Aon vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance: How Do They Compare for Cargo and Transit Insurance?

A U.S. BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo guide marked US-12/22-A stated a maximum line up to $25 million subject to risk profile and listed worldwide coverage in primary or excess positions; this 2022 guide does not establish current availability. Aon lists cargo options across transit and storage. 3,9

What Is Aon?

Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe brokerage for certain insurance programs, while its Middle Market page describes a dedicated practice for mid-sized organizations across North America. The public materials reviewed do not identify the licensed producer or insurer for a particular placement. Ask which entity will produce each line and which insurer will issue the policy; request jurisdiction details for the proposed placement and ask how compensation and claim notice work for your account. 1,2

Read the Aon profile

Read the Aon Cargo and Transit Insurance page

What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?

BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. 4,5,6,7

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Insurance page

What Is Cargo and Transit Insurance?

Cargo coverage fits a shipper protecting goods it owns or a carrier responsible for another party’s goods. The quote needs to match who bears the loss, the shipment route and storage stops. 10,11,12,13

Read the full coverage guide

What Are the Key Differences Between Aon and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Insurance?

Capacity and Cargo Form

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo guide marked US-12/22-A stated a maximum line up to $25 million, subject to risk profile, and described worldwide coverage in primary or excess positions. The 2022 guide does not establish current capacity or availability. Aon lists General Cargo, Excess Storage, Stock Throughput, and Project Cargo/Marine Delay in Start-Up but does not publish a comparable limit in the reviewed record. The figure is a program maximum, not a promised limit; a buyer should confirm the available line, premium, and attachment point for its shipment values. 9 3

Placement and Exposure Fit

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance names target risks such as manufacturers and distributors of finished goods, machinery, food and beverage, bulk liquids, and containerized goods, while listing pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos, and livestock as out of appetite. Aon describes businesses moving goods across industries and transport modes. For a specialized commodity or project shipment, verify BHSI’s stated appetite and ask Aon which markets will consider the same exposure. 9 3

What Should You Confirm in Aon and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Insurance Quotes?

  • What limit and premium can BHSI offer for this risk, and is the position primary or excess? 3 9
  • Is the commodity or project type within BHSI appetite, and which Aon markets will quote it? 3 9

Aon and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Review Scores for 2026

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

Aon Review Score

6.1/ 10

Review Score

3 rated sources

Public ratings for Aon are low: Trustpilot shows 1.2 out of 5 from 782 reviews, and BBB shows 1.6 from five. Aon is a global firm, so those pages mostly reflect other parts of the business, not large U.S. commercial accounts.[4][6][7]

Read Aon reviews

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Review Score

-/ 10

Review Score

No reviews found

The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.[5][7]

Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance reviews

Aon vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Compared

Aon vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance: Cargo and Transit Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaAon Cargo and Transit brokerage and risk-advisory offeringBHSI’s current Ocean Marine catalog lists Ocean Cargo, Stock Throughputs and Project Cargo, separately from Inland Marine; the detailed cargo appetite evidence is an older, date-limited guide.
Role in This Line

Aon states it offers cargo insurance solutions and describes its role as cargo broker. The page does not name the carrier that would insure a particular shipment or account. 3Company-reported. Aon’s official global product/capability page. The statement is limited to Aon’s marketing of brokerage or advisory services, not policy issuance.

Confirm in your quote.

Issuing Insurer

The reviewed page does not identify the insurer or the legal producing entity for a specific placement. Ask Aon to identify both for the quoted risk. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Aon’s global product/capability page reviewed 2026-09-30; no buyer quote, binder or policy was reviewed. This does not establish that no insurer or producing entity is available.

Confirm in your quote.

Who It’s For

Aon addresses businesses across industries that move raw materials, components, finished goods and appliances by road, rail, sea or air, domestically and internationally. 3Company-reported. Audience stated by Aon on its global capability page; this does not establish a specific applicant’s eligibility or placement availability by U.S. state.

The marine catalog names importers/exporters, freight/logistics operators and manufacturers among its target customers. 8Company-reported. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine target-account list only; not Inland Marine eligibility. Material limitation: Target customer examples do not define every acceptable cargo or shipment.

The Ocean Marine Cargo guide describes target risks including manufacturers/distributors of finished goods, machinery and equipment, food and beverage, bulk liquids, containerized goods, and stock with balanced exposure; it lists pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos, DOL, and livestock as out of appetite. 9Company-reported. BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo/STP appetite in U.S. marketing material marked US-12/22-A. Material limitation: This is historical appetite guidance, not a policy exclusion list or current acceptance commitment. The current BHSI Marine catalog separately lists Project Cargo as an Ocean Marine product while this 2022 guide lists it out of appetite; current product-specific meaning and appetite must be reconciled with underwriting. It does not establish Inland Marine eligibility.

