COI tracking for logistics & warehousing operators

COI terminology in shipping and logistics

Freight has its own vocabulary for the same document, and the roles on a certificate rarely map cleanly onto the roles on a bill of lading. The distinctions that actually matter:

What is a COI for shipping?

The same document as anywhere else — a broker-issued summary of a policy — but requested at a different moment: before a load moves, before a vendor is let onto a dock, or before a 3PL agreement is signed. In shipping it typically needs to show auto liability and cargo coverage alongside general liability, because the exposure is goods in transit rather than work on a site.

What does COI mean in logistics?

Certificate of Insurance. It is worth saying plainly because the acronym collides: in other contexts COI means conflict of interest, and in customs and trade documentation a similar-looking abbreviation refers to a certificate of origin — a completely different document about where goods were made. If a counterparty asks for a "COI" and the context is insurance requirements in a contract, they mean a certificate of insurance.

What should a freight broker check on a carrier’s certificate?

That the named insured is the motor carrier actually hauling the load, not an affiliate; that auto liability and cargo coverage are both present with their own in-date expiration dates; that the limits meet what the shipper’s contract requires; and that the broker’s own entity is the certificate holder if the agreement calls for it. Worth knowing what the certificate cannot tell you: whether the policy is still in force right now, whether cargo coverage excludes the commodity on this load, and anything at all about the carrier’s regulatory authority status. Those require the insurer, the policy, and the regulator’s own records respectively.

Does a COI need an address?

In practice, yes — two of them, and they do different jobs. The named insured’s address identifies which legal entity the policy covers, which matters when a carrier operates several similarly-named businesses. The certificate holder’s address identifies who the certificate was issued to, and if your contract specifies particular holder wording, it usually includes the address. A certificate with a blank holder box was not issued to you specifically and is generally worth sending back for reissue.

Who is the certificate holder versus the named insured?

The named insured is the party whose policy it is — the vendor, carrier, or subcontractor. The certificate holder is the party the document was prepared for — you, the one who asked. They are never the same entity on a certificate you requested, and mixing them up is the most common reason a certificate has to be issued twice. Being the certificate holder does not, on its own, give you any rights under the policy; that comes from endorsements.

Got a certificate in front of you? Check what it says — free, no signup — or read the field-by-field guide. Need to ask for one? Generate the request email.