Third-party liability for plant and machinery
- Compulsory on public roads
- Also during work
- Cables and pipes separately
Insuring a food truck as plant and machinery
A food truck is a vehicle, a kitchen and a point of sale all at once, and each of those three brings its own cover and its own exclusion.
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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.
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- 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.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
The confusion with food trucks starts with the question of what exactly is being insured. The chassis travels on the road and therefore falls under the compulsory cover of Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). The fit-out, the cooking equipment, the refrigeration and the dispensing system are not vehicle parts but business contents. If those do not appear separately on the policy with their value, only the vehicle is paid for after a fire or total loss and not what you built into it.
The second block is the product itself. If someone becomes ill from what you serve, this is not about physical damage but about product liability under Article 6:185 of the Dutch Civil Code. That responsibility rests on whoever puts the dish into circulation, and that is you, even where the cause lay with a supplier. Own-damage cover on the truck does not touch that risk at any point.
That leaves the pitch. You stand on a festival site or market square with visitors right beside your awning: hot oil, gas cylinders, cables across the ground and a fold-out counter. That is liability towards third parties in the most literal sense. With a plant and machinery insurance for a food truck we therefore always look at all three sections at once.
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A food truck as plant and machinery: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
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.
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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Value of the vehicle and fit-out together. Chassis and kitchen fit-out are valued separately; declaring only the vehicle leads to underinsurance.
- Type of preparation on board. Deep frying and open flames weigh more heavily than cold preparation or serving only.
- Gas installation or fully electric. An electric kitchen has a different fire risk and different inspection requirements from a gas installation.
- Number of pitches and events. Weekly markets, festivals and private bookings each bring their own visitor risk.
- Storage outside business hours. A locked shed weighs differently from parking on the street, certainly with equipment on board.
- Staff behind the counter. Staff working with you bring employer's liability with them where there are burns or cuts.
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The gas inspection is a condition of cover, not a formality
Insurers require a periodically inspected gas installation with a valid certificate. If that is missing at the time of a fire, the cover can lapse for the whole loss, including for the vehicle and the stock. The same applies to a grease filter or fire blanket that was prescribed but not present. Put the inspection date in the same diary as your MOT and keep the certificate digitally in the truck.
Fit-out and equipment are separate items
A deep fryer, refrigerated counter, till system, dispensing installation and the complete fit-out often represent a substantial part of the value of your food truck. They do not automatically fall under the cover on the vehicle. Declare each item with its replacement value. What has not been declared is not paid for in a claim, and stock and fresh produce fall outside the standard cover almost without exception.
What you serve falls under product liability
Food poisoning or an allergic reaction leads to injury to a visitor. That is not damage to a machine but product liability under Article 6:185 of the Dutch Civil Code, in which it makes no difference whether you made a mistake yourself. Your HACCP records, cold chain and temperature logbook are then your file. Without a separate section for product liability this risk lies entirely outside your policy, however complete your own-damage cover may be.
Failure of refrigeration and spoilage of stock
If the generator cuts out or the mains connection on the site fails, the loss is usually not damage to the machine but spoilage of your stock. That is excluded as standard. Only with separate refrigeration or goods cover does it come into play. Nor is business downtime during an event covered without an extension, while it is precisely that day that determines your turnover.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is my kitchen fit-out insured along with the vehicle?
Not automatically. Insurers treat the fit-out, equipment and installations as separate items that you have to declare with their replacement value. If the truck becomes a total loss, what is on the policy is paid for. A deep fryer, refrigeration and dispensing installation that are stated nowhere remain at your expense. Fresh stock also falls outside the settlement without separate goods cover.
What if a visitor becomes ill from my food?
That is product liability under Article 6:185 of the Dutch Civil Code and stands separately from your own-damage cover. You are the one putting the product into circulation, even where the cause lies with a supplier or with a broken cold chain. Only with a liability section that includes product liability is this covered. Your temperature records and purchase receipts determine how strong your position is.
What happens if my gas inspection has expired when a fire occurs?
The insurer can then refuse cover, even where the fire did not start in the gas installation. The valid inspection is included in the policy as a condition, not as advice. The same applies to prescribed firefighting equipment that is missing. Check the expiry date before each season and keep the certificate both digitally and in the truck.
Am I insured if someone on the site trips over my cable?
That is injury to a third party and belongs in the liability section. The assessment turns on whether you covered the cables, anchored the awning properly and kept the walkway clear. An organiser can also require in the pitch conditions that you are insured yourself. Without a policy you are in many cases not allowed to be there.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
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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 compiled by Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.