Bricklayers fleet insurance for gang vans, dropsides and towed mixers
For brickwork contractors moving gangs, mixers and pallets of blocks to piecework jobs, sometimes a long way from home. One quick form and a specialist broker familiar with brickwork firms will contact you.
- Crew-cab gang vans
- Self-employed gang members driving
- Dropsides, pallets and mixers
Bricklayers fleet insurance in brief
Bricklayers fleet insurance is one motor policy for the crew vans, dropsides and towing vehicles a brickwork contractor uses to get gangs, tools and materials to site. It is part of fleet insurance for trades, shaped by the way brickwork gangs travel and work.
Bricklayers tend to move as a gang: several layers and a labourer sharing one crew-cab van, often to piecework jobs on housing sites. Many gang members are self-employed, so the questions that matter most are who is allowed to drive and how the policy treats subcontractors.
Moving the gang
Crew-cab vans carrying a brickwork gang to site
A crew-cab van with a full bench of passengers is a different risk from a van with one driver. Long early-morning drives to housing sites in another county add to it.
Seats and passengers
Insurers ask how many seats each van has and how many people usually travel in it.
- Seat count is part of the vehicle description
- Passengers are covered for injury as third parties
- Seats added after purchase need declaring
Long drives to piecework
Gangs follow the work, which can mean long daily journeys or staying away.
- Annual mileage and areas worked are asked for
- Tiredness on early starts is a known risk
- Vans parked at digs overnight may need mentioning
Tools behind the bulkhead
Trowels, levels, saws and lasers travel with the gang every day.
- Tools are usually insured separately
- Overnight limits often apply
- Cutting saws and lasers are high-value items
Who drives
Named drivers, any driver or subcontractors: who can drive the gang van?
In a brickwork firm the driver can change from day to day, and many of the gang are self-employed. That makes driver terms the centre of the policy.
Named drivers only
Only listed people may drive, each with their age and licence history on file.
- Suits firms with a steady gang
- New gang members are added before they drive
- One driving conviction can affect the terms
Any driver with conditions
Anyone meeting the insurer's age and licence terms may drive.
- Suits gangs that change often
- Younger drivers may face a higher excess
- Some convictions are excluded
Self-employed gang members
Subcontractors driving the firm's van need to be within the policy terms.
- Some policies cover employees only
- Worth confirming in writing
- Their own van on site is their own policy
How open driving terms usually work is explained on any driver fleet insurance, including age limits and excesses.
Pallets and mixers
Dropsides, part pallets and the mixer on the tow bar
Most brickwork firms run at least one dropside alongside the gang vans. The dropside works hard and is often loaded to the limit.
- Dropsides with pallets: Blocks, bricks and sand delivered by the merchant are usually unloaded on site, but dropsides carry part pallets between jobs.
- Towed mixers: Cement mixers towed behind vans are trailers and need to be within the vehicle's towing limit.
- Load weight: A dropside with a pallet of blocks can easily sit close to its gross weight. Overloading can affect a claim.
- Own goods only: Carrying your own materials and kit is normally own goods use. Moving another firm's materials for payment is not.
The wider points on class of use, racking and load space are on van fleet insurance.
Gathering the details
What insurers ask a brickwork contractor
Brokers dealing with bricklaying firms focus on the people in the vans as much as the vans themselves.
- Gang size and seatsHow many people travel in each van and the seat count.
- Who drivesNamed drivers, any driver, and whether subcontractors drive.
- Driver recordsAges, licence history, points and claims for each likely driver.
- Distance to workLocal jobs or long daily drives to sites further away.
- TowingMixers and trailers towed, and by which vans.
- Overnight parkingHome, yard or digs near a distant site.
- Claims historyRoad accidents and tool thefts in recent years.
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 gang vans
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 brickwork firm can ask the broker
Bricklaying gangs change often, so the fine print on drivers and passengers matters. These questions help pin it down.
- Can self-employed layers drive the van?Some policies only cover employees.
- Is there an age limit on drivers?Young labourers may be excluded or carry a higher excess.
- Is the towed mixer covered?Trailers may need declaring with their value.
- What if a gang member has points?Some insurers accept certain convictions on terms.
- Does the policy cover working away?Vans parked near distant sites overnight may change the terms.
- Are tools in the van covered?Usually not without a separate tools policy.
FAQs
Bricklayers fleet insurance questions
What is bricklayers fleet insurance?
Bricklayers fleet insurance is one motor policy for the crew vans, dropsides and other vehicles a brickwork contractor runs. It sets out who may drive, what each vehicle is used for and the cover level, with one renewal date.
Can self-employed bricklayers drive the firm's vans?
Often, if the policy allows it. Some fleet policies cover employees only, while others cover any driver who meets the insurer's terms, including subcontractors. It is worth confirming this before a self-employed gang member drives.
Are passengers in the gang van covered?
Yes. Passengers are covered for injury as third parties under the motor policy. The insurer will usually ask how many seats each van has, so seat conversions need to be declared.
What if one of the gang has driving convictions?
Many insurers will still cover the fleet, sometimes with conditions or a higher excess. Fleet insurance for convicted drivers explains how convictions are usually treated.
Is a bricklayer hurt on the scaffold covered by the fleet?
No. Injury to workers on site is not a motor matter. Firms with staff usually need employers' liability insurance, and main contractors often ask whether self-employed gangs have it too.
Is a brickwork firm's fleet different from a builder's?
The vehicles can look alike, but the risks differ. Brickwork firms move gangs to piecework and often change drivers, while a general building firm runs a wider mix of vans and a tipper across its own jobs, as set out on builders 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.
Ready to cover the gang vans?
Tell us about the vans and who drives them, then speak to a specialist broker.