Brewery fleet insurance for drays, keg deliveries and event bars
The drays and vans that take your beer from the brewery to the cellar, and bring the empties back, on one policy with one renewal date. Fill in one short form to be put in touch with specialist brokers who arrange cover for UK breweries and drinks distributors.
- Drays with tail lifts
- Kegs, casks and returned empties
- Mobile bars for events
Brewery fleet insurance in brief
Brewery fleet insurance is one motor policy covering the drays, vans and support vehicles a brewery uses to deliver beer, cider and other drinks to pubs, bars and shops. It is used by craft and microbreweries with a few vans as well as regional brewers running lorry drays, and it is part of fleet insurance for trades. The brewery is carrying its own product, so the vehicles are normally insured for carriage of own goods.
What makes a brewery different is the delivery itself: heavy kegs lowered on a tail lift, cellar flaps open in the pavement, empties loaded for the return trip, and a load that thieves find easy to sell.
Brewery vehicles
Drays, vans and bar trailers: what does a brewery run?
A microbrewery may start with one van and a bar trailer, while a regional brewer can run a yard of lorry drays. Drays over 3.5 tonnes are goods vehicles, usually needing an operator licence, and their weights and body types are covered on HGV fleet insurance.
The cellar drop
What happens at the cellar drop that insurers care about?
A dray round is a string of heavy, physical deliveries. Some of the risk falls on the motor policy, and some falls on the brewery's liability covers.
- Parking at the pub: Drays often stop on double yellow lines, in narrow lanes or half on the pavement while unloading.
- Tail lift work: Kegs and casks lowered from the bed to the ground. Damage to the lift and injuries while using it are common questions.
- Cellar flaps and drops: The pavement hatch is open while barrels go down, which creates a risk to passers-by.
- Returned empties: Empty kegs, casks and dispense gas cylinders loaded for the trip back, often at the end of a long round.
- Early starts: Many rounds start before the pubs open, with drivers handling keys or codes for unattended deliveries.
A pedestrian falling into an open cellar flap is usually a public liability matter rather than a motor claim. MyMoneyComparison.com has a guide to public liability insurance.
Beer on board
Protecting a load that is easy to steal and easy to sell
Beer, spirits and cider are attractive to thieves because they move quickly once taken. Insurers ask how full drays are protected, on the road and when parked.
Load security
How the stock on a dray is protected during deliveries and overnight.
- Shutter or curtain locks and alarms
- Drays left loaded in the yard overnight
- Keys kept away from cabs at the brewery
Stock in transit
Cover for the drink on board between brewery and customer, which the motor policy does not include.
- Limits matched to a full dray
- Conditions for unattended vehicles
- Goods in transit cover
Draymen and helpers
Staff lifting kegs, working the tail lift and going up and down cellar steps.
- Manual handling injuries
- Two-person crews on lorry drays
- Employers' liability cover
What insurers ask
What details does a brewery need for a fleet quote?
Brokers usually start with the drays and the yard, then move on to events and drivers. Gathering these points first saves time on the form.
- Vehicle weightsVan drays, 7.5 tonne lorries and anything heavier.
- Delivery areaTown-centre pubs, narrow village streets or wide rural rounds.
- Stock on boardCask and keg beer, packaged goods, and any spirits or wine.
- Yard securityGates, lighting, cameras and where loaded drays stand overnight.
- EventsBar trailers, festival pitches and how often they are towed.
- DriversLicence categories, experience with tail lifts and any seasonal help.
How it works
One quote form, specialist fleet brokers
Insure Fleet is an information site, not an insurer or a broker. We link you to MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that gives businesses a gateway to brokers who arrange fleet insurance every day.
Start your quote
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Describe the brewery fleet
The form asks about the vehicles, the work they do and who drives, so you can be matched with a specialist fleet broker.
Compare and decide
A broker contacts you with options, subject to insurers' acceptance criteria. There is no obligation to buy.
Before you buy
Questions a brewery can put to the broker
Brewery claims often come from the delivery rather than the drive. These questions help show where each policy starts and stops.
- Is tail lift damage covered?Some motor policies cover the lift; others treat it as equipment.
- Are loaded drays covered overnight?Theft from a dray left loaded may carry conditions.
- Who covers a fall at the cellar flap?This usually sits under public liability, not the motor policy.
- Is a bar trailer covered when unhitched?Trailers left at event sites are a common theft target.
- Do empties and gas cylinders need declaring?Returned cylinders are worth mentioning to the insurer.
- Can extra drivers be added for summer events?Temporary drivers may need approval first.
FAQs
Brewery fleet insurance questions
What is brewery fleet insurance?
Brewery fleet insurance is one motor policy that covers the drays, vans, cars and trailers a brewery uses to deliver its drinks and service its customers. It sets the class of use, the drivers and the level of cover across the fleet with one renewal date.
Is a dray insured for hire and reward?
Not usually. A brewery delivering its own beer to pubs is carrying its own goods. If the drays also deliver other producers' drinks for a fee, that part of the work is hire and reward and needs adding to the vehicles concerned.
Does the motor policy cover the beer on the dray?
No. The dray's motor cover pays for the vehicle itself and for harm it causes to others on the road. The beer and other stock on board are normally covered by goods in transit cover or the brewery's stock policy.
Can a small brewery with a couple of vans get fleet cover?
Often, yes. A brewery with two or three vehicles is within range for many fleet insurers, though the starting point varies. A microbrewery moving from separate van policies can read more on small fleet insurance.
Are mobile bars at festivals covered?
The towing vehicle and the trailer can usually go on the fleet policy if declared. Trading at the event, serving customers and the stock behind the bar are usually covered by separate business policies.
How is a brewery fleet different from a drinks wholesaler's?
The vehicles are similar, but a brewery delivers mostly its own product into cellars and collects its own empties. A distributor carrying many brands to shops and restaurants is closer to wholesaler fleet insurance.
Does Insure Fleet sell insurance?
No. Insure Fleet is an information site and an affiliate of MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that gives businesses a gateway to specialist brokers. When you start a quote you continue to MyMoneyComparison.com, and we may be paid a small commission if you are matched with and speak to a broker.
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