Inland Marine Insurance
Inland marine insurance, also called tools and equipment insurance, helps protect the movable goods and supplies you rely on for business.
What Is Inland Marine Insurance?
Inland marine insurance is designed to cover your movable business items, including food inventory and equipment, as long as they’re not permanently fixed to one location. It can pay to repair or replace these things if they get stolen or damaged.
For example, your food trailer and equipment are mobile because they aren’t installed at a single location. Any cooking equipment or supplies you bring from place to place also fall under this category. Inland marine is built to protect mobile equipment like this.
This coverage can also apply to rented tools and equipment.
What Is the Difference Between Inland Marine and General Liability?
Inland marine is intended to cover your mobile tools and equipment, while general liability insurance can cover harm, such as property damage or bodily injury that your business causes to others. These coverages also have separate limits.
Inland marine insurance from FLIP is only available as a coverage add-on to your general liability policy. Add this coverage to your base policy at checkout, or if you already have a FLIP policy, purchase inland marine any time right through your user dashboard.
What Does Inland Marine Insurance Cover?
Inland marine insurance can cover:
- Mobile property not fixed to any location
- Supplies and inventory
- Trailers (not including semi-trailers)
- Equipment (except when permanently installed in a truck or vehicle)
- The collision, upset, or overturn of your food trailer
- Rented tools and equipment
How Does Inland Marine Insurance Work?
With tools and equipment coverage, you can receive financial assistance if your mobile equipment or supplies are stolen or damaged.
FLIP’s inland marine coverage provides a maximum coverage of $10,000 per item and a maximum of $50,000 per year for all claims.
Need additional coverage? Contact us, and one of our licensed agents can help get your business essentials covered.
Why Is It Called “Inland Marine Insurance”?
“Inland marine” comes from the term “marine coverage,” which was insurance for goods transported over water. Coverage for goods transported on land became known as “inland marine,” the “on land” version of the original name.
Now, inland marine has evolved to cover tools and equipment in transit at various locations, rather than at a fixed place. It follows the policyholder wherever they go — perfect for mobile food vendors who need to protect their movable gear.
Who Needs Inland Marine Insurance?
Anyone who has mobile tools, equipment, and supplies needs inland marine insurance to help shield themselves from the expensive costs of replacing stolen or damaged gear.
This includes:
- Caterers
- Food truck vendors
- Farmers market vendors
- Commercial kitchen renters
- Mobile food and beverage businesses
- Food manufacturers
If you run a food business, chances are, you can benefit from the financial protection inland marine provides. Check out our Who Qualifies page to see more types of food businesses we cover.
What Does Inland Marine Insurance Not Cover?
Inland marine coverage does not offer protection for buildings or equipment permanently installed in buildings or vehicles. In addition, it does not cover:
- Property while airborne
- Underground property
- Property that is waterborne or underwater
- Aircraft or watercraft
- Any land motor vehicles
- Precious metals, furs, fine art, semi-precious stones, gold, silver, or platinum
Some losses inland marine insurance is not built to cover include:
- Normal wear and tear
- Intentional damage
- Damage caused by neglect
- Employee theft
See your policy for exact exclusions and limitations. Have questions about what your policy does and doesn’t cover? Call us at 844.520.6992 — our licensed support team is happy to help!
How Do You Get Inland Marine Insurance?
If you’re already a FLIP policyholder, add inland marine insurance to your policy through your online dashboard.
New to FLIP? Securing coverage for your business and equipment is easy:
- Add your business information
- Select inland marine as an add-on coverage
- Get your instant quote, pay, and you’re covered!
What Information About My Business Do I Need to Get Covered?
Have this information ready:
- Business name
- Owner name and contact information
- Address
- Business description
- Gross annual sales
- Desired coverages
How Long Does It Take to Get Inland Marine Insurance?
Most people complete our online application in less than 10 minutes. After checkout, you receive instant access to your dashboard and certificate of insurance (COI).
