HGV Insurance
HGV Insurance refers to insuring ‘heavy goods vehicles’ such as trucks and lorries, and offering protection for your vehicles, the goods you are transporting and any potential liabilities. With the right cover in place, you can have peace of mind that your business can run smoothly.
Buying purchasing fleet insurance, we can help you cover up to 500 HGV vehicles and put them under the same policy. We work with a number of specialist HGV insurance providers so that you can cover all your vehicles under one account, reducing the administration and creating one renewal and payment date. Simple.
What is a Heavy Goods Vehicle?
The definition of a heavy goods vehicle varies between insurers but is typically a truck that carries over 7.5 tonnes, or it can be a vehicle transporting over 3.5 tonnes, but this is usually falls under lorry insurance.
HGV insurance is normally used for commercial purposes because it is rare for individuals to be hauling heavy goods. Running several lorries and trucks on the go for your business can be very expensive, so we are pleased to offer you the most competitive and effective policies available. We treat every enquiry on an individual basis and match your requirements with the best insurance provider we work with. You can request a callback and someone from our team will call you very quickly, you can call us on 0800 231 5129 or you can request an HGV insurance quote by filling in a few basic details.
To speak to our team of advisors, call us today on 0800 231 5129 for a free and no obligation quote.
Up to 500 vehicles under one policy
We makes and models of HGV
Free legal cover included
Discounts of purchasing in bulk
Any driver extension available
How Much Does HGV Insurance Cost?
The cost of HGV insurance will depend on several factors and is based on the risk of your business making a claim due to an accident, fire, flood or theft. Your insurance premiums will depend on a combination of the following factors:
- Vehicle information – make, model, age
- Number of drivers and their experience
- Purpose
- Annual mileage
- Goods they transport
- Claims history
When speaking to our advisors over the phone, we will always look for ways to help save you money on your policy. This includes looking at introductory offers and bonuses which can be available for new policies.
Security features are always welcomed by insurers as it reduces the risk of vandalism or theft. If you have several trucks, keeping them locked in a compound or garage when not in use will act as an effective deterrent against thieves and vandals. Similarly, adding video cameras on your vehicles will help you sort out a claim quicker if it catches thieves or shows who was at fault for an accident. In some cases, the insurers we work with will pay towards fitting these cameras to your heavy good vehicles.
What Cover is Available For HGV Insurance?
When applying for HGV insurance, you have your selection of different levels of cover and extensions which you can add or remove to your policy at any time. Naturally, the more cover you wish to include and the higher amount you want to add, the more you can be expected to pay.
Third Party to Fully Comprehensive
It is a legal requirement in the UK to have at least third party insurance to drive on the road. The only reason for not needing insurance is driven on your own land or if the vehicle is out of use and has been formally declared off-road with the DVLA.
Third party is the most basic level of cover you can purchase and as the name suggests, it only covers the third parties that you come into contact with. So if one of your employees is involved in an accident with another vehicle and is found to be at fault, this insurance will pay for any repairs, replacements and damages for the victim. A step up for this level of cover can include fire, flood and theft – so if your vehicle is involved in any of these, you can claim for any repairs and replacement vehicles.
The highest level of cover available is fully comprehensive which includes third party, fire, flood and theft and also any damages to the driver and their own vehicle. So if you accidentally damage your HGV, you can claim for any repairs through your insurance policy.
Goods in Transit
Insuring your vehicle is one thing, but what about the goods you are carrying? After all, the nature of your business is going to be transporting goods in exchange for money, known as hire and reward. Failing to deliver your goods on time and in one piece can cause serious financial losses for your business. But with specific goods in transit insurance, you are able to protect any goods that you are carrying so you and your client can be reimbursed if they are lost, stolen or damaged during transit. The goods you can carry on our policies include:
- Food
- Livestock
- Storage
- Equipment
- Packages
Liability Insurance
With numerous HGV vehicles on the road at all time, there is always the risk that your business activity could affect other members of the public. For instance, what if your HGV doors break and some of the goods fly out and damage other vehicles and drivers? Any victims will be able to demand compensation, so to avoid having to settle for a huge lawsuit, your public liability cover can pay towards any compensation, medical bills, vehicle repairs and legal fees.
Furthermore, if you have several employees on the road, you as the employer have a duty of care to look after their wellbeing. If your driver suffers a bad injury due to long-haul driving or heavy lifting, they can ask you for compensation. By applying for employers lability cover, your insurance can help pay for any sick pay, medical bills and loss of income.
Driving in Europe
If your company transports goods in Europe, we can help you cover your vehicles and the freight you are hauling for that exact purpose. If your HGV breaks down in France or your goods are stolen in Spain, you do not want to be left stranded – which is where this cover comes into play. Our team can also advise on the documentation and legal requirements you need to be driving and transporting goods across Europe.
Breakdown Cover
All policies taken out through Fleets Insurance include free breakdown cover. We appreciate that for HGVs, making deliveries on time and keeping your vehicles on the road is key to running a successful business. So in the event that one of your trucks breaks down on the motorway, a specialist will be sent over immediately to fix any malfunctions and you can be on your way again in no time.
Any Driver
When you have lots of vehicles and drivers working for your company, it can make sense to add ‘any driver’ to your policy. This means that any driver registered on the policy can use any of the vehicles. This is ideal for people working in shifts and gives your organization the flexibility to keep your vehicles on the road if some do not work or your employees call in sick.
Extra Trailers
We can also insure any additional trailers you wish to add to your lorries and trucks, whether they are horseboxes or to carry additional cargo.
HGV Insurance For Drivers Under 25
One of the biggest issues for companies that use HGV vehicles is finding insurance for those under 25 years of age. Statistically, drivers aged 25 or under are considered ‘high risk’ and therefore insurers will not cover them or the premiums are very high. However, we deal with specialist providers who can help you cover drivers of all ages and if you have young drivers who are driving up the price of your insurance, we can offer some saving suggestions. For instance, you can reward safer drivers using telematics and GPS and we can also recommend some additional driving courses such as Pass Plus.
What is Required To Drive HGV Vehicles
Companies will require an operator’s license in order to carry goods weighing more than 3.5 tonnes for business purposes. To drive a vehicle of that size and carrying that much weight, each driver must have a license that is extended beyond a basic car, known as a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). To achieve this license, drivers must complete around 35 hours of training, consisting of five units lasting seven hours each. (Source: Gov.uk)
