Courier & Light haulage

We can provide Hire & Reward motor insurance for one vehicle up to fleets of any numbers of vehicles with our A-rated insurance partners.

Our experienced broking staff are ready to walk you through your motor cover either over the phone or via email so that you are fully informed and comfortable with what motor insurance we are working on for you on your behalf.

With regard to motor fleet insurance, as well as all the standard fleet markets that we have great relationships with, we are one a few brokers in the UK to be selected to offer a new revolutionary motor fleet insurance policy. This new policy has being forged by some of the leading underwriters in the UK motor underwriting community and it sets out to massively reduce your claims costs (in the event of a claim) by up to 80% which is imperative to keeping your companies premiums down. Your premiums obviously correlate with the amount of money insurers pay out in claims so their new refreshing approach to dealing with claims makes perfect sense and can only help your company’s profitability should you be unlucky enough to suffer a claim(s). The new system also massively expedites claim payments reducing potential interruptions to your business again helping your company to keep the wheels turning and making money.

When you enter into a contract with a third party to move their goods for hire and reward you automatically become responsible for the goods whilst they are in your care, custody and control and in the event of loss of or damage to those goods the third party can, and most likely will, hold you responsible for their loss and then you will be liable.

As a carrier of a third parties goods for payment you are not able to insure the goods themselves as you do not have an ‘insurable interest’ but you can buy a policy that covers your liability in the event that the goods you are carrying are lost, damaged or stolen and this is a Freight Operators Liability policy also known as a Goods in Transit policy.

The main covers that you may require are as follows:-

1. All Risks Cover – this is cover for the full amount of money that can be chosen by you when you are buying your policy, so this could be £50,000 All Risks cover and this would give you full cover for up to £50,000 providing you are within the boundaries of your insurance policy. This is by far the most common form of cover for courier / light haulage companies.
2. RHA Conditions are specific conditions of carriage that are limited to a certain amount per tonne, usually £1300 per tonne but this can vary on request. The benefit of using these set conditions is that is limits your liability and the conditions are tried and tested and they have a number of facets to help protect your company in the event of a loss.
3. CMR Conditions are always used for the carriage of goods to foreign countries (except for movements of household goods & personal effects, mail services & funeral arrangements) whilst the goods remain on the same vehicle. These conditions are also limited to a maximum amount per tonne (circa £9,000 per tonne) and they have a variety of protections built into them to aid you as a carrier especially as there could be foreign laws and clients involved in potential claims.

The level of cover that you require / need may come about in a variety of ways, as follows:-

1. The third party whose goods you are being contracted to move from A to B may say to you that in order for you or your company to pick up the contract from them you must provide Freight Operators Liability cover at a certain amount.
   1. For example the third party wants a consignment of Running Shoes moved from A to B and they have a value of £50,000 so they insist on you having £50,000 All Risks cover in place
   2. A parcel delivery company, such as Hermes, may require your Freight Operators Liability policy to provide cover for £20 per parcel with a maximum limit per vehicle of £30,000 and to comply with this you would purchase a Freight Operators Liability policy that covers you for £30,000 All Risks.
2. Your company has a set contract that a third party enters in to when they want you to move their goods and built within these terms you specify the Goods in Transit cover that you offer as standard….for example this may be £25,000 All Risks cover.

One main point to bear in mind when dealing with GIT cover for your clients is that it isn’t your role as a courier / light haulier to insure their goods your role is to move it from A to B. If the owner of the goods want’s to insure their goods correctly they should have their own cargo cover in place.

A courier, like any other business, may need public liability insurance for several reasons:

1. Third-Party Injury or Property Damage: Public liability insurance provides coverage in case a courier causes injury to a third party of damages their property while performing their duties. For example, if a courier accidentally injures someone or damages a customer’s property during a delivery, this insurance can help cover the costs of legal fees, medical expenses or property repairs.
2. Customer Requirements: Some clients, companies, trade associations may require couriers to have public liability insurance as a condition of doing business with them. This is particularly common when dealing with larger clients, with councils / or on council owned land or when working regulated industries
3. Professionalism & Trust: Having public liability insurance can enhance the professionalism and trustworthiness of a courier business. It demonstrates a commitment to responsible business practices and provides assurances to clients that the courier is financially prepared to handle any unforeseen incidents.
4. Risk Mitigation: Couriers operate in dynamic environments, often involving transportation, handling and delivery of goods. Public liability insurance helps mitigate financial risks associated with accidents or incident that may occur during these operations.
5. Peace of Mind: Knowing that there is insurance coverage in place can give the courier peace of mind, allowing them to focus on their work without worrying about the potential financial consequences of an unexpected event.

It is important for couriers to carefully assess their specific needs and the potential risks associated with their operations to determine the appropriate level of insurance cover needed. We offer to levels of insurance; £2m & £5m.

For general contracts moving goods for smaller companies you will find that £2m cover is more than adequate but should you be carrying out your work on council property or work in general for larger companies and definitely for blue chip companies you will need £5m cover.

The difference in premium between limits of £2m & £5m is only small so you may want to go for the £5m limit regardless.

Employers liability insurance is important for courier company that employs staff for a number of reasons (please remember if you have self-employed staff that do their majority of their work for you and in a vehicle provided by you then you will still be responsible for them as if they were a PAYE employee):

1. Legal Requirement: In the UK employers liability insurance is a legal requirement. The purpose is to ensure that businesses have financial protection in place to compensate employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. Failing to have this insurance where required can result in legal penalties and fines. Please note there is a national database that logs companies that do and which don’t have employer’s liability insurance in place.
2. Employee Protection: Employers’ liability insurance provides coverage for employees who may be injured or fall ill as a result of their work. This coverage can include medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and compensation for lost wages. It helps ensure that employees are taken care of financially if the experience work-related injuries or illnesses.
3. Risk Management: Couriers often operate in risky and fast paced environments, such as driving on roads, handling packages and working with different types of equipment such as manual pallet trucks for example. Employers’ liability insurance is a crucial component of a comprehensive risk management strategy. It helps mitigate the financial risks associated with workplace injuries or illnesses, which can be especially important in the courier industry where employees may be exposed to physical risks during their daily tasks.
4. Legal Defence Costs: The insurance also covers the legal costs associated with defending against a claim made by an employee. If an employee files a lawsuit claiming that the employer’s negligence led to their injury or illness, the insurance can cover the legal expenses involved in defending against such claims.
5. Compliance with Contracts and Agreements:  Some clients or companies may require couriers to have employer’s liability insurance as a condition of doing business with them. This is particularly common when dealing with larger companies or when working in regulated industries.
6. Employee Confidence: Knowing that their employer has insurance in place to cover workplace injuries can boost employee confidence. It shows commitment to the well-being of the workforce and can contribute to a positive workplace environment.

The standard limit for Employers Liability cover in the UK is £10,000,000 and is never altered.

The premium for smaller companies is generally done on a per-capita basis so this is a set premium per employee. For larger clients the premium would be calculated on the company’s wages and this can be split up in to various working roles such as manual labour, admin / office work etc.