Coverage Features

Aon describes cargo insurance for physical loss or damage to goods during transportation and describes goods as protected during loading, unloading, storage and transit. Its listed options include General Cargo, Excess Storage, Stock Throughput and Project Cargo/Marine Delay in Start-Up. These are Aon’s product descriptions, not a guarantee that a buyer’s policy includes every category or peril. 3Company-reported. Aon’s broker-authored explanation of the insurance line. It does not establish an individual insured’s policy entitlement; the insurer’s form, endorsements and declarations control.

BHSI's marine program lists ocean cargo, project cargo and stock-throughput coverage. 8Company-reported. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine catalog; not inland transit or proof of the policy territory. Material limitation: Policy territory and transit definitions must be checked; catalog does not itself establish global scope.

BHSI’s marine catalog distinguishes ocean marine and inland marine, and separately lists stock-throughput as an option. 8Company-reported. US BHSI catalog. Material limitation: Confirm how Spot's shared cargo-transit key maps to these distinctions before coding coverage.

BHSI’s Ocean Marine Cargo overview lists stock throughput, ocean/international transit, domestic transit, excess stock, logistics, and contingent cargo coverage as coverage types available. 9Company-reported. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo marketing overview marked US-12/22-A; the current marine catalog independently lists Ocean Cargo and Stock Throughputs under Ocean Marine. Material limitation: Not all types are necessarily combined or available for every insured. Domestic transit wording is not a basis to merge this line with the separately listed Inland Marine catalog. Verify current forms, exclusions, territory and issuer.

Limits and Retentions

The reviewed page does not state a standard buyer-specific limit, retention or deductible for this placement. Confirm amounts, sublimits and conditions in the quote and issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. Aon’s global product/capability page reviewed 2026-09-30; no buyer quote or policy form was reviewed.

The BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo guide states up to $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile, a $15,000 minimum premium, worldwide coverage, and primary or excess positions. 9Company-reported. U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo/STP marketing guide marked US-12/22-A; $25 million capacity expressly depends on risk profile. Material limitation: The document is dated 2022-12 and says multinational policy ability would follow in 2025; do not treat its worldwide wording or current availability as confirmed. Capacity is not an insured limit, and minimum premium is not a quote. Reconfirm current appetite and issuer.

Risk Services

Aon describes cargo broking, risk consulting, claims management and a global network coordinating local expertise. These are brokerage and advisory services, not the insurer’s claim decision or a guarantee of recovery. 3Company-reported. Company-reported brokerage and advisory services. Account-specific service terms are not stated.

Confirm in your quote.

Related Pages for Aon vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Cargo and Transit Pages for Aon and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Other Coverage Lines Compared for Aon vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Other Cargo and Transit Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Aon vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Sources About Aon

  1. Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. Brokerage Terms of Service. Aon; Lines 120–127: certain-program broker-of-record scope, consultation, application assistance, client signature and bind instruction, and account administration; lines 140–147: variable and contingent compensation, potential placement incentive, and client request route; lines 206–213: no price guarantee and surplus-lines limitations; lines 229–231: client insurer-notice duty unless separately agreed. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Middle Market Clients. Aon; Lines 125–132: mid-sized organizations and middle-market framing; lines 165–173: dedicated practice and North America statement; lines 188–224: Commercial Risk capabilities. No numeric company-size cutoff or U.S.-only eligibility rule is stated on the reviewed page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Cargo Insurance. Aon; Cargo insurance definition and transport scope, coverage examples including loading, unloading and storage, lines 123–175; broking, risk consulting, claims management and global cargo network services in ‘How Aon Can Help’; talk-to-team link at top. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Sources About Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  1. At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Marine. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Inland and ocean marine product list, covered property classes and target businesses; lines 18-69. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Ocean Marine Cargo Overview. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Two-page U.S. marketing PDF marked US-12/22-A; product types lines 14-20; ocean marine cargo appetite, capacity and placement lines 43-57; out-of-appetite and target risk characteristics lines 58-72; terms disclaimer lines 103-114. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources for the Cargo and Transit Insurance Guide

  1. Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Property; Inland Marine; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Shipping Options. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; Export Shipping Basics; Tips on International Shipping from U.S.; Working with Freight Forwarders. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Special Documents. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; Insurance Certificate bullet. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage. American Association of Insurance Services, Inc.; hosted by National Unity; Coverage and Property Covered pp.1–2; Perils Excluded pp.6–7; Valuation p.8; How Much We Pay p.9; Transit definition p.13. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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