Carrier liability policies · 9 min read
Jakub Wujec
Last reviewed: 3 September 2026
How to check an ERGO Hestia carrier liability policy
On an ERGO Hestia carrier liability policy, first read the code next to “Warunki ubezpieczenia” (insurance terms) (J01, J02 or J03), match “Ubezpieczony” (insured) to the booking and write down “Polisa nr” (policy number), not “Umowa generalna nr” (master agreement number). On the first page read the full sentence in “Zakres terytorialny” (territorial scope) and the “Suma gwarancyjna” (sum insured) for that product; cargo is bought with letters A to E, and German cabotage is a separate J02-99. You cannot look the file up by number online: confirm it on the form at ergohestia.pl.
This is an independent Certica tutorial. It was not written or approved by ERGO Hestia. The document shown is not a live insurance policy.
What the document can confirm, and what it cannot
Check an ERGO Hestia policy in two stages. First read the document and compare it with the booking. If the rate, the cargo or the file looks wrong, request a copy or the contract terms through the form on ergohestia.pl/obsluga/pozostale.
The screenshots are a Polish ERGO Hestia form. Match the printed labels. Each Polish field name in this walkthrough is followed by the English meaning in brackets.
OCP is the Polish label for carrier liability for goods in transit, also called CMR insurance or cargo liability. On an ERGO Hestia form the product line is “Ubezpieczenie OC przewoźnika drogowego” (road carrier liability insurance). It is not vehicle MTPL. Check tractor and trailer MTPL separately in UFG. A company record in KRS or CEIDG is not carrier verification.
What the first page of an ERGO Hestia policy looks like
Numbers 1 to 5 on the graphic are “Warunki ubezpieczenia” (insurance terms) with code J02-00, “Ubezpieczony” (insured), “Polisa nr” (policy number) and “Okres ubezpieczenia” (period of insurance), “Zakres terytorialny” (territorial scope) with the sum, and “Postanowienia dodatkowe” (additional provisions). Letter clauses and cabotage sit on later pages. Step 6 is the vehicle list. Step 7 is confirmation outside the document. The printed labels are in Polish. Each step quotes those words and gives the English meaning in brackets.
How to check an ERGO Hestia carrier liability policy step by step
Step 1. Subject of insurance
On the first page find “Warunki ubezpieczenia” (insurance terms). The product code sits on the same line. J02-00 is “Ubezpieczenie OC przewoźnika drogowego w ruchu międzynarodowym” (road carrier liability in international traffic). J01-00 is domestic traffic. J03-01 is “Ubezpieczenie OC spedytora” (freight-forwarder liability).
Read “Przedmiot ubezpieczenia” (subject of insurance). For J02-00 the form cites the CMR Convention: loss, damage and delay. J03-01 cites the Civil Code and a forwarding contract. If the company will haul as the actual carrier, do not accept forwarder cover alone.
Step 2. Insured party
Find “Ubezpieczający” (policyholder) and “Ubezpieczony” (insured). The booking decision turns on the insured. Compare the full legal name, legal form, NIP and address with the contract and the current company record.
Watch this
A similar trading name is not enough. A policy issued to the owner, another group company or a previous business needs an explanation before loading.
Step 3. Policy number and period
Copy “Polisa nr” (policy number) exactly as printed in the header. “Umowa generalna nr” (master agreement number) is not the policy number. Dates in “Okres ubezpieczenia” (period of insurance) must cover loading, the journey and the planned unloading. On the ERGO Hestia form the start and end times are printed next to the dates.
Step 4. Sum, territory and deductible
In “Zakres terytorialny” (territorial scope) read the whole sentence, not the word Europe alone. An international block can say “granice polityczne Europy oraz Turcja, z wyłączeniem” (political borders of Europe and Turkey, excluding) and then list states. Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan drop out of that sentence. Turkey is in the scope on some policies and on the exclusion list on others.
“Suma gwarancyjna” (sum insured) on the first page belongs to the product in that block, usually J02-00. Do not copy it onto German cabotage. In “Franszyza” (deductible) read the amount and the note “oraz zgodnie z postanowieniami dodatkowymi” (and in line with the additional provisions). Cabotage has its own deductible.
