Hook loader cover

Hook loader insurance for RoRo lorries and the containers they haul

Hook lifts, drawbar outfits and the open or enclosed containers you leave on site. One short form puts you in touch with specialist brokers.

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Hook lift and cable RoRo
Waste, scrap or own goods
Containers on site

Hook lift lorry with a mounted crane and a large roll-off container — A hook loader drags a full container up onto its own chassis, so the lorry, the arm and the box all need thinking about.

Quick answer

Hook loader insurance is HGV cover for a roll-on roll-off lorry that uses a hydraulic hook arm to pull large open or enclosed containers onto its chassis and tip them. The policy deals with the lorry and its arm on the road and while loading, and the class of use depends on whether the waste or materials belong to customers or to your own business. Containers left on customers' premises are a separate asset, and damage they cause to property or people is usually a public liability (opens in a new tab) matter.

Hook loader cover at a glance

The hook arm adds a lot of value to the chassis, so insurers usually ask whether it is included in the agreed value.
Pulling on, setting down and tipping a heavy container are the moments insurers ask about first.
A drawbar trailer carrying a second container usually needs to be listed on the policy too.
Containers sitting at customers' yards are exposed to theft, fire and accidental damage between collections.
Moving waste for others is haulage work, and brokers normally want your waste carrier details.

What hook loader insurance covers

A hook loader policy starts with the lorry and builds outwards to the arm, the containers and the people around them. Which parts are included as standard differs from one insurer to the next.

The lorry on the roadThird party injury and damage on the way to and from sites and transfer stations, with damage to your own vehicle on comprehensive cover.

The hook armHydraulic rams, the hook and the sub-frame can be worth a large part of the vehicle, so many operators want them inside the agreed value.

Loading and tippingSome policies treat lifting and tipping as part of normal use. Others add conditions, so it is one of the first questions for the broker.

Containers left on siteOpen boxes, enclosed containers and compactors can be insured against theft, fire and damage while they wait to be collected. A container placed on a public road normally needs the council's permission, with lights or markings at night, and insurers may ask how this is managed.

Damage on customers' premisesDamage while the arm is setting a box down can fall between the motor policy and public liability (opens in a new tab), depending on whether the lorry was working at the time, so it is one of the points to clarify with the broker.

Breakdown and extrasHeavy recovery, a hire vehicle and legal expenses are usually optional, and HGV breakdown cover explains the options.

Hook loader types and what insurers look at

Insurers rate a roll-on roll-off operation on the lorry, the lifting gear and the boxes it moves, so it helps to describe each one.

Hook loader vehicles and equipment, the work they do and the points insurers tend to look at
Vehicle or equipment	Typical work	What insurers look at
Rigid hook loader	Swapping open containers of mixed waste, rubble, wood or metal between sites and tips	Arm capacity, overloading, tipping on uneven ground
Hook loader with a mounted crane	Scrap and demolition work where the crane or grab loads the container on site	Crane use, operator training, lifting near people and buildings
Hook loader with a drawbar trailer	Moving two containers per trip, often longer runs to recycling plants	Trailer value, driver experience with drawbars, reversing on tight sites
RoRo containers and compactors	Open, enclosed and compactor boxes left at factories, retail parks and building sites	Theft, arson, contents, how long boxes stay on site

Smaller chain-lift skip lorries have their own page on skip hire insurance. Kerbside collection vehicles are covered on refuse lorry insurance, and drawbar outfits used for other loads on drawbar lorry insurance.

Moving customers' waste or your own materials

Whose load is in the container decides the class of use. A waste firm collecting from paying clients is insured differently from a demolition contractor clearing its own sites with its own hook loader.

Waste and recycling firms

Collecting, swapping and tipping containers for customers who pay for the service is haulage, also called hire and reward. More on this in haulier insurance.

Contractors and scrap yards using their own lorry

Taking spoil from your own jobs, or moving metal between your own yards, is generally carriage of own goods, which own goods cover explains.

Which class of use covers collecting containers for paying customers?

NoSocial, domestic and pleasureNot designed for any container work.
NoCarriage of own goodsMaterials and waste from your own business only.
YesHaulage, or hire and rewardPlacing, collecting and tipping containers for clients.

Details a broker may want to see

Firms carrying other people's waste generally need waste carrier registration, and hook loaders working for customers usually run on a standard operator licence, while firms moving only their own materials usually hold a restricted licence. Having both numbers to hand, along with a rough idea of the waste types you move, makes it quicker to start a hook loader quote (opens in a new tab).

What affects the price of hook loader insurance

Price reflects how the lorry is driven, how the arm is worked and what happens to the containers when the lorry is not there.

At the container

Hooking on in cramped yards, setting boxes down near walls and parked cars, and lifting a heavy load at an angle.

At the tip

Raising a full container on a slope or soft ground at a transfer station, where a load that sticks can unsettle the lorry.

