Stay on the safe side with a. hartrodt
Freight forwarder authorized to offer transport insurance with exemption from the Chamber of Commerce.
Customers without own transport insurance continue to receive individual insurance services from a. hartrodt. This support, in particular needed by small and medium-sized companies, appeared to be jeopardized by a ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in September 2022. "According to the ECJ ruling, freight forwarding companies that receive remuneration are considered insurance intermediaries," explains Michael Leuze, Business Consultant at a. hartrodt Germany in Hamburg. For this reason, a. hartrodt applied for a license exemption from the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce at an early stage – and has owned it since the beginning of the year. "Clients are on the safe side with us," emphasizes Michael Leuze.
Transport insurance as an all-round package
In close cooperation with an insurance company (Assekuradeur), a. hartrodt has been offering reliable transport insurance for many years. "Our all-round package is essential for our customers without own annual cover," says Michael Leuze. In the sea freight sector, for example, dangers such as port explosions, accidents, piracy or ship fires await. Recently, geopolitical tensions have also been on the rise worldwide.
Insurance protection can cover war risks
"Experience shows that the discrepancy between the damage incurred and the liability of the freight forwarder is often underestimated," Michael Leuze knows from decades of experience. Before specializing at the beginning of 2023, he dealt with transport damage in the export business at a hartrodt: "If an entire ship is affected, customers often only get their cargo with a deposit up to the value of the goods." This risk can be avoided with tailor-made insurance protection, which can also cover war or strike risks, for example. "We cover exclusions of liability and offer compensation beyond the limit of liability," says Michael Leuze.
Michael Leuze has noticed "unease" in the freight forwarding industry due to the ECJ ruling, with many competitors apparently still assuming a "transition period" with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. But a. hartrodt does not expect its customers to go through this delay: "Our license exemption means security."