I'm shipping my car with a reputable carrier across the country. I am going to put some of my belongings in the trunk. I have insurance on the car, but if I wanted to insure the items in the trunk against damage and theft, what is that called?
What type of insurance can I get to insure the belongings in my car during its trip?
Car insurance doesn't tend to cover personal items, so you're right to be concerned. You should talk to the shipping company to see what kind of insurance they offer for your specific situation. Otherwise your other main option would be if you have a homeowners insurance policy, which you may be able to add your personal items to for an extra cost.
If the shipping company doesn't offer insurance for personal items stored in the vehicle while in transit (if that's even allowed, per BrenBarn's comment), then you'll want to ship your personal items with a carrier that does offer insurance. Otherwise, let them go uninsured.
As mentioned by Dan, your car insurance likely won't cover personal items in the vehicle.
However, contrary to his note about Homeowner's coverage, personal property loss or damaged in a personal vehicle being moved by transport vehicle is not likely listed under "perils insured against" in your homeowner's policy. They're pretty specific about what is covered and what isn't.
If you want to insure your belongings against damage or theft while transporting them, you will have to ship them with a carrier that offers insurance. (Moving companies, USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.)
Operating on the assumption of transport within the US.
