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 clause is breached
Insuring a lorry for private use
Insuring a truck in a private name is possible, but the line with business use is a fine one. That line determines whether the insurer pays out when a claim arises.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
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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.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
Private truck insurance is a policy in the name of a natural person, for a vehicle that is not used commercially. The insurer assumes low mileage, one or a few regular drivers and no third-party loads. Those assumptions appear in the policy as a description of use or a clause and are not a formality: they determine what happens when a claim arises.
Third-party liability insurance is compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) as long as the registration is in your name and has not been suspended. Own-damage cover is voluntary, but with a truck it is rarely superfluous: a single instance of damage to the cab or front axle quickly mounts up. What matters is that own-damage cover covers the truck itself. What you carry is not included; a load is almost never covered by a motor own-damage insurance.
In reality it is nearly always a grey area. Someone drives their own building materials to a job, helps with a house move in return for a tank of fuel, or carries a machine once for a relative's business. That is no longer hobby use. Anyone who reports this in advance gets suitable cover; anyone who has to explain it after a claim runs into Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code on offer.
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Which cover suits private use?
Three forms of cover, with the situations in which the private-business line most often becomes an issue set out beneath them.
Third-party liability + fire and theft
Alongside third-party liability, a fixed list of events, with an emphasis on risks while the vehicle is stationary.
- Fire, explosion and lightning strike
- Theft and burglary damage
- Storm, hail and glass damage
- Damage you cause yourself while driving is not covered
Comprehensive
Also damage to your own vehicle through your own doing or with no other party involved.
- Collisions and manoeuvring damage
- Damage with no known other party
- Market value or agreed value as the basis
- An excess to be agreed with you
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 |
| Damage to your own vehicle during a private journey | No | Yes |
| Damage to belongings or a load being carried | No | No |
| A journey with materials for your own business | Provided that | Provided that |
| Carriage for third parties for payment | No | No |
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 does your premium depend on?
- Description of use: private, hobby or mixed use
- Maximum permitted mass: the weight class of the vehicle
- Value and age: decisive for the own-damage premium
- Annual mileage: more kilometres, higher premium
- Circle of drivers: a regular driver or changing drivers
- 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.
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.
The line between private and business use
Four points on which a private policy for a truck either fails or holds up.
The use clause is the heart of the policy
A private policy nearly always states that the vehicle is not used for hiring out, carriage for payment or commercial transport. Some insurers go further and also exclude carriage of goods for a business, including your own business. Read that clause word for word. If your practice does not match it, have the policy amended or choose a business variant. The difference in premium rarely outweighs a refused claim.
Registered keeper, user and interested party
If the truck is registered in your private name but you mainly use it for a sole trader business or general partnership, the registration is not decisive; the actual use is. The reverse also happens: a vehicle owned by the business that is only driven privately. Make sure the application, the registration certificate and reality match. If in doubt, a short written confirmation from the insurer is worth more than a verbal assurance.
What is not covered
The following, among others, are outside the cover: carriage for payment and hiring out the vehicle; the load and loose items in the load space, which do not fall under the own-damage cover; wear, rust, oil leaks and mechanical or electronic defects without an external cause; and damage during loading and unloading caused by incorrect stowing or securing, which many policies limit or exclude. Driving without the required licence or under the influence leads to loss of own-damage cover, and intent and recklessness are excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Liability outside the WAM
The WAM cover concerns damage caused with the motor vehicle. If you use the truck as machine, for instance during lifting work with a lorry-mounted crane or when tipping a load, that damage often falls outside the motor cover and you end up with ordinary tort under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Personal liability insurance (AVP) usually excludes damage involving motor vehicles. So have it established in advance which policy carries this risk.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
May I carry goods for my business with a privately insured truck?
Only if the policy permits it. Many private policies exclude carriage of trading goods and commercial transport. If you carry materials belonging to your own business, that is own-account transport and usually calls for business cover, possibly supplemented by own-goods transit insurance for the goods themselves. Ask the insurer for written confirmation before you rely on it.
Is the load in my truck covered?
No. Own-damage cover applies to the vehicle and not to what you carry with it. Tools, building materials, a classic car on the load floor or personal belongings are not covered either. If you do want that, separate insurance is needed, for instance own-goods transit insurance for your own goods. Without that cover you bear the risk of loss or damage yourself.
What if I lend the truck out?
The third-party liability cover in principle follows the vehicle, but the own-damage cover does not always. If your policy has a restricted driver clause, damage caused by another driver is not covered. Hiring out for payment is almost always excluded. Also check whether the borrower has the required C1 or C licence. Without that licence the own-damage cover lapses and the insurer can seek recovery.
Can I switch from a business policy to a private one?
You can if the use genuinely changes and the insurer accepts the vehicle on a private basis. Report the change in advance and have it recorded what happens to accumulated no-claims years. With business policies those are not always transferable to a private policy. If the use remains business, switching only creates a cover problem.
Does my cover also apply abroad?
The territorial limits are stated on the green card and in the policy conditions. Within the countries listed, the statutory liability cover applies in any event. For own-damage cover, additional conditions or restrictions may apply. If you drive to a country that is not on the green card, arrange additional cover in advance. Without that check you may be driving uninsured.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Insuring a lorryThe main page
- Private lorry insurance: what are your options?Private use, forms of cover, suspend or keep insured
- Types of lorry insurance: which categories are there?Vehicle cover, load cover, liability
- Truck insurance for self-employed professionalsOwn-account transport or charter work, load risk, downtime
- Insuring a lorry in driving licence category CC1 and C licences, above 3,500 kg, cover and recovery
- Insuring a lorry as a hobbyEvents, storage, suspend or continue
- Using a company motorhome privately as wellRegistered to the business, private use, must be declared
Read more
Insuring a truck privately?
Request a quote without obligation. We test your use against the clauses 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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.