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Truck insurance

Truck insurance, also known as lorry or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) insurance, is what you need to get your truck or HGV on the road.

It ensures you're covered in the event of an accident. At the very least, depending on your chosen level of cover, it protects you against claims from other drivers for damage or personal injury.

It's similar to van insurancein that it’s aimed at the commercial sector and is tailored to use for business vehicles.

We've partnered with Quote Me Today who specialises in truck insurance. They offer tailored policies and competitive rates.

Read on to find out more about insuring your truck or select 'Get a quote' to get a price comparing with our partner, Quote Me Today.

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What level of cover is available for trucks?

Just like with standard vehicle insurance, you can buy truck insurance policies in 3 levels:

Third party

Third party is the minimum amount of cover legally required to drive a truck or lorry on the road. It covers damage caused to other people’s property or vehicles. It also covers liability for injury to others, including your own passengers.

Third-party, fire and theft

Third-party, fire and theft covers everything that third party does. It also covers theft of your truck as well as damage to your own truck caused by fire or theft.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive cover offers the most protection. It covers everything the other 2 types do as well as damage to your own heavy goods vehicle. It can also be the cheapest of the 3 types.

What policy extras can I get?

Policies do vary but there are a number of extras you can add-on that either come as standard or at an extra cost:

  • Road risk insurance (CMR)
  • Goods in transit cover
  • Employer liability cover
  • Public liability cover
  • Free attached & detached trailer cover
  • Breakdown assistance
  • European cover
  • Road risk insurance (CMR) covers you if you transport goods between 2 countries. These include the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and most of Europe.
  • Goods in transit cover covers HGV drivers for a wide range of cargo including hazardous materials that require an ADR licence and temperature-controlled goods. All of which can be expensive if lost or damaged.
  • Employee liability cover is required if you have people working for you. It covers the cost of compensation if they're injured at work under your employment.
  • Public liability cover protects you against the legal costs in the event of an accident involving a member of the public.
  • Free attached & detached trailer cover when you take out a policy with Quote Me Today.
  • Breakdown assistance in case your lorry, truck or HGV breaks down and needs repair.
  • European cover protects you when you or your drivers have to deliver to Europe.

How do I choose the right truck insurance?

If you’re driving a HGV or other large truck, you’re probably doing so as part of a business. You'll have to make sure you accurately describe how you're using your truck to your insurer.

Commercial truck driving is split into 2 main categories:

Haulage

Haulage means there's just a single pick-up and drop-off point. For example, if you're a HGV driver picking up goods from a warehouse and dropping them off at a shop.

Carriage of goods

Carriage of goods is used for hire and reward which entails multiple drop-off points. This option could be right for you if you're a courier, or a delivery driver, dropping multiple goods to multiple addresses.

What's the difference between HGVs and LGVs?

HGVs have a gross weight of over 3.5 tonnes - 7.5 tonne lorries are particularly common, with some of the more widespread examples being articulated lorries.

These consist of a tractor at the front connected via a pivot bar to a trailer and other lorries with more than 2 axles.

Light goods vehicles (LGVs) have a maximum gross weight of 3.5 tonnes, which includes passengers, cargo and fuel.

Pick-up trucks and vans are typically classified as LGVs. Usually, you’re allowed to drive LGVs with a standard driving licence, but check before you do so.

You might be required to do some extra training before you can drive certain kinds of LGVs.

Do I need a HGV licence?

To drive a heavy goods vehicle like a truck, you need a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

To get a CPC you have to pass 4 tests and complete 35 hours of training to upgrade your licence and keep it valid. You need to renew this licence every 5 years.

If you use your HGV to carry goods for business, you might be required to hold an operator’s licence as well. This depends on:

  • The weight of the HGV
  • Whether you're transporting goods in Europe

How do I reduce the cost of my insurance?

There are several steps you could take to try to reduce your costs:

  • Keep the HGV in a secure facility when it’s not on the road to reduce the risk of theft.
  • Agree to pay a higher level of voluntary excess. This shows your insurer that you're only likely to claim if you absolutely have to.
  • Consider fleet insurance if you have multiple trucks. One policy covering multiple vehicles could work out cheaper than individual ones.
  • Fit dash cameras to help determine who’s at fault in the event of an accident.
  • Ensure all drivers have clean licences - one driver with numerous driving convictions can cause the price to go up on a fleet policy.
  • Shop around for truck insurance quotes each year.

For more information, check out our guide on how to get cheaper van insurance.

Who is Quote Me Today?

Quote Me Today is a commercial insurance broker based in the UK. They provide custom insurance policies for multiple kinds of businesses but specialise in the motor trade and business sectors.

Quote Me Today is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means they're strictly regulated and work to ensure all their customers are treated fairly.

They're also rated 'Excellent' on Trustpilot.

Quote me today confused partner truck lorry hgv insurance provider

What our van insurance expert says

"If you're an independent haulier, or if your business has exactly 1 heavy goods truck, truck insurance is what you're after. If you're looking to insure more than one heavy goods vehicle, then you're better off looking at fleet insurance.

Our partner, Quote Me Today, offers tailor-made cover that you can customise to meet your business needs. They even have former hauliers working for them so you know you're in safe hands."

Louise Thomas, Motor Insurance Expert at Confused.com
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