Third-party liability for plant and machinery
- Compulsory on public roads
- Also during work
- Cables and pipes separately
WAM obligation · own-damage · transport and theft
Insuring a bulldozer
A bulldozer is heavy, expensive and rarely moves on the road under its own power. Even so, it is the WAM that determines where the compulsory cover starts.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Bulldozer verzekeren.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A bulldozer with its own propulsion is a motor vehicle within the meaning of the WAM. As soon as it goes onto the public road — across a through road to an adjoining work section, or along a publicly accessible path: third-party liability insurance is compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). That applies without a registration number as well. If the machine stays within a closed work site, the statutory obligation falls away, but not the liability under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
On top of that, the own-damage cover on the machine itself: overturning on an embankment, collision with other plant, fire, storm and theft from the building site. The difference from the liability layer is fundamental. Damage on the bulldozer is own-damage. Damage through the bulldozer to someone else (a cable that is struck, a damaged sewer, a boundary fence pushed over) is liability.
In earthmoving that second category often runs not through the plant policy but through the public and employers' liability insurance. After all, the machine was working as a machine and not as a vehicle. So make sure the two policies are matched deliberately.
What does bulldozer insurance cover?
The policy consists of a compulsory third-party liability layer, an own-damage layer and a few modules covering transport and the driver.
Own-damage cover
Damage to the machine, the body and the attachments.
- Fire and storm
- Theft from the site
- Overturning and collision
Extensions
What you add separately.
- Inherent defect and machinery breakdown
- Transport to the site
- Hired plant
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability for plant and machinery | Own-damage cover |
|---|---|---|
| Damage to a building or a parked car next to the site | Yes | No |
| Theft of the machine from the building site | No | Provided that |
| Fire and storm damage | No | Yes |
| Inherent defect in the hydraulics or the engine | No | Provided that |
| Damage to the item you are working on with the machine | No | No |
| Wear and deferred maintenance | No | No |
Mobile plant is a motor vehicle within the meaning of the WAM and needs third-party liability insurance on public roads; non-mobile plant does not. Damage to cables and pipes is generally only covered if the excavation notification has been made and the trial trenches have been dug. The item you work on with the machine falls under the care, custody and control exclusion.
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Where things go wrong in earthmoving
Four points that determine whether the policy actually pays out after a claim.
Tool or vehicle determines the policy
A bulldozer rarely travels far, but it works almost constantly. If the blade pushes a pipe or sheet piling out of shape, that is damage arising from the activity and the insurer generally assesses the claim on the AVB. If the machine hits another vehicle while moving on the public road, it is a WAM claims. If the AVB is with a different insurer, check that no gap arises around excavation work.
Transport is not driving
If the bulldozer goes on a low-loader, it is cargo and not a moving motor vehicle. Damage during loading, lashing, carriage and unloading therefore often falls outside the ordinary own-damage cover and calls for a separate transport module or own-carriage cover. Damage to the low-loader itself or to the road surface while driving on is a separate discussion too. Arrange this before the first move between projects.
What is not included
The following, among others, are outside the cover: wear and tear and ageing, including normal wear of tracks and blades; an mechanical or electrical failure without an external cause; damage caused by overloading or incorrect use, such as pushing or pulling above the manufacturer's limits; damage to the the load or the workpiece; operation by an operator without the required certification; and damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Soil contamination from leaking hydraulic oil belongs on an environmental damage policy.
Security on the building site
Heavy plant is stolen, however unlikely that may seem. Insurers therefore usually require an immobiliser, an active tracker, keys that are not left in the cab and storage behind a fence or a locked barrier. If you shut the work down, record how the machine is left. Report a claim as soon as reasonably possible; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to do so.
What does your premium depend on?
- Value and year of construction: the basis for the own-damage premium
- Weight class: heavier plant counts for more
- Road use: determines whether the WAM applies
- Nature of the projects: demolition and remediation count more heavily
- Security and storage: tracking, fencing and key management
- Excess and claims history: earlier claims count
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and 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.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
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.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Do I have to insure a bulldozer?
Third-party liability cover is compulsory as soon as the machine uses the public road as a motor vehicle, including without a registration number and including for a short crossing. That follows from Article 2 WAM. If the bulldozer works exclusively within a closed site, the statutory obligation falls away, but you remain liable for damage you cause to others.
Is damage to a cable or pipe covered?
Not on the plant policy. Excavation damage to cables and pipes is liability and belongs on the public and employers' liability insurance, often with a module or excess of its own. Insurers also expect you to have made an excavation notification beforehand and to have checked the location. If that is missing, the claim can still be rejected.
May a hired-in worker operate the bulldozer?
Only if they are authorised and certified and work with your permission. Record who may operate which machine and keep the certificates. If the required certification is missing, the own-damage claim can be rejected and the insurer can subsequently recover a third-party liability payment from you.
Is the machine insured on the low-loader?
Not automatically. During carriage the bulldozer is cargo and not a moving motor vehicle, so damage during loading, lashing, transport and unloading falls outside the ordinary own-damage cover. A transport module or own-carriage cover exists for that. Ask about this expressly if you move between projects regularly.
Why is a broken drive train not covered?
Because own-damage cover responds to damage from a sudden external event and not to a component giving way. Wear of tracks, blades and drive train is maintenance. A failure without an identifiable external cause is a guarantee or maintenance matter. If that failure causes a fire, the fire damage is generally covered and the defective part itself is not.
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Is your bulldozer properly insured?
Request a quote without obligation. We set the WAM obligation, the own-damage conditions and the transport cover of each insurer side by side.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
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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This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.