Tipper van insurance

Whatever type of tipper truck you use – whether it’s a flatbed, three-way tipper, cage or dropside – you’ll know it’s not a straightforward van.

Tipper trucks are used mainly by construction workers and gardeners to transport all sorts of loose materials like sand, rubble, gravel and topsoil. They’re designed to work on off-road areas such as construction sites, as well as on everyday roads.

The cost to replace or repair a tipper van that’s not properly insured could be extremely high. Tippers may also be at a greater risk of being stolen for their parts, which are often worth a lot of money. So, you’ll want to protect your tipper truck with the right tipper insurance.

If you drive your tipper truck for work, there are two types of commercial van insurance available.

• Carriage of own goods allows you to carry the tools of the trade that you need for work. Builders and plumbers, for example, might carry work tools, equipment and materials.

• Haulage (carriage of goods for hire and reward) offers cover if you use your tipper truck as a delivery van for someone else’s goods. This could be to shift sand, aggregate, gravel or topsoil for another business. Before taking this kind of insurance out, it’s worth checking whether the company you deliver for already has you covered.

If you carry tools in the back of your tipper truck, make sure you check the policy details. For example, your policy may say that you need to stay with your vehicle while it’s loaded to prevent theft or damage. You might also want to check if you’re covered for parts stolen from your vehicle.

If you have a few tipper trucks to insure, you could save time and money by taking out fleet insurance. This allows you to cover multiple vehicles under one policy.

You’ll need to insure your tipper van for business use. As with standard vehicle insurance, there are three main types of cover to choose from:

• Third-party only – this provides cover for injury to another person or damage to their vehicle. Third-party tipper insurance won’t cover repairs to your own tipper van or your own medical expenses.

• Third-party, fire and theft – this offers the same level of protection as above, plus cover if your van is stolen or damaged by fire. With van break-ins and tool theft being all too common occurrences, it’s a worthwhile consideration. Make sure to check the policy details to see if tools and other contents are included. If not, consider adding extra cover.

• Comprehensive – in addition to the above, this also covers you if your tipper is damaged – even if the accident was your fault.

You might also want to consider public liability insurance. This offers cover if you damage someone else’s property while loading or unloading, for example.

And if you employ anyone to drive your tipper van, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance in place.

To get a quote, simply give us a few details about:

• Your tipper truck and the level of cover you’d like

• What you use the vehicle for

• Your personal details including your age, where you live, your claims history and any driving convictions

• Details of any named drivers you want to add to the policy

• The estimated annual mileage of your tipper truck.

Whether you drive a Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Peugeot Boxer, Renault Master or Iveco Daily tipper, we can give you a list of suitable quotes to compare. You’ll have the opportunity to add on any optional extras, so you can tailor your quote to suit your needs.