DCI Logistics LLC
Cargo Insurance Notice
Cargo insurance is the single most misunderstood item on a cross-border movement. This page states DCI Logistics LLC's position plainly, so there is no room for a costly assumption.
01The notice
This is the policy of DCI Logistics LLC, reproduced in full and without alteration:
Mexico shipments must be insured by the customer unless cargo insurance is arranged by DCI Logistics LLC at the customer’s express request.
It applies to any shipment originating in, destined for, or moving through Mexico under an arrangement made by DCI.
02Why this matters
The assumption that costs shippers the most money on a Mexico lane is this one: the freight is covered because someone in the chain must be covering it.
On a cross-border movement there are several parties, each carrying a different kind of exposure, and none of them is automatically insuring your goods for their full commercial value. The default position is that the customer insures the cargo. That default changes only when you ask DCI to arrange cargo insurance and DCI confirms it.
We would rather say this bluntly on a public page than have the conversation for the first time after a loss.
03Three things that are not the same
| What it is | What it actually covers | Who holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Broker financial responsibility (BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust fund, required by 49 CFR 387.307) | Provides for payments to shippers or motor carriers if the broker fails to carry out its contracts, agreements or arrangements for the supplying of transportation by authorised motor carriers. It does not insure freight against loss or damage. | DCI, as a licensed property broker |
| Motor carrier cargo liability | The carrier’s liability for loss of or damage to freight in its possession — subject to its own terms, its own limits, exclusions, and the applicable law. It is a liability, not a policy on your goods, and it is frequently far below commercial value. | The motor carrier transporting the freight |
| Cargo insurance | An insurance policy covering the goods themselves, subject to the policy’s terms, limits, deductibles and exclusions. This is the thing most shippers mean when they say “is it insured?” | The customer — or DCI, at the customer’s express request and once confirmed |
Broker bond ≠ cargo insurance. A broker’s surety bond secures the broker’s performance of its transportation arrangements. It has never insured a shipper’s freight, and no statement on this website should be read as suggesting that it does.
04How to make an express request
The word “express” is doing real work in the notice. An assumption is not a request; a general expectation is not a request. The request must be made by you and must be unambiguous.
You can make one:
- by selecting “I expressly request DCI Logistics LLC to arrange cargo insurance” on our quote request form, which appears whenever the movement involves Mexico;
- in writing by email to your DCI contact, or to quotes@dcilogistics.us;
- within a signed agreement between your company and DCI.
To act on a request we need the commodity, the declared value, the origin and destination, and the equipment. Cargo insurance is priced on what is actually moving.
05A request is not coverage
This is the part worth reading twice.
Selecting the option on a form, or sending an email asking us to arrange cargo insurance, records a request. It does not place cover on your freight.
Cargo insurance arranged by DCI is in effect only once DCI has confirmed it in writing for the specific shipment, and it is then subject to the terms, conditions, limits, deductibles and exclusions of the policy under which it is arranged.
Until you have that written confirmation, treat the shipment as insured by you. If you have made a request and have not received confirmation, ask us — that is a normal and sensible question, and we would far rather answer it before the truck moves.
Nothing in our quote form, in an automated acknowledgement, or in our internal notification email constitutes confirmation of cover.
06Shipments that do not involve Mexico
The notice above is specific to Mexico movements. On domestic United States movements and on U.S. – Canada movements, the motor carrier carries cargo liability subject to its own terms and applicable law, and you may still wish to hold your own cargo insurance — carrier liability limits are often well below the commercial value of the goods.
If you want cargo insurance arranged on any lane, ask. The same rule applies everywhere: a request is a request, and cover exists once we confirm it in writing.
07If something goes wrong
Note the loss or damage on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery, photograph it, and tell us as soon as you can. Early notice materially affects what can be recovered, and some applicable time limits are short.
Then the path depends on what cover is in place:
- Claim against the motor carrier. We identify the carrier, provide the shipment documentation in our possession and help you present the claim.
- Claim under cargo insurance arranged by DCI. We help present the claim to the insurer under the confirmed policy.
- Claim under your own policy. We provide the documentation your insurer needs.
Claims contact: claims@dcilogistics.us · +1 (956) 656-1165
The full claims process is set out in section 13 of the Terms and Conditions of Service.
08Common questions
Is my freight insured if I do nothing?
Not by DCI. Mexico shipments must be insured by the customer unless cargo insurance is arranged by DCI Logistics LLC at the customer’s express request. If you have not made a request and received written confirmation, insure the shipment yourself.
Doesn’t the carrier’s insurance cover it?
The motor carrier carries liability for freight in its possession, subject to its own terms, limits and applicable law. That is a liability with limits, not a policy on the full commercial value of your goods, and the two frequently differ by a wide margin.
Doesn’t DCI’s bond cover my cargo?
No. A property broker’s surety bond provides for payments to shippers or motor carriers if the broker fails to carry out its transportation arrangements. It does not insure freight against loss or damage. They are different instruments answering different questions.
How do I know the insurance is actually in place?
Because DCI confirmed it to you in writing for that shipment. If you do not have that, it is not in place.
Is this insurance advice?
No. DCI is not an insurance broker or adviser, and nothing here is advice about what cover you should carry. Deciding what is adequate for your business is your decision, and one worth taking with your own broker or counsel.