Lorry / Haulage Insurance

It is not only cars which must be insured on Britain's roads: every type of motor vehicle is legally required to have at least third party insurance before it can be driven, including lorries and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). Lorries and HGVs are typically used for business or commercial purposes. In addition they are characteristically different from other motor vehicles. For these reasons, lorry and/or haulage insurance is offered as a separate, specialised policy from a wide range of insurers.

There are many types of lorry and haulage insurance. It is essential for the success and security of your business that you provide adequate cover for your employees, as well as any goods or equipment within the vehicle. Usually, even the cheapest lorry insurance covers fire and theft of your vehicle, but you should always check the policy wording: third party policies will not generally insure your stock, equipment, or any goods that you are transporting for a client.

Even though a comprehensive lorry insurance policy will be more expensive, in the long run, it may well prove worthwhile; it is more prudent to pay higher insurance policy payments than face huge legal costs from a client whose goods have been damaged or destroyed as a result of an accident involving your lorry, and who has taken you to court.

The following types of additional cover are available with UK lorry and HGV insurance, but would not normally be on offer with conventional car insurance:

• Goods in Transit Insurance – this protects the vehicle's load against damage or destruction. This cover offers you peace of mind that in the event of an accident goods will not be replaced at your cost, regardless of whether they belong to you or to a customer.
  
  
• Public Liability – This covers you should an incident or accident occur which involves a client or a member of the public. It protects you should someone or something be injured by your vehicle(s) in any way. For example, if your lorry crashes into a member of the public, or its load falls and destroys someone's garden wall. Typically, the legal costs associated with a claim against you would also be covered. Remember, this does not cover injury to your employees, only the general public.
  
  
• European Lorry / HGV Insurance – This covers lorries and HGVs which will be driven abroad (but only within Europe) for business reasons.

The cost of lorry insurance will vary based on factors such as your age, experience, any driving convictions and the type of vehicle you drive. Your insurance provider will also take the following factors into account before giving a final quotation:

• The total, maximum weight of the van and its contents (that is, the load)
• The size and nature of the load, for example, hazardous substances
• Who owns the load, for instance, if you do not own the load but carry it for customers
• Any modifications made to the standard model of the lorry. These could include bulkheads which stop the goods from piercing the walls of the front cab if the brakes are suddenly applied.
• The length of the vehicle, perhaps determined by the number of axles or wheels it has
• The type of lorry: Rigid or Articulated (these two types may be further segregated by the number of wheels a lorry has)
  
  

You should give your insurance provider as much information as possible, to ensure that you get the best deal. If you are the owner of a number of lorries, you may wish to cover them altogether under one fleet insurance policy. Additionally, you may wish to purchase an 'any driver' policy, which ensures that the vehicle is covered regardless of which of your employees is driving.