Step 5. Cargo and clauses
Open “Klauzule dodatkowe” (additional clauses). ERGO Hestia buys cargo types with letters. “Klauzula A OCPD za przewóz towarów z kontrolowaną temperaturą przewozu” (clause A for temperature-controlled goods). “Klauzula B” is medicines. “Klauzula C” is oversize vehicles. “Klauzula D” is new vehicles and construction or farm machines. “Klauzula E” is used vehicles.
If your cargo needs a letter that is missing, that extension is not bought. The clause name on the list is not the end of the check. Under clause E read “Postanowienia dodatkowe do klauzuli” (additional provisions for the clause) and the limit.
Watch this
ADR, alcohol and tobacco can appear as named rows on a different ERGO Biznes form. On the J-code form read the letter list and the additional provisions. Do not assume full all-risk cover.
Step 6. Vehicle list
Find “Numery rejestracyjne pojazdów objętych ochroną w ramach przedmiotowej polisy” (registration numbers of vehicles covered by this policy). Cover can be limited to the plates on that list. A new, leased or replacement vehicle that is not listed needs an explanation before loading.
Step 7. Official confirmation
ERGO Hestia has no public OCP search by number. Open the “obsługa” (policy service) page for other products on ergohestia.pl. In the block “Mam pytania do mojej polisy” (I have questions about my policy) request the terms or a copy. Do not use a phone number that appears only in the carrier’s email.
On the first page check the OWU code. The current file on the product pages is AB-OCPDS-01/25. Missing pages with the letter clauses or the cabotage block change the reading of the whole scope.
Limits most often missed on ERGO Hestia policies
EU cabotage on this policy does not include Germany
The clause “OCPD za przewozy kabotażowe na terenie krajów UE” (carrier liability for cabotage in EU countries) ends with an exclusion sentence. Read the printed list. This sample names Bułgaria, Rumunia, Dania, Niemcy and Irlandia. The United Kingdom is sometimes added.
The sum on the first page does not buy cabotage in those countries. Germany has a separate product. Read the exclusion list in this clause, not an EU map.
German cabotage is a separate J02-99 product
Find the title “Ubezpieczenie Odpowiedzialności Cywilnej Międzynarodowego Przewoźnika Drogowego w Ruchu Kabotażowym na terytorium Niemiec” (liability of an international road carrier for cabotage in Germany) and the code J02-99. That is not the same block as J02-00.
Read both amounts: the sum “na jedno zdarzenie” (per event) and the sum “na wszystkie zdarzenia” (for all events in the period). Check the line about vehicles above 3.5 t and the rule that German cabotage is issued only with international OCPD. Territory in this block is Germany. The legal basis is § 7a GüKG and the HGB, not the CMR Convention alone.
Codes J01, J02 and J03 are three different products
J01-00 is domestic OCPD. J02-00 is international OCPD. J03-01 is freight-forwarder liability. One policy can print two or three codes. J03 alone, even with an extension for a contractual carrier, does not replace actual-carrier OCPD.
A title “Ubezpieczenie OC Spedytora z rozszerzeniem o OCPD Umownego” (forwarder liability with an extension for a contractual road carrier) is a different product. Compare the code and the subject with the booking before you compare the sum.
OCPDK and OCPDM are two versions of the same accident clause
The clause for damage after a road accident caused by a third party has two suffixes. OCPDK cites art. 65 of the Polish transport law. OCPDM cites art. 17 of the CMR Convention. The wrong suffix is the wrong legal regime for the lane.
A sublimit can be for one event and for all events
In “Postanowienia dodatkowe” (additional provisions) look for “na jedno i wszystkie zdarzenia” (for one event and for all events). Customs, cash-on-delivery, Paramount, documents, CMR art. 24 and CMR art. 26 use that wording. That limit shrinks after a payout. A PDF from the start of the period does not show what is left.
The main sum on the first page is often “na każde zdarzenie” (per event). Do not mix the two formulas.
The plate list can limit cover to the vehicles in print
The heading “Numery rejestracyjne pojazdów objętych ochroną” (registration numbers of covered vehicles) ties the scope to those plates. The EU cabotage clause can also limit cover to own vehicles, not subcontractors. A booked plate that is not on the list does not enter that wording.