If you need more coverage than our ready-to-buy policy offers, our in-house team of licensed agents can create a custom quote in about 24–48 hours.
What Are Common Inland Marine Claims?
Here are some claims your policy can help cover.
Trailer Break-In
A food vendor had their trailer broken into and lost their business personal property.
Claim Cost: $5,500
Generator Fire
A food business owner’s generator caught fire and was destroyed.
Claim Cost: $750
Pizza Oven in Transit
While being transported, a pizza oven accidentally overturned and sustained damage.
Claim Cost: $4,400
“Many equipment claims occur outside of the kitchen. Inland marine insurance protects the valuable equipment, tools, and property your business depends on every day — because coverage shouldn’t stop when your property leaves your premises. ” –Andrew Adamus, Program Manager, FLIP
How Much Does Inland Marine Insurance Cost?
FLIP’s tools and equipment (inland marine) coverage costs:
- $11.17 per month for $5,000 per item/$10,000 per year
- $20.75 per month for $7,500 per item/$25,000 per year
- $33.33 per month for $10,000 per item/$50,000 per year
If you need higher limits, we’ll submit your information to an underwriter for a quote. The pricing will depend on your business location and the value of your equipment.
Why FLIP for Inland Marine Insurance Coverage?
FLIP offers a cost-effective way to insure the tools, equipment, and supplies that make it possible for you to run your business.
It’s easy to add inland marine coverage to your general liability policy during checkout by selecting the limits you need under Equipment, Inventory, and Tools. You can also add this coverage through the user dashboard if you already have a FLIP policy.
FLIP also offers a wide range of insurance coverage types to suit the unique needs of your business, from cyber liability to product liability.
Learn more about inland marine insurance and why it’s important for food businesses.
What FLIP Customers Say
Take it from your fellow food industry professionals — they cook up some rave reviews.
Coverage Details Limits
General Liability Aggregate Limit
$2,000,000
Products – Completed Operations Aggregate Limit
$2,000,000
Personal and Advertising Injury Limit
$1,000,000
General Each Occurrence Limit
$1,000,000
Damage to Premises Rented to You Limit (Any One Premises)
$300,000
Liability Deductible
NO DEDUCTIBLE
Inland Marine Limit (Any One Article / Aggregate)
From $5,000/$10,000
Inland Marine Limit (Per Occurrence) – Deductible
$250
Medical Expense Limit
$5,000
FAQs About Inland Marine Coverage
Does My General Liability Policy Already Cover My Tools and Equipment?
General liability does not cover your movable business personal property against theft or damage, as it’s intended to cover third-party liability claims. So, if you rely on kitchen tools and equipment to run your food business, it’s smart to add tools and equipment coverage (inland marine) to help replace them if they’re stolen or damaged.
Does Inland Marine Insurance Cover Rented or Borrowed Equipment?
Yes, inland marine insurance can cover rented or borrowed equipment, as well as the movable tools and supplies you own and use to operate.
Is Food Inventory Covered Under Inland Marine Insurance?
Yes, in many cases. If your food inventory is lost or damaged due to a covered event, your policy may help cover the loss. Please review your policy for complete details on what is and isn’t included.
How Fast Can I Get Inland Marine Coverage?
Get inland marine insurance online in about 10 minutes by purchasing a FLIP policy with an inland marine coverage add-on. It’s fast and easy to protect the cooking equipment your business relies on to serve up delicious eats.
Written by: Chris Van Leeuwen
Chris Van Leeuwen is the VP of Professional Development for Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP). He has held the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation since 1996.
Because he strongly believes in the importance of helping business owners understand their insurance coverage, Chris uses his wealth of experience to offer insights to food and beverage professionals across the country who are looking to navigate business liability insurance
Reviewed by: Kyle Jude
Kyle Jude is the Program Manager for Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP). As a dedicated program manager with 10+ years of experience in the insurance industry, Kyle offers insight into different coverages for food and beverage business professionals who are looking to navigate business liability insurance.