What goes in the boxesInert rubble, general waste, scrap metal and anything flammable or hazardous carry very different fire and pollution risks.
Number and value of containersA large stock of boxes spread across many customers adds up to a sizeable sum to insure.
Drivers and arm operatorsTime on hook loaders, drawbar experience and C or C plus E entitlement are weighed alongside age.
Inspection and maintenanceRecords for the arm, hydraulics and container hooks show the gear is looked after between services.
Where lorries are parkedA secure yard with lighting and cameras usually helps with theft and fire risk overnight.
Fleet sizeSeveral container lorries can often sit together on HGV fleet insurance.

Cover that often sits alongside a hook loader policy

A roll-on roll-off business has risks that carry on after the lorry drives off. These covers can fill the gaps.

Public liabilityFor damage or injury caused by containers on customers' land or the roadside.View cover (opens in a new tab)Employers' liabilityUsually needed once you employ drivers, yard hands or pickers.View cover (opens in a new tab)Tipper lorry insuranceFor grab and tipper lorries working alongside your container fleet.View cover Skip hire insuranceFor smaller skip loaders serving homes and builders.View cover HGV trailer insuranceFor drawbar trailers and any spare trailers kept at the yard.View cover HGV breakdown coverRecovery for a loaded hook loader or drawbar outfit off the road.View cover

Before you buy

Questions worth asking about hook loader cover

Two hook loader quotes can look similar until something goes wrong with the arm or a box left on site. These points are worth settling first.

Is the hook arm part of the agreed value?Or would a claim only pay out for the chassis and cab?
Is tipping covered on any ground?Some insurers add conditions about level, firm surfaces when a container is raised.
Are containers covered away from the yard?Including theft, fire and vandalism while they sit at a customer's premises.
Is the drawbar trailer included?And is the second container on it insured while the outfit is moving?
How is a fire in a load handled?Burning waste can damage the container, the lorry and nearby property.
Who is allowed to drive?Minimum age, licence category and hook loader experience differ between insurers.
Is pollution from a spill covered?Leaks from a container or the hydraulics may fall under a separate section or policy.
Does the class of use fit the work?Customer collections and moving your own materials are declared in different ways.

How it works

How to get a hook loader insurance quote

HGV Insure is an information site, not an insurer or a broker. We link you to MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that can match roll-on roll-off operators with specialist brokers.

1
Start your quote
Get my hook loader quote takes you to our partner, MyMoneyComparison.com.
2
Tell them about the lorries and boxes
The form asks about each hook loader, its weight, any drawbar trailer, the operator licence and who drives. The broker can then ask about the containers.
3
Compare and decide
A specialist broker contacts you with options, subject to insurers' acceptance criteria. There is no obligation to buy.

Get my hook loader quote (opens in a new tab)

FAQs

Hook loader insurance FAQs

What is hook loader insurance?

It is HGV insurance for a roll-on roll-off lorry that loads, carries and tips large containers with a hydraulic hook arm. Many operators also insure the containers and their liability to customers and the public alongside it.

Is a hook loader the same as a RoRo lorry?

Broadly, yes. Roll-on roll-off describes the way the container is pulled on and slid off the back. Most newer lorries do it with a hook arm, while others use a cable winch, and insurers usually treat both in a similar way.

Are my RoRo containers covered by the lorry policy?

Usually only while one is on the lorry, if at all. Boxes waiting at customers' sites are separate equipment and normally need their own cover against theft, fire and damage.

What happens if a container damages a customer's yard?

Damage while the arm is setting a box down can fall between the motor policy and public liability (opens in a new tab), depending on whether the lorry was working at the time, so it is one of the points to clarify with the broker.

Is a drawbar hook loader insured differently?

The trailer and the second container add value and handling risk, so insurers usually want them listed separately, and drivers need C plus E entitlement for the combination. See drawbar lorry insurance for more on drawbar outfits.

Do I need waste carrier registration to insure a hook loader?

If you carry waste for other people, you generally need to be registered, and brokers commonly ask for the registration number. Businesses moving only their own waste may still need to register, depending on the type of waste. Some insurers decline waste risks without a current registration.

Can a hook loader be insured for own goods use?

Yes. A contractor, scrap yard or manufacturer moving its own materials can usually insure for carriage of own goods, provided no customer containers are collected for a fee. The own goods cover page has more detail.

How is a hook loader different from a skip lorry?

A skip loader lifts a smaller skip with chains on two arms, while a hook loader drags a much larger container onto its chassis. The loads, the sites and the risks differ, so they are rated separately. See skip hire insurance.

Is a RoRo container left on the road covered?

If a car hits it or someone is hurt, a claim usually goes to the operator's public liability (opens in a new tab) insurer rather than the lorry policy. Some insurers attach conditions about council permission and lighting or marking at night, so it is worth checking how the policy treats boxes left on the highway.

Do I need an operator licence for a hook loader?

Working for customers usually needs a standard operator licence, while firms moving only their own materials usually hold a restricted licence. Insurers ask for the licence type and number when cover is arranged.

Does HGV Insure sell hook loader insurance?

No. HGV Insure is an information site and an affiliate of MyMoneyComparison.com, which matches operators with specialist brokers. When you start a quote you continue to MyMoneyComparison.com, and we may be paid a small commission if you are matched with and speak to a broker.

Ready to get your hook loader covered?

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