How to decide after you have read the policy
| Check result | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| The J-code, identity, dates, route, sum and clause letters match the booking | The document fits the planned haul | Record the result and finish the other carrier checks |
| A different name or NIP in Ubezpieczony | The policy may belong to another party | Hold the decision and ask for an explanation or the right file |
| The period ends before unloading | The document does not cover the whole planned haul | Ask for a renewal and confirmation before loading |
| The cargo needs clause A, B, D or E and the letter is missing | There is no basis to accept that scope | Read the full policy or get confirmation from ERGO Hestia |
| German cabotage, but the file has only the EU clause or no J02-99 | The EU clause excludes Germany. The J02-00 sum does not buy that scope | Find the J02-99 block, DMC above 3.5 t and both sums, then confirm the file on ergohestia.pl |
| You received only the first page or only code J03 | The file is incomplete or it is a forwarder product | Ask for the full carrier liability policy and a copy through the ERGO Hestia service form |
What a PDF check does not confirm
How to read an ERGO Hestia policy is a different question from how to confirm that the contract is still current. The file lets you judge the declared scope. It does not open the insurer’s live record.
- The PDF can be old, changed or incomplete.
- A signature and a logo do not prove authenticity on their own.
- A paid premium does not prove that the scope was not changed later.
- Carrier liability does not confirm vehicle MTPL, the transport licence, VAT or the company status.
- A final view on whether the cover is adequate may need a broker, the insurer or a lawyer.
Keep this in mind
The PDF alone does not prove that the contract was not later changed, cancelled or limited by an annex.
Don’t want to analyse every policy by hand?
Certica analyses the uploaded carrier liability policy in any language. It reads the insured party, the period, the document type, the territorial scopes, the sums and the named cargo categories.
Official sources
- ERGO Hestia: policy service, questions and document copyhttps://www.ergohestia.pl/obsluga/pozostale/
- ERGO Hestia: policy and claims servicehttps://www.ergohestia.pl/obsluga/
- ERGO Hestia: international road-carrier liabilityhttps://www.ergohestia.pl/dla-firmy/ubezpieczenia-transportowe/oc-przewoznika-w-ruchu-miedzynarodowym/
- ERGO Hestia: domestic road-carrier liabilityhttps://www.ergohestia.pl/dla-firmy/ubezpieczenia-transportowe/oc-przewoznika-w-ruchu-krajowym/
- ERGO Hestia: freight-forwarder liabilityhttps://www.ergohestia.pl/dla-firmy/ubezpieczenia-transportowe/oc-spedytora/
FAQ
Can I check an ERGO Hestia carrier liability policy online by number?
No. ERGO Hestia has no public OCP search by number. Request a copy or the contract terms through the form “Mam pytania do mojej polisy” (I have questions about my policy) on ergohestia.pl/obsluga/pozostale.
Is an ERGO Hestia carrier liability policy the same as vehicle MTPL?
No. OCP is carrier liability for the goods and the haul. Vehicle MTPL is compulsory motor cover. For Polish plates check it separately in UFG.
Where is the sum insured on an ERGO Hestia policy?
In “Suma gwarancyjna” (sum insured) in the product block, usually on the first page next to J02-00. German cabotage has two separate amounts in the J02-99 block: per event and for all events.
Which policy dates should I compare with the booking?
The dates in “Okres ubezpieczenia” (period of insurance) must cover the whole haul: loading, the journey and the planned unloading. On the ERGO Hestia form the times are printed next to the dates. Validity on the unloading day alone is not enough.
Does the ERGO Hestia service form replace reading the clauses?
No. The form on ergohestia.pl requests a copy or the terms. It does not show clauses A to E, the EU cabotage exclusion list or the J02-99 block. You still need the full policy to judge cargo and route.
What should I check before German cabotage on an ERGO Hestia policy?
Check that the J02-99 block exists, that both sums are printed, that the vehicle is above 3.5 t DMC and that the plate is on the list. The EU cabotage clause excludes Germany. Then request confirmation on ergohestia.pl.
How is J03 different from J02 on an ERGO Hestia policy?
J02-00 is road carrier liability in international traffic. J03-01 is freight-forwarder liability. J01-00 is domestic traffic. Forwarder cover alone, even with an extension for a contractual carrier, does not replace actual-carrier OCPD.