Lorry insurance for business use
You do not insure a truck like a large van. The discussion is almost never about the towing vehicle, but about the load, the semi-trailer and the body attached to it.
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In brief
Every motor vehicle on the public road is subject to the insurance requirement of Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). With a truck that liability cover also extends to the coupled trailer or semi-trailer: as long as it is behind the tractor unit, damage to third parties runs through the towing vehicle's policy. If the combination comes apart or the semi-trailer stands uncoupled on a yard, that situation falls outside it and you need separate cover; see the trailer insurance.
The biggest misunderstanding concerns the cargo. That is covered under no truck policy. If you carry your own goods, that belongs on an own goods in transit insurance. If you carry for third parties, you are a carrier and the liability rules of the contract of carriage apply. For that there is a goods in transit insurance and carrier's liability cover. An overturned crane lorry that drops its load onto a car therefore produces two different claims.
Also note the structure. A refrigeration unit, a lorry-mounted crane, a tipper body, a tanker or a vehicle transporter body raises the value considerably and is not automatically included in the own-damage value. If the crane or the tail lift is working, there is also a grey area with the plant and machinery insurance: damage arising while the vehicle is used as a piece of equipment and not as a means of transport often falls outside the motor cover. Have it stated on the policy schedule which body is covered and for what value.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare van insurance.
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What to look out for
Four provisions that lead to refusal in heavy transport more often than the level of the excess.
Loading and unloading is a risk moment in itself
A lot of damage arises while stationary: a collision with a loading dock, a crane load that swings too far, a tipper body against a roof edge or a cable. As soon as the vehicle functions as a piece of equipment, the assessment moves from the motor policy to the public and employers' liability insurance or the plant and machinery cover. If there is a gap between them, you bear that loss yourself. Have the fit between the two policies expressly recorded.
Driver, licence and code 95
If someone drives without a valid category C or CE licence, without a valid code 95 or under the influence, the own-damage claim is excluded and the insurer recovers from you or the driver the amounts paid to third parties under the WAM. Set out a procedure for checking licences and further training. Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code also applies here: damage caused by intent or wilful recklessness remains outside the cover.
Theft, security and parking
With tractor units and semi-trailers, insurers almost always set requirements as to security and parking location: an approved vehicle tracking system, a kingpin lock, parking on a locked site or at a secure parking area on international journeys. If that clause is not complied with, the theft cover lapses, even where the theft appears to have nothing to do with it.
Injury to your own driver
If your driver is injured in an accident for which they are not to blame, that is not a WAM claim but employer's liability. Your duty of care follows from Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code and the insurance requirement for taking part in traffic from the case law around Article 7:611 of the Dutch Civil Code. An ordinary truck policy does not absorb that. We set out which separate traffic covers exist for it under WEGAS and WEGAM.
What does your premium depend on?
- Total weight and number of axles: the weight class determines the basic premium
- Type of transport: own-account transport, carriage for hire and reward or abnormal loads
- Value of the body: refrigeration, a crane, tanker or tipper counts separately
- Area of operation: regional, Benelux or international including higher-risk countries
- Security and where the vehicle is kept: determines whether the theft cover holds up
- Claims record and driver group: the turnover and experience of your drivers weigh heavily
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party, fire and theft | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| A branch is blown onto the cab during a storm while the tractor unit is on your site | Yes | Yes |
| A stone chip damages the windscreen during a journey to the Ruhr area | Yes | Yes |
| The combination overturns on a dyke road in a strong crosswind | No | Yes |
| Your driver puts AdBlue in the diesel tank and the fuel system seizes up | No | No |
| The refrigeration motor on the body fails en route | No | No |
| Someone damages the side of the semi-trailer in a car park at night and drives on | No | Provided that |
These rows concern the vehicle itself. The load on it follows its own policy with its own assessment.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is my semi-trailer covered on the tractor unit's policy?
For damage to third parties yes, as long as the semi-trailer is coupled. That follows from the WAM. Own damage to the semi-trailer itself is not covered: it needs its own insured value, just like a trailer. If the semi-trailer stands uncoupled and loaded on a yard, there is in principle no cover from the tractor unit. Have each unit listed separately on the policy schedule.
Who pays for damage to the load I am carrying?
Not the truck insurance. If you carry for a client, you are addressed as the carrier and you need carrier's liability cover, usually with the carriage conditions that apply to your journeys. If it concerns your own goods, own-goods transit insurance is the appropriate policy. Both are separate from the vehicle's own-damage cover.
What happens if I extend my activities abroad?
Report it in advance. The operating area is both a condition of cover and a feature of the risk. If the area or the type of load changes without being reported, the insurer can rely on the duty of disclosure in Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code and reduce or refuse the payment. Also check that your green card covers the countries concerned.
Does the insurance cover downtime for my truck after a collision?
No. Lost turnover because a vehicle is at the repairer is financial loss and does not fall under the own-damage cover. Some insurers offer a separate replacement vehicle arrangement or a downtime clause. A regular business interruption insurance usually does not help here, because it is tied to physical damage at your business location.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Insuring a lorryThe main page
- Lorry insurance through De GoudseTractor unit and semi-trailer, load, body
- Truck insurance through Vereende
- Insuring a lorry for business useCarriage for hire and reward, drivers, liability
- Lorries in agricultural transport through Avéro AchmeaLivestock and bulk, lorry-mounted crane, unloading on the yard
- Truck insurance through Turien & Co
- Types of lorry insurance: which categories are there?Vehicle cover, load cover, liability