Inspections Reveal Over 70% Of HGV Loads As Unsafe

Last year a number of spot checks were carried out on HGV vehicles in a joint initiative between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Vosa. The outcome of these checks revealed that most loads were unsafe and needed drastic action to make them secure for drivers and loading staff.




The two organisations that performed the road side checks were shocked at the considerable number of unsafe HGV vehicles on the road.


Figures have shown that 2000 injuries have occurred on UK roads over the last three years because of unsecured cargo falling from vehicles, making these loading checks all the more significant.


Due to these high figures, the HSE will be introducing a campaign that will increase awareness and provide assistance in securing loads correctly.


This should then reduce the amount of incidents on the roads and decrease injuries during the loading and unloading of heavy goods vehicles.


The benefits of adhering to these correct loading procedures also include increasing business productivity, cheaper HGV insurance rates and a reduction of haulage insurance claims.

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Source: Co-Insure 2011

No courtesy car on most car insurance policies

Nearly half of car insurance providers do not provide a courtesy car as standard, research by Defaqto found.

The study found 49% of car insurance policies would not provide a replacement car following an accident.

A further 28% only offer a replacement car if it was selected as an optional extra when the insurance policy was purchased.

Only a quarter (23%) of policies offer a courtesy car as standard.

“When purchasing cover, consumers must ensure that they are aware of the provider’s courtesy car provision,” said Mike Powell, Defaqto spokesperson.

“Finding out that a courtesy car is not available when you need one could be very costly, especially if you have to hire a car to continue your day to day activities.”

Avis Insurance has been arranging commercial insurance since 1983 and would be happy to assist you with your truck or commercial insurance requirements.

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Source Dave Master - Finance Markets

 

Rising thefts increase rates for Haulage Insurance

With the current economic situation and rising fuel bills Hauliers have another problem to face and this is the increase in criminal damage to their vehicles and theft from them too.

In 2010 it was reported that theft from lorries had risen by 63% compared to the previous decade and as a result this had cost the economy £250m.

How does this affect the insurance industry?

Like any policy when insurance companies have to make frequent payments for claims they are going to increase the premiums for that industry in order to recover some of their losses and the haulage industry is no different.

Many insurer’s now increase premiums in certain areas of the UK where there is a high crime rate from trucks this can be up to 25% of the premium which is a hefty levy for struggling haulage companies to pay.

What is the answer?

There is no simple quick fix to this problem but if the Police and insurance companies work closely with Hauliers and the trade associations then over a period of time the crime rate will fall.

For example, the Police should be sharing their data with haulage companies and trade bodies advising of safe places for drivers to stop for their rest and where drivers need to be vigilant.

Insurance companies should be offering more incentives to haulage companies to ensure drivers are fully aware of their responsibility to secure the vehicle whilst they are asleep or when they leave it unattended to prevent damage and theft from the vehicle. If the haulage company does take heed of the advice then the insurers can offer rebates at renewal.

Haulage companies also need to vet and check all of their staff as a high number of theft from vehicles tends to be an “inside job” so by obtaining references and querying anything out of the ordinary may prevent a crime not only against themselves but other haulage companies. 

 Source: Essential Risk Solutions 2011

 

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Goods in Transit Insurance - Its Worth Every Penny

Any business that transports goods needs to have adequate insurance in place. Its essential for your own peace of mind as well as that of your customers, and  goods in transit insurance is just one thing that always needs to be considered.

This type of insurance is normally offered as an addition to your current insurance quote rather than being a stand-alone policy, and should certainly never be overlooked. Its there to protect the contents of your vehicle when youre on the road, and given that the cost of those items could easily add up it makes sense to be prepared.

Dont think that a simple van or truck quote will cover you while that may be perfectly sufficient if youre only transporting your own goods, when youre performing services on a hire and reward basis you need to have a more comprehensive policy in place. Its always going to be worth investing in, and could be a real coup for your business.

But, its a sad fact that a lot of business owners prefer to overlook this type of insurance in an attempt to save some cash, but in the long run thats never going to pay off. If anything were to happen to the contents of the vehicle you could easily be held responsible, and showing potential clients that youre properly insured could even increase your profits. If they see that youve got adequate cover in place theyll be more likely to trust you to take charge of their goods, and that boosted image can result in huge benefits for your business as a whole.

It doesnt even have to cost that much, and when you consider the price of your current insurance policy the increase to your premiums will be negligible. Most insurers will ask if you want it when you take out their policy anyway, and if you want to be completely covered youd be wise to accept. If youre looking to get a great deal make sure to head to the experts and always shop around, and doing so will mean you can be completely confident in your choice.

So, any kind of haulage, van or courier firm needs to have adequate goods in transit insurance in place if they want to make the most of their business. Doing so will offer valuable peace of mind to everyone involved and could even provide a tangible boost to your profits, so make sure that youve got every aspect covered if you want your business to thrive.

Source www.euroferret.com

Avis Insurance has been arranging commercial insurance since 1983 and would be happy to assist you with your truck or commercial insurance requirements.

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Honesty Is the Best Insurance Policy

With fuel costs relentlessly rising it seems drivers are taking serious risks to keep their motoring costs down.  A recent survey of UK Motorists found that over 50% of us would consider lying to our insurance providers if it meant we got a better deal on our annual policy. Known as fronting it involves deliberately misleading the insurance company by providing false or inaccurate information.

The survey conducted by the ABI (Association Of British Insurures) found that more than 50% of those questioned would incorrectly name themselves as a first driver, 20% said they may exagerate their no claims bonus and 12% would consider hiding motoring convictions in order to reduce their premiums. Perhaps most worryingly 10% stated they would consider concealing important details from their insurance provider to get a better deal.
 The first quarter of 2010 saw record rises in insurance policies with an average of 7.2% rise in comprehensive cover cost according to the AA’s figures. The insurance industry insisted that the rises were necessary as the were paying out 20% more in claims than they had collected in policy premiums. This surge in in claims followed the cold spell where much of the UK was brought to a stand still by snow and ice, will we see the same hikes again in 2011 as insurance claims are realised?
The ABI found that fronting poses the biggest threat to insurance providers and stated that the practice is illegal and could invalidate a vehicle insurance policy were it proven.


Source: TrackCompare, January 21, 2011


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Gender Directive will require UK insurers to raise almost £1bn

The European Court of Justice’s ruling on the Gender Directive on 1st March, could mean that the UK insurance industry will need to raise nearly £1 billion in additional capital.
Unchallenged, the Directive means that UK insurers can no longer offer premiums based on gender and according to Open Europe, UK insurers will need to raise an extra £936 million to cover themselves against “new uncertainties” in the market.
The think-tank argues that this cost will be passed on to consumers, so that rather than equalising men and women’s existing insurance costs, the Directive would increase total costs for consumers, taken as a whole.
It would also affect several different insurance and pension products, including motor insurance, private medical insurance, life insurance and annuities.
Taking motor insurance as an example, Open Europe estimates that, on average, a 17-year-old female driver would have to pay an extra £4,300 in insurance premiums by the time she is 26, as a consequence of an unfavourable ruling.
The body’s research director, Stephen Booth, says: “This is a perfect illustration of how giving ever greater powers to unaccountable EU judges does not only come with a democratic cost, but can also have massive economic costs for individual consumers and the wider UK economy.

Avis Insurance has been arranging commercial insurance since 1983 and would be happy to assist you with your truck or commercial insurance requirements.

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