Truck Insurance Comparison FAQs
What Do All The HGV Insurance Terms Mean?
Glossary: What do all the HGV insurance terms mean?
Fully comprehensive
Fully comprehensive, ‘fully comp’, insurance will provide you the most extensive cover including everything covered by third party insurance and fire and theft. This level of insurance includes cover for damage to your own HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle. This type of insurance is useful for accidents where fault cannot be established or it is your own fault. Although providing an extensive range of cover, it is not absolute, extra policy considerations may fall out of a fully comprehensive insurance policy such as breakdown coverage. You may wish to include more add-ons to your policy. It is best to compare all the rates in the market and see what you can get. Some cheap online HGV insurance quotes may only offer 3rd party but there are advantages and benefits of fully comp.
Third party
Third party insurance provides cover for damage to third party vehicles and passengers, any damage to your own vehicle will not be covered under this insurance. In the event of an accident, claims made by third parties will be covered. This is the lowest coverage possible under legal requirements.
Third party fire and theft
This type of insurance is identical to third party insurance but also includes cover if and when your vehicle catches on fire or is stolen.
HGV Articulated truck
An articulated truck is also known as an Arctic, Class 1 or heavy goods vehicle [HGV]. An articulated truck is a large vehicle with a tractor [weighing over 3,500kg] and trailer [weighing over 750kg] combination connected by a pivot bar. A benefit of an articulated truck is that the pivot bar allows the vehicle to turn more sharply and smoothly. If you are looking for cheap online lorry fleet insurance then the chances are it is 44 ton articulated. For extra information and advice regarding lorry fleet insurance follow the link.
HGV Goods in transit
Goods in transit refers to any goods [such as inventory] that have left the operating centre, have been loaded into the vehicle, but have not yet reached their final destination. It may be a consideration to obtain goods in transit insurance if you are a haulage operator transporting goods to a destination as any accidents or damage that occurs during transit will be covered.
Breakdown cover
In its basics, breakdown cover is cover in case your vehicle breaks down. There are different levels of breakdown cover depending on the policy you take out including roadside assistance and roadside repair. You can also opt for traditional breakdown cover where you pay annually for cover. Alternatively, pay on use breakdown cover gives you the option to initially pay for admin costs annually and pay for services as and when they are required.
HGV Grab lorry
A grab lorry is designed to move large amounts of materials [such as waste from construction sites] through the use of the lorry’s hydraulic grab arm. This type of lorry is useful when collecting otherwise hard to access materials. They are often around 16 tonnes in weight and can carry 16 tonnes of material.
Hiab lorry
A Hiab lorry refers to a lorry mounted crane or lorry loader; it is a combination of a truck and a crane. The Hiab lorry is used to load trucks or move goods through the use of a hydraulic crane. This, in turn, eliminates the need for additional forklifts and heavy cranes as the use of the Hiab lorry allows movement of heavy and awkward objects. Objects up to 12 tonnes can be lifted.
Wagon and drag
A wagon and drag is a rigid vehicle that tows a trailer. The vehicle can weigh up to 28 tonnes and the trailer can weigh up to 12 tonnes.
HGV Fleet policy
A fleet insurance policy is designed for those wishing to insure multiple vehicles under one policy. Like other insurance policies, there are a range of options to choose from spanning from comprehensive cover to more tailored insurance packages such as cover for named drivers only. This type of policy can be taken out if you own two or more vehicles. Depending on the policy taken out, it can offer you flexibility when it comes to your drivers. For example, you can take out fleet policy insurance which allows any driver to be insured on any of your vehicles.
NCB bonus
NCB, no claims bonus, refers to what is effectively a financial reward given for making no insurance claims during your insurance policy period. This is reflected in the price of your premium as the price of your insurance policy will decrease. Your NCB can be accumulated generating a greater discount as the years go by without the policy holder making a claim. If you operateThis bonus can be transferred in the event that you have changed your vehicle.
Tipper truck
A tipper truck can be referred to as a ‘dump truck’ or ‘truck lorry’. It is a vehicle weighing above 3.5 tonnes that is used to transport heavy materials. The truck contains a compartment which can be raised to ‘tip’ the contents out of the compartment; it is ideal to carry loose materials such as dirt or sand. They can generally carry 20 to 32 tonnes of material.
Flatbed lorry
A flatbed lorry is a lorry that has no sides or roof where the bodywork is completely flat. It can either be can be articulated or rigid. It is designed for easy loading of heavy materials and abnormal loads.
Low loader truck
A low loader truck is a truck with a semi-trailer with two drops in the trailer height. This allows the bed to be extremely low; in addition, there is an access ramp at the end of the platform. With these features, the truck is able to carry tall [up to 12ft in height] and heavy goods such as machinery and plant.
Refrigerated vehicle
A refrigerated vehicle is used to carry goods that need to be stored at specific temperatures. The vehicle is refrigerated through mechanical refrigerated systems. Refrigerated arctic lorries are usually used on long haul journeys for goods that need refrigeration.
Curtain sided HGV
A curtain sided HGV, also known as a tautliner, refers to a lorry that has a curtain on its side. The curtain can be easily pulled back for ease of loading and unloading. Conversely, the curtain can be easily closed and tightened for travel.
General haulage
General haulage refers to the transportation of goods on the road or by rail.
