HGV Insurance

The haulage world is famously tough -- if you want to make a decent profit you need to run a tight ship (or truck for that matter!). That's why it's important that when looking for HGV insurance, you find a great deal at a great price. This is where Quotiva can help; by using one of our forms we can introduce you to multiple expert haulage brokers who will offer you quotes that match your needs.

Who needs HGV Insurance?

HGV insurance is necessary for anyone that drives a truck or lorry on UK roads, whether that be for commercial/business use or social and domestic use. In it's simplest form it offers you third party cover should you have an accident whilst driving -- this is in fact a legal requirement for any vehicle on the road and means that your insurance company will pay for bodily and material damage caused to a third party in an accident. With comprehensive truck insurance your insurer would also provide you with a pay out after an accident to help repair or replace your HGV.

How do you classify a HGV?

A heavy goods vehicle is generally considered to a vehicle that weighs 7.5 tonnes or more (generally up to 44 tonnes on UK roads). To drive a heavy goods vehicle on UK roads not only will you need truck insurance, but if using the vehicle commercially, you will also require a goods vehicle operators licence. This licence allows the user to drive a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes for commercial use and is used as proof that the licence holder can care for the vehicle financially to keep it safe on British roads.

There are many different kind of lorries with different uses, made by various manufacturers such a Ford, Mercedes, Volvo and MAN. The most popular lorries are Rigid and Articulated vehicles, but there are other trucks such as flatbeds and those with additional features fitted such as tipper trucks, cement trucks, HIAB lorries and grab loaders.

Generally HGVs are insured to be used on public highways for the purpose of carrying your own goods or for haulage purposes. For example, you may want to insure a truck for domestic use -- perhaps you've started some self-build work at home. However, most truck and lorry users will want to insure their vehicle for commercial use and this will either be for the carriage of own goods for example builder that carries materials or perhaps a scaffolder, or for the carriage of goods for hire and reward -- for example a firm that carries materials across the country for another company and is paid for this by that firm.

What to look for in a HGV insurance policy?

• If you're driving for haulage purposes, then you may want to consider goods in transit cover (GIT) as part of your truck insurance policy. GIT cover protects you against loss or damage to property during transit from one location to another. In fact if you already have truck insurance and are looking specifically for GIT cover, please visit our goods in transit insurance page.

• Something else that may be of interest is haulage liability insurance. This is quite often a combination on both public liability and employer's liability. If you work alone, you will only need public liability insurance, which will protect your from damage caused to third parties during the course of driving your truck. If you have employees, employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement and will protect you from claims made by staff should they receive an injury at work whilst in your employment.

• Of course, if you're a haulier, you may also be interested in a specific HGV breakdown feature. It is worth discussing this with your broker -- some will be able to provide you with a replacement truck to carry on your delivery, whilst other will able to tow your truck away and take it to where you request. As you can imagine, breakdown cover should not be taken as lightly as standard car cover, especially when you're driving a 30 tonne truck!

What must I tell my haulage broker?

There are various factors that will have an impact on the cost of your HGV insurance, as well as the type of cover you will require. For example are you using just one truck or do you have a fleet of vehicles to cover? What about who's driving your lorries? Driver age can have a big impact on the cost of your premium and the number of brokers that can offer your quotes. Generally speaking, brokers will be looking for drivers over the age of 25 in the haulage industry. However, you will also have to let your broker know if you need an any driver policy, in which anyone over a certain age is insured to use the vehicle, rather than just named drivers. Finally, it is also important to let your broker know if you're carrying hazardous goods as this will increase the risk of damage being caused during an accident.

Remember to discuss your HGV insurance policy in detail with your broker before agreeing to take their cover -- a cheap policy is great, but it must offer the protection you need.