Last reviewed: September 23, 2026
Standard motor truck cargo coverage protects the freight you're hauling, but it depends heavily on how the loss happens. Theft from an unattended trailer and mechanical breakdown of a refrigeration unit are two of the most common ways owner-operators find out their cargo policy doesn't respond the way they assumed.
A refrigeration unit failing and spoiling a load isn't a covered cause of loss under a standard cargo policy unless you've added reefer breakdown coverage specifically. Mechanical failure is treated differently than an external cause like a collision or theft.
Reefer breakdown as a specific endorsement, and reviewing your cargo policy's theft language for unattended vehicle restrictions before you're relying on it. It depends on your policy's exact wording, worth reading it rather than assuming.
Whether your cargo limit matches the actual value of loads you're hauling, and whether reefer breakdown is included if you're running temperature-controlled freight. Both are easy to overlook until a claim gets denied.
Does my cargo policy cover theft if I'm parked at a truck stop overnight? Depends on the specific policy's attended/unattended vehicle language. Worth confirming before it matters, not after.
Is reefer breakdown expensive to add? Usually a modest add-on relative to the value of a spoiled load. I can run the actual cost against what you're hauling.
Send me your current cargo limits and whether you're running reefer, and I'll tell you if there's a real gap.
— Aaron