Archive for category: Truck and Lorry

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee released a report on the sustainability in transport which has received a positive reaction from the Freight Transport Association.

The report states that fiscal support will be needed as well as a regulatory reform in order to develop the market in ultra-low emission vehicles. The reform for cars would suggest to review company car taxation and for vans, a reform to the weight limitations on alt powered vehicles.

Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of National and Regional Policy commented “The Committee is right that more support will be needed for the purchasers of ultra-low emission vehicles if they are to take off in the market place as soon as possible.  The suggestion of considering reforming weight limitations on alternatively powered vans is welcome and should be explored further – subject to demonstrating it would not have a negative effect on safety”.

Mr Snelling proceeded to say: “The missing piece in the report is heavy duty vehicles.  From an engineering and technological point of view it is harder to decarbonise larger road vehicles – electric is not an option.  Trials of alternative power sources for lorries were made under the Government’s Low Carbon Truck Trial and a further low emission freight and logistics trial has recently been announced, but more fiscal support will be needed if these new vehicles are to get taken up by purchasers any time soon.  Currently alternatively powered vehicles only make up 0.2 per cent of the UK’s HGV fleet.”

DFT minister Lord Ahmed has announced that the government will not be funding the HGV license acquisition in order to ease the HGV driver shortage in the UK.

The cost of the HGV license ranges from between £1,500 – £3,000 and the industry is currently facing a shortfall of about 40,000 drivers.

Due to this the haulage industry had been campaigning for the government to provide funding for the training so that people were more inclined to join the trade.

Lord Ahmed informed the Transport committee: “The principle remains that we won’t look at funding HGV licences. That has been a principle established since 2005 and that is a position we will not be changing.”

This news comes as a blow to the industry which after a recent survey of HGV qualified drivers showed that over a third claimed that they felt poorly treated by their employer.

Lord Ahmed has made further comments regarding the industry stating: “There needs to be a lot more work on drivers’ conditions. This has to be industry-led. The government’s role is to facilitate and look at recruitment, but the retention element is something the industry needs to lead on,”

Finding insurance for a lorry/truck can prove difficult as it is not a product that is generally well advertised compare to the likes of car insurance but nevertheless it does exist and this short article will offer a range of tips and advice to help you save a penny or two.

When people think about insurance the main focus is on what a company covers and at what cost however there is a whole range of factors that go towards these costs.

‘It starts at home’

The main points of focus here would be the vehicle, the owner and the drivers.

Vehicle – This should be of a high priority of the owner/company of any vehicle as it is what keeps you on the move as well as aiding your trade/business. We recommend you put in place a system of practises and maintenance checks to keep your vehicle in good condition and also to make sure it complies with current laws. You may also benefit from adding security devices to the vehicles to aid in the event of theft

Owner – The owner will normally insure the vehicle under their name or the company but the onus of responsibility will lay with them. It is best to make sure you not only check but also keep up to date with laws and regulations.

Drivers – Employing drivers is a risk to anyone as they are entrusted to use and assist in maintaining your vehicle/s however it is a risk that you have some control over and could save yourself money in the future. Always make sure your drivers have the relevant licenses and make note that the cleaner the license the better. It is also important to make sure they have training not only at the start of employment but refreshers throughout as this will ensure that they do not forget the training and also gives you an opportunity to remind or implement how you want your business to run.

Insurance

When you shop around for insurance you may wish to remember the following;

• If you have a number of vehicles you may benefit from having a Fleet policy so that all your vehicles are insured under one policy with one company.
• Consider what level of cover you actually need – If you have much older vehicles with low values you may be able to save more money by putting minimal cover such as Third Party Fire and Theft.
• Take on some of the risk yourself via a voluntary excess – your policy will require for you to pay an excess in the event of you claiming against your insurance policy however by adding an extra voluntary excess your premium will be much lower.
• Named drivers – Insurers are able to assess the risk of having you insured more precisely if they have a list of drivers that will be using the vehicles thus meaning a lower premium.
• Cameras – Source a forward facing camera within the vehicle as this will assist in defending non-fault claims and also in the event of any cash-for-crash/fraudulent claims. (This is not necessarily a requirement however more and more people are seeing the benefit of having such a device in the vehicle)

Want more advice or looking for the best quote?

Why not entrust the assistance of Quotax Insurance.

Quotax specialise in a wide variety of Commercial Vehicle Insurance and have a large panel of insurers that suit most vehicles. They also have a dedicated team of experts that are more than happy to provide you with advice and tailor a policy to suit the needs of yourself and/or your business.

For more information please visit the web page https://www.quotax.net or give the team a call on 0208 469 9679

Who needs HGV Insurance?

The law requires that any HGV is covered by a minimum level of third party insurance.

This is to ensure that any third party/member of the public who has sustained injury or losses as a result of an accident (that you are deemed responsible for) may recover or apply for compensation.

The vehicle is kept off the road so is insurance still needed?

The Law has been changed and legislation now states that you still need a minimum cover of Third Party Only even if your vehicle is used/kept on private land, a yard or a garage.

What if my HGV is being driven in Europe?

Insurance arranged in the UK should normally provide the required third party cover for the vehicle while in use in the EU however additional cover such as fire and theft or accidental damage.

If you hold comprehensive insurance already it is important to check if your insurer will continue this cover while the vehicle is in the EU. You may wish to also check what countries you are allowed to travel in with the cover you hold.

You may be asked to produce a ‘Green Card’ as proof of your vehicle having the minimum cover so enquire with you insurer or broker for more information.

Where can I get HGV insurance?

Finding insurance that suits you and your vehicle can prove difficult and tiring however Quotax may have an answer for you.

With a strong panel of the UK’s Leading Insurers and being able to cover vehicles up to 44 tons Quotax will be able to match and tailor your needs and find you a competitive quote.

You can contact the team on 0208 469 9679 or click this link for a quote https://www.quotax.net/get-a-quote-truck-and-lorry/

What does HGV insurance cover?

As mentioned Quotax are able to provide you with a tailored and personal insurance policy and will confirm exactly what your policy includes and what extras are available.

As well as the general Third Party, Third Party Fire & Theft and Comprehensive policies Quotax can also source extra cover such as the following;

Specialist goods in transit Insurance

Employers and Public Liability polices

Breakdown cover