Wholesale and Distribution Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a wholesale and distribution business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for wholesalers, distributors, and importers. Priorities reflect typical exposure; confirm against imports, private label, and storage.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products & Completed Operations Liability | Covers injuries from products sold — the core coverage for distributors. | Core | |
| Vendor's Endorsements from Manufacturers | Adds the distributor as an insured on manufacturers' product policies. | Core | |
| Product Recall / Contamination | Covers the cost of pulling products — excluded from GL. | Prevalent | |
| Commercial Property & Business Income (incl. Stock) | Covers warehouse inventory and lost income. | Core | |
| Commercial Auto | Covers delivery vehicles. | Situational | |
| Warehouse Legal Liability | Covers goods stored for others. | Situational | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits above primary products coverage. | Prevalent |
The coverage gap most often missed
The most commonly missed gap for this class is losing pass-through status. A distributor that imports, private-labels, relabels, or modifies products is treated as the manufacturer — NHTSA treats importers of defective auto parts as manufacturers, and CPSC held Amazon responsible as a distributor for 400,000 hazardous products. When a foreign manufacturer has no U.S. insurance, the distributor absorbs the claim. Vendor's endorsements, supplier indemnities, and recall coverage close most of the gap.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your wholesale and distribution coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Wholesale and Distribution Insurance · Wholesale and Distribution Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a wholesale and distribution business need?
The core coverages for a wholesale and distribution business are Products & Completed Operations Liability, Vendor's Endorsements from Manufacturers, Commercial Property & Business Income (incl. Stock). This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my wholesale and distribution coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.