items I pack myself treated differently from items you pack?
- Are there items you will not carry, or that need to be declared in advance?
- What happens, step by step, if something is damaged?
Why cheap uninsured moves cost more
It is tempting to save money with someone who has a van and a free afternoon. The problem only appears when a television is dropped or a hallway is gouged, and there is nobody to claim against. We are a professional logistics company with full goods in transit insurance, yet our man and van rates are often cheaper than hiring a van and doing it yourself, so insured does not have to mean expensive.
The customer reviews on our Google profile, where we are rated 4.9 from more than 76 reviews, repeatedly mention care with belongings. Insurance is the backstop; careful handling is what keeps you from ever needing it.
Your own cover still matters
A mover's policy does not replace your home contents insurance, and some items, such as cash, jewellery and important documents, are best carried by you personally on the day. Check whether your own policy extends to items in transit or in storage, and read our separate guide on removals insurance for the customer side of the picture.
Common questions
Related services
- Removals in Birtley — Small or large home moves over short or long distances — fully insured.
- Man and Van in Birtley — Two or three movers and a van — we do the heavy lifting for you.
- Commercial Removals in Birtley — Office, shop and business relocations across the North East — planned around your trading hours.