Third-party liability
- Damage to property and injury to third parties
- No cover for your own vehicle
- Compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)
- Recovery possible where the licence is missing
C1 and C licences · above 3,500 kg · cover and recovery
Insuring a lorry in driving licence category C
From a maximum authorised mass of 3,500 kilograms, a C1 or C licence is required. That licence is not just a traffic rule: it also determines whether your own-damage cover holds up.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Vrachtauto in rijbewijscategorie C 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 situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Vehicles above a maximum authorised mass of 3,500 kilograms no longer fall under a category B licence. Depending on the weight, a category C1 driving licence or category C driving licence is needed, and for a combination with a heavy trailer or semi-trailer the trailer entitlement is added. Insurers follow this: they ask about the maximum authorised mass, about the drivers' licence category and about the use.
Third-party liability cover is compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) and applies to every motor vehicle whose registration has not been suspended. If someone drives without the required licence, the injured third party remains protected by the WAM, but the insurer can recoverthe amount paid from the policyholder or driver. Own damage to your own vehicle is in that case almost always excluded.
Alongside the licence there is professional competence. For commercial carriage of goods, the code 95 endorsement is required, with periodic further training. For hobby or strictly private driving that requirement does not in principle apply. That same distinction feeds through into the policy: a private truck policy assumes non-commercial use, a business policy assumes carriage for hire and reward or own-account transport.
Which cover suits a category C vehicle?
Three forms of cover, with situations in which the licence and the weight determine the outcome set out beneath them.
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Alongside third-party liability, a fixed list of events unrelated to driving behaviour.
- Fire, explosion and lightning strike
- Theft and burglary damage
- Storm, hail and glass damage
- Damage you cause to your own vehicle stays at your expense
Comprehensive
Damage to your own truck too, whether caused by yourself or without another party.
- Collision, overturning and manoeuvring damage
- Damage with no known other party
- Market value or agreed value as the basis
- Lapses where the vehicle is driven without a valid licence
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Damage you cause to someone else with the lorry | Yes | Yes |
| Fire or theft of the vehicle | No | Yes |
| Own damage when reversing or loading | No | Yes |
| Damage while the driver does not hold a category C licence | No | No |
| Damage to the goods carried | No | No |
| Damage with a combination including a heavy trailer | Provided that | Provided that |
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.
What the licence does to your cover
Four points where weight class, driving licence and policy conditions meet.
The licence requirement as an exclusion
Virtually every motor policy contains a provision that there is no cover if the driver was not entitled to drive the vehicle. An expired licence, a missing category C entitlement or a seized licence falls under that. For the injured third party nothing changes: the WAM protects them. But the insurer can recover the amount paid and refuse own damage to your own vehicle. So check for each driver the category, the expiry date and their medical fitness.
Maximum authorised mass and combination weight
The insurer works with the maximum permitted mass of the vehicle and, with a combination, with the weight of the trailer or semi-trailer. A heavier vehicle causes more damage, so the liability premium rises with it. Declare both weights correctly: if a lower weight appears on the application than on the registration certificate, that is an incorrect statement with the consequences of Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code. Also state whether the vehicle regularly runs with a trailer.
What is not covered
The following, among others, are outside the cover: damage while the driver does not hold the required C1 or C licence; damage caused by overloading or an incorrectly distributed load, which many policies exclude or limit; the load itself, which does not fall under the vehicle's own-damage cover; and wear, mechanical and electronic defects without an external event. Taking part in competitions and skill trials is also excluded, as is damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Tachograph, driving and rest times and claims assessment
Vehicles in this weight class usually have a tachograph. The recorded data can be requested during a claims investigation and says something about speed, driving time and rest periods. Persistent breaches of driving and rest times can contribute to a finding of significant fault or recklessness. Report claims in good time as well; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to inform the insurer as soon as reasonably possible and to cooperate with the investigation.
What does your premium depend on?
- Maximum permitted mass: the weight class of the vehicle
- Purpose of use: hobby, carrying your own goods or professional transport
- Drivers' licences and experience: the number of years holding category C
- Mileage and area of cover: domestic or international
- Value of the vehicle: and the basis of value chosen
- Type of cover and excess: third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive
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.
From what weight do I need a category C licence?
Above a maximum authorised mass of 3,500 kilograms, a category B licence is no longer sufficient. For the lighter class above that, C1 is enough; for heavier vehicles, C is required. If you also tow a heavy trailer or semi-trailer, an additional entitlement is needed. The maximum authorised mass appears on the registration certificate; check it before you drive, because the policy follows the statutory entitlement.
What happens in a claim if the driver did not hold a category C licence?
The injured third party is compensated, because the WAM protects them regardless of the driver's entitlement. The insurer can then recover the amount paid from the policyholder or the driver. Own damage to your own vehicle is refused in virtually all policies. The amounts quickly become substantial, particularly where there is personal injury.
Do I need the code 95 in order to be insured?
The professional competence requirement with the code 95 belongs to commercial carriage of goods, not to hobby or strictly private driving. Insurers usually link the cover to the licence category and to the description of use in the policy. If you do drive commercially without the required endorsement, that is an offence that counts in a claims investigation and can affect the use clause in your policy.
Does overloading count in the handling of a claim?
Yes. Many policies exclude damage that arises because the vehicle was loaded above the permitted weight or because the load was incorrectly distributed or secured. In an overturning incident or braking damage, that is one of the first points a loss adjuster investigates. Keep to the maximum authorised mass and axle loads and make sure the load is properly secured.
Is my trailer covered under the same policy?
For statutory liability, a coupled trailer usually counts as part of the combination. For own damage to the trailer itself, separate cover with its own sum insured is needed. An uncoupled trailer that causes damage also often falls outside the towing vehicle's cover. Have it recorded which trailers are covered.
Read more
Within Vrachtautoverzekering
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Insuring a category C truck?
Request a quote without obligation. We look at the weight, licences and use and compare both the premium and the conditions.
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.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
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.