Telematics
Generally, telematics refers to a device that encompasses both telecommunications and infomatics. Learn more and get a greater understanding of how policies are calculated on our website In the context of haulage, telematics can be used as a way to monitor your driving ability through the use of a GPS system. It monitors the way you drive e.g. your braking habits and speeds. Telematics may include the use of a black box to track your driving. By using telematics, the price of your insurance may decrease.
Dashcams
A dashcam is a small camera that can be installed in your vehicle which records your journey. There are a range of dashcams you can purchase, depending on the camera you have installed, a video of the road ahead or behind you can be recorded. They are useful in case of an accident and for extra security; they are a useful way of deciphering who is at fault in case of an accident. These additions can help reduce costs and with zero deposit available they can be solution to haulage operators . To find out how to get the cheapest price or rate for your vehicle sthen see th page on our site
Public liability for haulage businesses
Public liability insurance acts to protect your haulage business where a claim is made by a third party, a member of the public. This can be for injury to the person of damage to their property arising out of the course of your business. In this scenario, public liability insurance will act to over any legal fees incurred and compensation claims.
Annual premium
Your annual premium the the yearly cost of the insurance policy that you have taken out payable to the insurer.
Insurance premium tax
Insurance Premium Tax is a mandatory government tax on insurance policies. The tax rate is currently at 12%.
Owner driver
An owner driver is a driver who owns the vehicle that he drives.
Fleet operator
A fleet operator is a person who owns and controls a fleet of vehicles such as lorries.
Road haulage association [RHA]
The Road Haulage Association is a trade association dedicated to road haulage and they can offer cheap lorry fleet insurance. It is the trade association for road transport and freight logistics operators. They can also provide information about Brexit and electric driverless HGV vehicles . Some of its duties include campaigning and advising its members in the UK haulage industry.
Truck Facts
Running a fleet of HGV vehicles? Do you want to find a lower insurance premium?
If you are running a fleet of HGV vehicles then it’s very important to look at all costs across the board. With recent HGV driver shortages, it is likely that you will be looking to get a newly passed HGV driver under 25 to drive for your company. Alternatively, you might take an older driver who would be either over 70 or maybe 80 years old. In these situations, you may also find inexperienced drivers, newly passed drivers or drivers with points on their licence. This can make getting affordable lorry insurance harder. READ MORE
In the current haulage insurance market, it has become increasingly difficult to source good quality HGV drivers. A lot of the younger generation are veering away from the haulage industry to more modern careers. There are also significant costs for the individual driver to gain either a class 1 or 2 licence. Therefore, an advantage of employing older, more experienced drivers is that it can reduce your costs and reduce claims saving you money. If you are a new start haulage operator and a member of the Road Haulage Association you will have no doubt be informed of the Brexit changes. This may mean that more containers are moved on heavy goods vehicles, usually articulated tractor units, from the ports to the end destination. READ MORE
Newly passed drivers arriving into the haulage industry will have undergone significant driving to pass and attain their Class 2 or 1 licence. The term HVG or heavy goods vehicle relate to vehicles governed by Vosa from 4.5 tonne to 44 tonnes trucks. Nearly all businesses rely on road haulage in some way or another. The benefits of finding cheap insurance for HGVs means that the small business will be more competitive with lower costs that other haulage operators whether you are running a truck in Manchester, Birmingham, London or elsewhere. Younger drivers with little or no experience present an issue to insurers as they may have a high risk rather than a lower risk. READ MORE
Brexit comes with a great deal of uncertainty within the haulage business having a knock on effect on the price of lorry fleet insurance for HGVs [heavy goods vehicles]. If you are operating within the UK, for example, Manchester, Birmingham or London, although you may still be affected by Brexit, haulage and fleet operators travelling to and from the EU will be the ones most affected by the upcoming changes. There will inevitably be changes in the way haulage providers operate and the costs involved in their operation, such as insurance prices. READ MORE
Research is the key to finding affordable truck insurance. As with purchasing any type of insurance, it is vital to shop around and get multiple quotes from several different brokers. Many truck insurance providers can be found online and it may be possible to get a more competitive quote if you approach several companies. This will ensure you have found the cheapest truck insurance price available. READ MORE
Fleet insurance is a type of insurance which will cover several vehicles, two or more, all under one policy. This proves beneficial for businesses such as haulage and couriers with many vehicles. This coverage is flexible as to who is covered. Policies range from named drivers for specific vehicles to any driver driving any vehicle. A factor will affect the affordability of your insurance is if the driver has an convictions or endorsements on their license. It is possible to qualify for a driver lorry fleet insurance policy even if a driver has convictions. READ MORE
The government has made large and several investments into the research and development of automated vehicles. This is due to their belief that automated vehicles have the potential to make road transport safer and more efficient for all. Yet, with HGV vehicles, qualified drivers will still need to be present in the vehicle until a method of safe driverless long-haul routes is implemented therefore the human element is still vital in the operation of driverless HGV trucks. READ MORE
New haulage operators will ask questions like: ‘Why have goods in transit insurance?’ ‘Where can I get these policies?’ ‘Who will provide the best GIT quote?’ ‘Does having inexperienced, newly passed drivers or HGV drivers over 75 make a difference?’ ‘If the gross vehicle weight is high, will the price compare to smaller vehicles?’ They might also ask, ‘How can I reduce the cost and find a discount broker who can explain all the advantages and disadvantages of policies for heavy goods vehicles?’ READ MORE