Quick answer
There is no flat price for goods in transit (GIT) insurance. Your premium is worked out from the load limit you choose, what you carry, where and when you drive, the security on your trucks and your claims record. A broker takes those details to insurers and comes back with a premium, an excess and the conditions attached to the cover. At Cross-Cover the minimum load limit is R300,000, for commercial vehicles over 3,500 kg tare. For an exact figure on your trucks, complete the online quote form or call Justin Cripps on 083 357 5553.
How insurers work out a GIT premium
Most GIT policies for transporters are rated on one of three bases. Ask which basis each insurer has used, because it changes how you compare quotes.
| Rating basis | How it works | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|
| Load limit per vehicle | Each truck is insured up to the most it will carry in one load. The premium is a rate applied to that limit. | Owner-drivers and small fleets with similar loads |
| Annual declaration | You estimate what you will carry in the year and declare actual figures later. The premium is adjusted at the end of the period. | Operators whose load values change through the year |
| Per load | Each load is declared and insured on its own. | Occasional or once-off high-value moves |
What pushes your premium up or down
| Factor | Tends to raise the premium | Tends to lower it |
|---|---|---|
| Load limit | A higher limit per load | A limit that matches your real maximum load |
| Goods carried | Theft-prone or fragile goods such as electronics, cigarettes, liquor, copper, tyres or perishables | Bulk, low-value or hard-to-resell goods |
| Routes and times | Hijacking hotspots, night driving, long waits at borders and ports | Planned routes and secure overnight parking |
| Vehicle security | No tracking, immobiliser or panic button | Tracking with a monitored control room, immobilisers, locked or sealed trailers |
| Drivers | New or unvetted drivers | Vetted, trained drivers with clean records |
| Claims history | Recent claims, especially theft or hijacking | Several claim-free years |
| Excess | A low excess | A higher excess you can carry from cash flow |
| Cross-border work | Long border waits and routes further north | Domestic routes only |
Your load limit is the biggest lever
The load limit is the most the insurer will pay for one load. Set it too low to save premium and a total loss leaves you paying the difference yourself. Set it far above anything you carry and you pay for cover you never use. Look at the most valuable load you moved in the past year, add a margin for price increases, and use that figure.
Your clients also have a say. Kweli, a load-matching platform, notes that most cargo owners want to see at least R500,000 of GIT cover before they hand over a load. If clients ask you for paperwork, our guide to proof of goods in transit insurance explains what a GIT certificate shows.
Where and when you drive matters
Insurers price the roads you use. SAPS recorded 327 truck hijackings between April and June 2026, and 219 of them were in Gauteng. KwaZulu-Natal (31) and Mpumalanga (27) followed. A study presented at the Southern African Transport Conference named Delmas, Orange Farm, Kempton Park and Alberton as the precincts with the most truck hijackings in 2023, and flagged stretches of the N2 and N3 around eThekwini and the N2 in Cape Town.
The Road Freight Association cautions that many hijackings are reported only because insurers need a case number, so the real figure is likely higher. If your regular runs pass through these areas, expect questions about stop points, parking and tracking. Our truck hijacking trends article goes deeper.
Security conditions shape the price and the claim
Security is not only a pricing factor. Insurers often write it into the policy as conditions: an approved tracking unit, overnight parking at a secure depot or truck stop, or a rule against leaving a loaded truck unattended. If a loss happens while a condition was not met, the claim can be reduced or declined, so read the conditions in every quote, not just the premium.
The Road Freight Association says operators’ security spend rose from about 0.3% of operating costs a decade ago to 2.3% by 2025. That spend is often what keeps a transporter insurable at a workable rate.
Two operators, two very different quotes
These examples are illustrations, not quotes. They show how the same load limit can be priced very differently.
Operator A: one truck, bulk agricultural loads
An owner-driver runs one tracked truck and trailer between the Free State and Durban, carrying bagged fertiliser and grain. The loads are heavy, low in value for their weight and hard to resell. Most of the route avoids the Gauteng hotspots, and there have been no claims in five years. An insurer is likely to see this as a lower-risk account.
Operator B: three trucks, consumer goods in Gauteng
A small fleet delivers appliances and electronics around Gauteng, often loading at night, and had a hijacking claim last year. The goods are easy to sell on, the routes pass through known hotspots and the claims record shows a recent theft. Expect a higher rate, tighter security conditions and possibly a separate, higher excess for theft and hijacking.
Both operators could choose a R500,000 load limit and still receive very different premiums.
Monthly or annual premium?
GIT is usually quoted as an annual premium, and many insurers let you pay it monthly. Some quote per vehicle, so you can add or remove trucks as the fleet changes. When you compare quotes, compare the same period and check whether each premium is per vehicle or for the whole fleet.
Seven ways to lower your GIT premium without losing cover
- Match the load limit to your real maximum load, and review it every year.
- Fit tracking with a monitored control room and keep proof that it was active.
- Plan overnight stops at secure depots or truck stops, and keep a record of them.
- Vet and train your drivers, and keep the records.
- Choose an excess you could pay from cash flow if you had to claim.
- Cut small claims with better loading, securing and handover procedures, and signed delivery notes.
- Give full, accurate answers on the quote form. Gaps found later cost more at renewal.
What to have ready for an accurate quote
- Company name, contact person, email address and cell number
- Number of vehicles, and whether they are South African or foreign registered
- Whether you are a transporter, transport broker or cargo owner
- Your maximum load value (from R300,000)
- A short list of the goods you move
- Where you need cover: South Africa only, or which cross-border countries
- Current and previous insurers, and your most recent claim (date, value and cause)
Frequently asked questions
There is no single monthly price. The premium depends on your load limit, the goods you carry, your routes, your security and your claims history. A broker can give you an exact figure once you share those details, and many insurers let you pay the annual premium monthly.
The minimum load limit is R300,000 per load. Cover is for commercial vehicles over 3,500 kg tare, registered in South Africa or elsewhere.
It usually helps, and for theft-prone goods many insurers require it. A tracking unit linked to a monitored control room shows the insurer that a stolen truck can be followed up quickly.
Insurers price future risk partly on past claims. A theft or hijacking claim in particular can raise the rate or the excess, or bring stricter security conditions at renewal.
Not always. Compare the load limit, excess, exclusions and security conditions as well as the premium. A cheap quote with conditions you cannot meet every day can leave a claim unpaid.
Related reading
- What goods in transit insurance does not cover
- Comprehensive GIT insurance: a cover checklist
- Proof of goods in transit insurance and GIT certificates
- GIT insurance in South Africa for 2026
- Peak season GIT insurance checklist for Black Friday and the festive season
Sources
- Freight News: Truck hijacking decline masks under-reporting (RFA), 1 September 2026
- Freight News: Study identifies SA’s truck hijacking hotspots, 7 July 2026
- Kweli: Guide to finding loads for trucks in Southern Africa
This article is general information, not financial advice. Premiums and cover depend on underwriting and the policy wording. Cross-Cover Insurance Brokers is an authorised financial services provider (FSP 14628).