Transport insurance

Public liability insurance for transport and logistics

In case you or your employee injure someone or damage their property.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• damage to someone’s property, caused by your work
• injuries caused by your business activities
• accidental damage or injury caused by your employees, if you have any

For example:

• a passer-by trips over a pallet of goods you’ve left by the side of the road, breaking their knee
• during a delivery you accidentally damage your client’s warehouse doors, and they claim for repair costs

If you do employ anyone, you’re usually required by law to have employers’ liability insurance too.

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case an employee gets sick or injured while working for you.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• an employee, including a contractor or casual labourer, suing you after falling ill because of working for your logistics business, or
• making a claim for an injury they’ve had while working for you

**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:

• your employee falls from the back of your HGV, breaking their leg
• your office manager injures her hand while trying to open a faulty window latch in your business unit

Business and office equipment insurance

In case things like laptops or office filing cabinets are lost, stolen, or damaged.

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

• theft, flood, fire, or accidental damage to the equipment you use to run your transport company
• operational equipment like your laptop, rather than the trade tools you take out and about

For example:

• your work laptop is stolen during an overnight break-in at your home office
• the printer, photocopier, and laptops in your business premises are damaged during a flood, and need replacing

Read more about business and office equipment insurance

Tools insurance

In case your tools are lost, stolen or damaged.

What’s typically covered by tools insurance?

• loss, damage, or theft of your hand tools, power tools, and specialist equipment

For example:

• your tools are damaged in a flood at your business unit
• you park for a meeting with a client at a motorway services and your tools are stolen from your car

What you’ll need additional cover for

• larger plant items you use to carry out your work – you’ll need to add specific plant cover for these

Read more about tools insurance

Legal expenses insurance

In case you’re faced with legal costs in connection with your transport company.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

• legal costs attributed to your logistics and/or transport business
• property damage, nuisance, or trespass – specifically, the associated legal claims and compensation payouts
• tax and compliance disputes and investigations you need help with
• includes a tax advice helpline, a 24/7 confidential legal helpline, and crisis support to help you protect your reputation as a trusted professional

For example:

• you need to pay for legal expenses when a client disputes their contract with you
• an employee raises a discrimination claim against you, and you need to recover legal costs

Read more about legal expenses insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at work or off-duty.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• accidental injury or death at work or elsewhere, for anyone covered on the policy
• lost income, medical costs, and hospitalisation benefit

For example:

• you fall from a height while visiting a client’s premises, breaking your leg and fracturing three ribs
• your business partner breaks their knee while running at the weekend, and needs minor surgery

Read more about personal accident insurance

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Does transport insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider courier insurance or taxi driver insurance?

Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Haulier insurance
• Furniture removal insurance
• Consultant – transport
• Car park operator
• Uber driver insurance

Other types of insurance

• Limited company insurance
• Self-employed insurance
• Freelance insurance
• Consultant insurance
• Contractors insurance
• Sole trader insurance

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.