HGV, Lorry and Truck Fleet Insurance
Busy fleet owners or managers need to maintain a close control of their motor costs and, whether you need to cover a fleet of 32-tonne tippers or 44-tonne articulated trucks, you will need great fleet insurance.
HGV, Lorry and Truck Fleet Insurance
FleetCover’s insurance policies are cost effective and you will have a dedicated account manager allocated to you when you move your insurance to us, ensuring that you receive a hassle free service.
Whether you are making an adjustment to your policy or reporting a claim, the service you receive from us will be efficient and without fuss. Read on to find out how HGV, lorry and truck insurance could work for you or check out our guide to HGV fleet insurance.
What does HGV, lorry and truck fleet insurance cover?
A HGV, truck and lorry fleet insurance policy will usually cover vehicles of any size, ranging from service vans to articulated vehicles and will allow cover for either the carriage of own goods or for hire and reward.
In order to insure a vehicle which carries goods for trade or business purposes on public roads, you are required to have an operators licence if the vehicle exceeds 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW).
It can take up to 9 weeks to apply for an operator’s licence but, in certain cases, you will be granted an interim licence. There are circumstances whereby an operator’s licence won’t be required, even if you are operating vehicles over 3.5t, and you can check if your vehicle is exempt on the GOV.UK website.
There are three different types of operators licence depending on what the vehicle is used for. They are as follows:
Restricted licence:
- This licence allows you to carry your own goods, but not other people’s goods.
Standard national licence:
- This licence means you can carry your own goods in the UK and internationally.
- You may also carry other people’s goods in the UK.
- You can also take loaded trailers to or from ports within the UK as part of an international journey, as long as your vehicles don’t leave the country.
Standard international licence:
- This licence means you can carry your own goods, and other people’s goods, both in the UK and on international journeys.
- When you get a standard international licence, you can also request the issue of Community Licences. These allow:
- Trips between all EU member countries.
- Transit traffic through EU member countries
- Cabotage (journeys entirely within another EU member country)
Does truck and lorry fleet insurance cover trailers?
A truck and lorry fleet policy will allow cover for trailers subject to them being declared to the underwriter and will usually cover them on a specified basis or an unspecified basis. Specified trailers will be identified by their make, model or serial number and would usually be rated depending on their individual value.
Here, the cover for the trailer would usually be the same as that of the towing vehicle, whether the trailer is attached or detached.
A trailer covered on an unspecified basis may include a trailer that you are towing for a client, or one that is borrowed or hired. Here, the trailer would be covered whilst being towed and covered only whilst temporarily detached. A trailer left in a lay-by at the side of the road overnight would not be covered.
How many vehicles can I have on a HGV, lorry and truck fleet policy?
Unlike our other fleet insurance products, we can generally only cover fleets of large vehicles starting at 5 vehicles upwards. This differs from commercial motor fleets, which can start from 2 vehicles. However, we do have a separate product that caters for truck operators of 1 to 5 vehicles, so get in touch if this applies to you.
If you have a fleet that is made up of multiple vehicle types, such as HGV’s, vans and cars, we can tailor a policy specifically for you. We work with a large panel of insurers and as such, we are able to cater to most requirements.
Are there any driver restrictions on a HGV, lorry and truck fleet policy?
Commonly, a HGV fleet policy will restrict inexperienced drivers who have had a HGV licence for less than 2 years; however, insurers are continually reviewing their policies to ensure that they cater for the wider market and there are an increasing number of policies available that may have no restriction on experience at all.
With the widely reported shortage of qualified HGV drivers available in the UK, we would expect insurers to relax their driving restrictions even further to accommodate the expected influx of newly qualified drivers.
What types of HGV, lorry and truck fleet covers are there?
There are 3 main levels of cover. These range from:
- Third Party Only
- Third Party Fire and Theft
- Comprehensive Cover
Comprehensive cover will cover your own vehicle damage, Fire and Theft cover and Third Party Only cover, which is the minimum required level of insurance in the UK. Unless you operate a very low value fleet of trucks, or you are trying to cut costs due to a poor claims record, then we would always recommend insuring your vehicles comprehensively.
There are other levels of cover available, but these are the 3 most common cover types. If you are looking for alternative coverage, get in touch with our team to discuss your options.
The range of cover offered in the fleet market is typically much cheaper and less restrictive than cover you can find elsewhere on individual policies.
An individual insurance policy for a HGV will usually only allow driving by named drivers whereas a fleet policy allows open driving, subject to age restrictions and experience
What truck fleet cover options will affect my premium?
The type of cover you select (listed above) will determine your premium initially. Then, the number of vehicles insured on the policy will also be one of the main driving forces behind the premium, along with the geographical radius in which you operate.
Discounts would be allowed for companies that operate within a 100-mile radius of base. Other operators might require National cover or International cover and the premiums would increase accordingly.
The best way to understand how much HGV, lorry and truck fleet insurance would cost you and your business is to speak with our team. Call us today on 0345 224 5329, let us know the details of your fleet and daily operations and we’ll do the rest.
