HGV Insurance Coverage Types
Understanding what each cover does — and what it doesn't — is the foundation of a properly structured HGV insurance programme. Here's everything explained in plain English.
Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Insurance
Full protection for your most valuable asset
Agreed-value comprehensive cover for loss or damage to your HGV — whether from accident, fire, theft, storm, flood, or vandalism.
- ✓Accidental collision damage
- ✓Fire and explosion damage
- ✓Theft and attempted theft
Carriers Liability Insurance
Protection for the freight in your care
Legal liability cover for goods in your care, custody, and control as a carrier — essential for any operator carrying freight belonging to others.
- ✓Loss of clients' goods in transit
- ✓Damage to freight during transport
- ✓Theft of cargo from vehicle
Public Liability Insurance
Third-party injury and property damage protection
Cover for your legal liability to third parties for bodily injury or property damage caused by your operations — beyond what your motor vehicle policy covers.
- ✓Bodily injury to third parties
- ✓Property damage to third parties
- ✓Legal defence costs
Downtime & Loss of Use
Revenue protection while your truck is off the road
Daily benefit payments while your HGV is off the road for covered repairs — keeping your cash flow intact when income stops.
- ✓Daily benefit during vehicle repair period
- ✓Hire vehicle costs (alternative transport)
- ✓Fixed operating costs during downtime
Road Clearing & Reinstatement
Protection against highway incident costs
Cover for emergency response, road clearing, and infrastructure reinstatement costs following a serious HGV incident on a public road.
- ✓NZTA road clearing and signage charges
- ✓Specialist recovery vehicle hire
- ✓Crane and heavy lift costs
Personal Accident & Driver Cover
Financial security for drivers and their families
Lump sum and weekly benefit cover for truck drivers injured or killed in work-related accidents, topping up ACC where the scheme has gaps.
- ✓Accidental death benefit — lump sum
- ✓Permanent total disablement — lump sum
- ✓Temporary total disablement — weekly benefit
Employers & Statutory Liability
Protection for your obligations as an employer
Statutory and employers liability insurance for transport businesses employing drivers and yard staff — covering regulatory breach fines and workplace injury claims.
- ✓WorkSafe fines and penalties (statutory liability)
- ✓NZTA regulatory breach penalties
- ✓Employment Relations Authority claims
The Most Common Coverage Gaps
These are the covers that operators most often discover they're missing — after an incident has already happened.
Road Clearing Costs
Standard motor vehicle policies include $10,000–$25,000 road clearing. NZTA invoices regularly exceed $80,000–$250,000 for serious highway incidents. The gap is your problem.
Carriers Liability
Motor vehicle cover doesn't cover freight claims. If you carry someone else's goods without carriers liability, a single lost load could generate a six-figure claim against your business.
Downtime Revenue Protection
Parts delays for European trucks now run 12–20 weeks. Without downtime cover, every day off the road is lost revenue while your finance repayments continue.
Agreed Value vs Market Value
Market value settlements can be $50,000–$100,000 less than replacement cost. As a working HGV operator, that gap falls on you. Agreed value is non-negotiable.
Get the Right Cover Structured Correctly
A specialist HGV broker will review your operation, identify coverage gaps, and structure a programme that actually protects your business.