Agricultural fleet insurance

What does agricultural fleet insurance cover?

No two farms are the same. From the type of farm vehicles, equipment and machinery that is used, to the number of people employed, every farm and smallholding will operate differently. That's why agricultural fleet insurance is ideal because you can select the level of cover that applies specifically to you.

There are three main types of cover you can select for your policy:

Comprehensive

Comprehensive insurance provides you with cover for damage to your vehicles and damage to anyone else's vehicles, regardless of which party is at fault for the accident. You will also be covered for accidental damage and against fire and theft.

Third-party only (TPO)

Third-party only insurance will only cover damage to other vehicles in the event of an accident. It does not provide payment if damage is suffered to your own vehicle. It does, however, provide compensation for any other passengers travelling in your vehicle.

Third-party, fire & theft (TPFT)

As well as the protection that third party only insurance provides, TPFT will also allow you to make claim if your car is stolen or suffers damage from attempted theft or as a result of a fire.

Agricultural fleet insurance can also cover:

• Insurance for vehicles that are hired as well as owned
• Cover on an any driver basis
• New for old replacement for private vehicles and some commercial vehicles if they are less than 12 months old
• Agricultural GPS equipment
• Replacement glass cover
• Personal accident cover
• Legal liability for death, injury and damage
• Cover for the theft of any belongings stolen from private and commercial vehicles
• Replacement locks following the attempted theft of a vehicle

What are the benefits of agricultural fleet insurance?

The main benefit of agricultural fleet insurance is the time and money it saves you. If you have several rural vehicles, then you might previously have been faced with obtaining quotes and insurance policies for each one of them. This results in different levels of cover, different renewal dates and more expensive policies. Plus, every time you renew, you need to search for new policies again!

Putting all of your vehicles under one policy means you only have to manage the renewal once a year, saving you lots of time and effort.

There is also no limit on the number of vehicles you can insure. This means that if you buy or hire a new vehicle or specialist piece of machinery, it can be added on to your policy immediately.

How much does agricultural fleet insurance cost?

The cost of an agricultural fleet insurance policy really depends on a number of factors. The number of vehicles, number of named drivers, level of cover and amount of voluntary excess will all affect the cost of the policy.

The security of your premises can also affect the cost of your policy. The more secure your vehicles are, the less chance there is of them being damaged or stolen, which reduces the risk level on your policy.

If you want to lower the price of your policy, then there are a number of helpful steps you can take. Storing your vehicles overnight in a locked garage or barn, fitting them with an immobiliser or tracker or setting up CCTV can all help to make your property more secure.

Are there any restrictions to what agricultural fleet insurance covers?

Be aware that fleet insurance will only usually cover vehicles of the individual/business it is registered against. It is becoming more common for farmers to share joint ownership of a vehicle, but in order to be properly insured both parties would need to declare the business use it is intended for.

Likewise, many farmers rent their specialist vehicles and equipment out to other farms and farmers. If you rent your vehicle out, it won't be covered under your policy. It will need to be added on to the policy of the other person operating or driving it.

What does any driver basis mean?

Agricultural fleet insurance can be provided on an any driver basis, which gives you a lot more flexibility when managing the running and operation of your farm. If you have family members and employees who also drive and operate the vehicles, any driver basis means that anyone can drive a vehicle that is insured and be protected under the policy. (Some vehicles may have age restrictions i.e Any Drivers over the age of 25yrs)

However, it is important to be aware of any restrictions that might apply to vehicles being driven outside of the farm boundary. For instance, tractors and quad bikes can be operated and driven on private land (as long as the driver is of a minimum age) without a license, but you do need a license to drive them on a public highway.