Groundworks fleet insurance for tippers, plant trailers and towed mini diggers
Cover for the tippers that pull a mini digger or dumper to site each morning and bring the spoil away. Fill in one form and a specialist broker who deals with groundworks firms will get back to you.
- Tippers towing plant trailers
- Mini diggers and dumpers on the road
- Site access roads and mud
Groundworks fleet insurance in brief
Groundworks fleet insurance is a motor policy covering the tippers, vans and towing vehicles a groundworks contractor uses, together with the plant trailers they pull on the road. It is one of the heavier-duty parts of fleet insurance for trades, because almost every journey involves towing.
The usual set-up is a tipper towing a plant trailer carrying a mini digger or dumper. Insurers look at the whole combination: the tipper, the trailer, the machine on it and the driver's entitlement to tow that weight. The digger itself is normally insured under a separate plant policy rather than the fleet.
The towing combination
Tipper, trailer and digger: insuring the whole train
Groundworkers rarely drive a tipper on its own. The pairing of tipper and plant trailer is what insurers rate, and each part has its own questions.
The towing vehicle
Most groundworks tippers sit at or just under 3.5 tonnes, with heavier tippers insured as lorries.
- Towing limit of each tipper
- Tow bars and electrics fitted
- Who is allowed to drive it
The plant trailer
Plant trailers are usually covered for liability while attached to an insured tipper.
- Theft of a detached trailer is a separate question
- Trailer value worth stating
- Hitch locks and wheel clamps when parked
Driver entitlement
Towing a loaded plant trailer can need extra entitlement on a driver's licence, depending on when the licence was gained.
- Insurers may ask for licence checks
- Combined weights matter, not only the tipper
- Younger drivers may be limited
Plant cover
Is the mini digger insured on the fleet or on a plant policy?
This is the point most often misunderstood by groundworks firms. A motor fleet policy is built for vehicles on the road, and a mini digger is plant.
What the fleet policy covers
The tippers, vans and trailers while driven or towed, and injury or damage they cause to others.
- A trailer swaying into another car
- A tipper reversing into a fence on site
- Theft of or damage to the tippers
What a plant policy covers
Mini diggers, dumpers and rollers, whether owned or hired in.
- Theft of the machine from site
- Damage while working
- Hired-in plant the firm is responsible for
Plant driven on the road
A dumper or digger driven on a public road under its own power is a vehicle on the road.
- Usually needs its own motor cover
- Short trips between sites count
- Worth raising with the broker
Muck, mud and aggregates
Spoil, aggregates and mud on the public road
Groundworks tippers spend their day on haul roads and site entrances as much as on the road. That shapes both what they carry and the claims they attract.
- Your own spoil: Soil and rubble dug out on the firm's own contracts usually counts as own goods.
- Muck-away for others: Muck-away done for another contractor in return for a fee falls under hire and reward, and the insurer will want to know.
- Aggregates and pipes: Stone, sand, drainage pipe and kerbs collected for your own jobs.
- Mud on the road: Mud carried from site onto the public road can lead to claims, which are usually liability rather than motor.
Tippers over 3.5 tonnes, including grab and eight-wheel tippers, are covered on HGV fleet insurance.
Ready for the broker
What a groundworks firm is asked when getting a quote
Groundworks quotes turn on towing and plant. Having these details to hand saves going back and forth.
- Tippers and their weightsEach tipper's weight, towing limit and value.
- Trailers and plant carriedTrailer types and the machines usually carried on them.
- Drivers' entitlementsWho can tow, and how licences are checked.
- Overnight storageLocked yard, site compound or staff homes, with trailers detached or not.
- Spoil carried for othersWhether any muck-away work is done for payment.
- Site conditionsHaul roads, wheel washing and access onto busy roads.
- Claims and theftsTrailer and plant thefts and road claims 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 tippers and trailers
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
What to check on a groundworks fleet policy
Groundworks claims often fall between the motor policy and the plant policy. These questions help close the gap.
- Is the trailer covered when unhitched?Detached trailers are often outside the motor policy.
- Does the plant policy cover transit?A digger damaged while strapped to a trailer can fall between covers.
- Who can tow the plant trailer?Some drivers' licences restrict towing heavier trailers.
- Is muck-away for others included?Paid spoil removal is hire and reward use.
- Are hired-in diggers covered?Hired plant usually needs its own cover.
- What if a tipper is off the road?A missing tipper can stall several jobs at once.
FAQs
Groundworks fleet insurance questions
What is groundworks fleet insurance?
Groundworks fleet insurance is one motor policy for the tippers, vans and towing vehicles a groundworks contractor runs, including plant trailers while they are towed. The schedule shows every tipper and van, what it may be used for and who may drive it.
Is the mini digger covered by the fleet policy?
Usually not. A mini digger is plant, so it is normally insured under a separate plant insurance policy, whether the firm owns it or hires it in. The fleet policy covers the tipper and the trailer carrying it on the road.
Is a plant trailer covered when it is parked on site?
Cover for trailers usually follows the towing vehicle while attached. A trailer left on site or in a yard may need theft cover added, or cover under a separate policy, depending on the insurer.
Can a new groundworks business get fleet cover?
Yes, but expect insurers to lean on the drivers' records while the firm builds up its own. New business fleet insurance sets out how a start-up fleet is usually assessed.
What if mud from a site causes an accident?
Mud or debris left on the road from a site is usually a liability matter rather than a motor claim. That is part of what public liability insurance is for.
Do groundworkers working for a main contractor need their own fleet cover?
Usually, yes. Each firm insures its own vehicles, even when working for a main contractor. Firms that also take on the building work above ground may find builders fleet insurance covers more of their work.
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 insure the tippers and trailers?
One form covering the towing set-up, specialist brokers, no obligation to buy.