---
title: "inland marine insurance: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "Inland marine insurance is property coverage for items that move or sit away from a fixed location."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/inland-marine-insurance
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Insurance and risk

# inland marine insurance

Inland marine insurance is property coverage for items that move or sit away from a fixed location. NAIC says it covers property in transit, held by a bailee, at a fixed location, or movable goods often at different locations. Progressive describes it as coverage for tools, equipment and products stored away from your business.

## Why it matters

Despite the name, it has nothing to do with boats. The name comes from older marine policies for cargo. A portable storage company may use inland marine for equipment, containers or property in its care, depending on the policy. A common mistake is to assume a general liability policy covers the company's own stock. It does not. Coverage forms and exclusions vary, so operators should ask an agent whether containers in yards, on trucks and at customer sites are covered. Ask also whether the policy covers items owned by customers while the company holds them. This is not insurance advice.

[Read: Insurance for portable storage companies: What coverage to ask about](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/guides/insurance-for-portable-storage-companies)

Definition source: [content.naic.org](https://content.naic.org/glossary-insurance-terms)

## Related terms

[### cargo insurance Cargo insurance protects goods that a carrier hauls for others. Progressive Commercial describes motor truck cargo insurance as protecting goods and materials transported by for-hire truckers against events such as fire, collision and theft. It protects both the carrier and the cargo owner.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/cargo-insurance)[### contents coverage Contents coverage is protection for the items stored inside a container. PODS explains two kinds of protection: contents protection covers the container and your contents against accidents, burglary and vandalism in listed settings, and container-only protection covers just the container. Terms and exclusions vary by company.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/contents-coverage)[### general liability insurance General liability insurance is business coverage for claims of injury or property damage to other people. NAIC defines commercial general liability as flexible and broad commercial liability coverage with two major sub-lines: premises and operations, and products and completed operations. Policies differ in limits and exclusions.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/general-liability-insurance)[### bailment A bailment is a transfer of possession of property without a transfer of ownership. Cornell's Legal Information Institute defines it that way. The person who delivers the item is the bailor, and the person who receives it is the bailee. The bailee must usually return the item.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/bailment)[### commercial auto insurance Commercial auto insurance covers motor vehicles that a business owns or uses. NAIC defines it as coverage that protects the insured against financial loss from legal liability for motor vehicle injuries or damage to others' property caused by accidents tied to ownership, maintenance, use or care of a vehicle.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/commercial-auto-insurance)[### container yard A container yard is an area where shipping containers are stored, staged and moved between trucks, rail and ships. In shipping, a container yard sits at or near a port, rail terminal or inland depot and holds both loaded and empty containers.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/container-yard)

[All 220 terms](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary)

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