a.s.r. · compared independently · advice from Finass
Trailer insurance through ASR
For liability purposes a trailer is insured through the towing vehicle for as long as it is attached to it. The question is what applies once it has been uncoupled or stolen.
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In brief
While the trailer is coupled, it counts for liability purposes as part of the towing vehicle. The insurance requirement under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) is therefore met by the third-party liability cover of the car doing the towing. Once the trailer is uncoupled and comes to a standstill, that changes: damage it causes after that – a cart rolling away, a flatbed tipping over – is assessed under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and falls to your own liability cover.
ASR trailer insurance is about the trailer itself. Theft is the dominant risk here: a trailer often stands unattended on a driveway or an industrial estate and can be hitched up in a minute. Insurers therefore set requirements for the ball or drawbar lock and for the place where the trailer stands at night. If you do not meet them, theft cover falls away.
What you carry is never included. Tools, materials, a quad bike or garden waste fall outside the policy. There is separate goods or business contents cover for those. If you use the trailer for business or hire it out, declare this: that declaration falls under the Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you tow a caravan, see caravan insurance through ASR.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Through the towing vehicle
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the trailer.
Covered while coupled
Under the car's third-party liability cover
Uncoupled: no longer covered
The object itself
Third-party, fire and theft
External causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft after forced entry
Hail, depending on the policy
Full
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Collision and manoeuvring
Vandalism
Contents as a separate section
What is covered
Situation
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Theft after forced entry, with the prescribed lock
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm damage on the pitch
Yes
Yes
Hail damage to roof and walls
Provided that
Yes
Collision damage while manoeuvring
No
Yes
Contents in the caravan or trailer
Provided that
Provided that
Damp, wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
A trailer or caravan is not an independent motor vehicle and therefore has no insurance requirement of its own. Damage you cause to others with it falls under the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle, as long as the combination is coupled (Article 2 WAM). Once the trailer is uncoupled and has come to a standstill, that cover no longer applies.
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Coupled or uncoupled
The distinction determines which policy pays. On the road and coupled, liability runs through the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle, including where the trailer comes loose during the journey and rolls on. If the trailer then comes to a standstill and something goes wrong later, you are liable yourself as its owner under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Secure the trailer and use a jockey wheel on level ground.
Theft and the prevention requirements
For theft cover, insurers almost always require an approved ball or drawbar lock and a storage place behind a gate or in a locked space. With more expensive closed trailers a tracking system is sometimes added. Make a note of the frame number, photograph the trailer and keep the purchase invoice. Without those details reporting the theft is difficult and the claim moves slowly.
Loading, unloading and the load itself
The load falls outside trailer insurance: if your materials are damaged, that is a goods risk. If the load damages someone else's property during transport or unloading, that comes back to the liability side, where the question is whether you secured it properly. Overloading is also an exclusion in its own right: if you tow above the maximum permitted mass, the damage is not insured.
What is not covered
Outside the cover: the load carried and the tools in it; damage resulting from overloading or improper securing; hiring the trailer out to others without having declared it; rust, wear and the failure of a neglected chassis or a worn drawbar; damage to the trailer itself during loading and unloading; and theft without the prescribed lock.
Replacement transport after a claim
Replacement transport after a claim Stay mobile with replacement transport.
Breakdown assistance
What does your premium depend on?
Maximum permitted mass. The mass determines whether the trailer must be registered and which risk class it falls into.
Design. An open flatbed, a closed body or a car transporter each have a different theft and damage pattern.
Replacement value as new. The value of the trailer including the cover, loading ramps and permanently fitted equipment.
Private or business use. Daily business use means more mileage and more loading and unloading than occasional use.
Storage and prevention. Behind a gate, in a warehouse or in the street, and which approved lock you use.
Type of cover and excess. Theft and fire only, or full own-damage cover with an excess of your choice.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Do I need separate third-party liability insurance for my trailer?
Not while it is coupled: liability then runs with the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle. A separate policy is there for the trailer itself, so for theft, fire and own damage. If the trailer is uncoupled and then causes damage, that falls to your own liability cover.
Is my load covered as well?
No. The insurance covers the trailer, not what is in or on it. Tools, building materials, a motorbike or garden waste fall outside the policy. If you want those items insured during transport, you need goods or business contents cover. If your load damages someone else's property, that is a matter for the liability side.
Is a closed trailer more expensive to insure?
Often it is, for two reasons: the replacement value as new is higher, and a closed body is more attractive to thieves because what is inside is not visible. Against that, the contents are better protected from the weather. Insurers usually attach stricter requirements to the lock and storage for this design.
What if the trailer comes loose while I am driving?
Damage it causes while it is still rolling falls under the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle. Damage to the trailer itself comes from the own-damage cover of the trailer policy. If it turns out that the coupling was not properly secured or that the safety cable was missing, the insurer may reject the own-damage claim on the grounds of negligence.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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