Tipper lorry cover
Tipper lorry insurance for aggregates, muck-away and site work
Eight-wheelers, tipper grabs or artic tippers, on your own work or hauling for others. Fill in one short form to be put in touch with specialist tipper insurance brokers.
- Rigid and artic tippers
- Owner-drivers to fleets
- Own goods or haulage
Quick answer
Tipper lorry insurance is HGV insurance for lorries with a body that lifts to unload, from 7.5 tonne tippers to eight-wheelers and articulated bulk tippers. Insurers price it on the tipper type and weight, the loads carried, how much time is spent on building sites and quarries, who drives, and whether you carry your own materials or haul for others. Many operators also hold public liability (opens in a new tab) for damage caused while tipping on a customer's site.
Tipper insurance at a glance
- Cover for rigid tippers, tipper grabs and artic tippers, from a single owner-driver to a fleet.
- Tippers are priced on time spent on sites and quarries as much as on road miles.
- Muck-away and contract tipping for others needs haulage cover, not just own goods.
- Insurers check that your operator licence type matches the work the tipper does.
- Specialist brokers can quote new operators as well as established tipper firms, subject to insurers' criteria.
What tipper lorry insurance covers
A tipper policy is a goods vehicle motor policy with the tipping body, site work and fitted equipment taken into account. The level of cover is usually comprehensive, third party fire and theft, or third party only.
Tipper types and what insurers look at
The type of tipper tells an insurer a lot about the work it does. These are the tipper types insurers see most often in the UK.
| Tipper type | Typical work | What insurers look at |
|---|---|---|
| Eight-wheel rigid tipper | Aggregates, muck-away and quarry runs, at up to 32 tonnes gross | Time on site, driver experience, annual mileage |
| Six-wheel rigid tipper | Smaller loads and tighter urban sites | Overhead cables, kerb and driveway damage, site access |
| 7.5 tonne tipper | Landscaping, building supplies and local deliveries | Overloading, who drives, licence category |
| Tipper grab | Self-loading muck-away and aggregates | Crane use near people, value of the grab, operator training |
| Articulated bulk tipper | Bulk aggregates, asphalt and grain over longer runs | Stability when tipping, trailer cover, mileage |
Running a skip lorry, hook loader or concrete mixer instead? These are priced differently: see skip lorry insurance, hook loader insurance and concrete mixer insurance.
Own materials or haulage: why it matters for a tipper
A tipper delivering its owner's own stone or soil is insured differently from one moving muck-away for a contractor. The policy has to match the work, or a claim made during the wrong kind of job could be refused.
Contract tipping and muck-away
Carrying or removing material for others for payment is haulage, also called hire and reward. See haulier insurance.
Your own materials
Quarries, builders' merchants and landscapers moving their own stock usually need carriage of own goods. See own goods cover.
Which class of use covers tipping for others?
- NoSocial, domestic and pleasurePersonal use only. No commercial work.
- NoCarriage of own goodsYour own aggregates, soil or materials. Not loads for others.
- YesHaulage, or hire and rewardMaterial carried or removed for others for payment, such as muck-away.
Insurers check your operator licence against the work
A restricted licence covers your own goods only. Tipping work for others needs a standard licence. Insurers usually ask for the licence type and number, so it helps to have them ready when you start a tipper quote (opens in a new tab).
What affects the price of tipper insurance
Tippers are often seen as a higher risk than general haulage lorries because so much of the work happens off the public road.
On site
Soft ground, tight turns, other plant and tipping on uneven surfaces all add risk that a motorway lorry rarely meets.
On the road
Short, busy runs with heavy loads, and the known risk of driving with the body raised into bridges or overhead cables.
- What you carryAggregates, muck, hot asphalt and waste each bring different risks. If you move waste, insurers may ask whether you are a registered waste carrier.
- Driver age and experienceYears holding a C1, C or CE licence and time on tippers usually matter more than age alone.
- Where the tipper is keptA locked yard is usually viewed more favourably than a site or the roadside.
- Safety equipmentBody-up alarms, cameras and tilt warnings may be taken into account by some insurers.
- Claims historyYour own and your drivers' claims records, and any no claims discount on a lorry policy.
- Number of tippersSeveral tippers may be better placed on HGV fleet insurance.
Cover that often sits alongside tipper insurance
The motor policy covers the lorry and the people it might hurt on the road. These cover the gaps tipper work tends to create.
Before you buy
Questions worth asking about a tipper policy
Two tipper quotes at a similar price can cover very different things. These are worth raising with the broker.
- Is the lorry covered while tipping?And is damage caused while stationary handled by the motor policy or public liability?
- Is off-road and site use included?Some policies limit cover away from the public road.
- Is the grab or crane covered?Including damage to the crane itself and anything it lifts.
- Who is allowed to drive?Named drivers, any driver, minimum ages and years on a C1, C or CE licence vary.
- Is the body valued correctly?Aluminium and specialist bodies can be worth more than the chassis suggests.
- Is a replacement tipper offered?A tipper off the road for repairs can mean muck-away jobs going to someone else.
- Are your loads declared?Waste, hot asphalt and hazardous materials usually need to be named.
- Does the class of use match?Mixed own-goods and haulage work needs to be declared.
How it works
How to get a tipper insurance quote
HGV Insure is an information site, not an insurer or a broker. We link you to MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that gives operators a gateway to brokers who handle tipper risks.
- 1
Start your quote
Choose Get my tipper quote to continue to our partner, MyMoneyComparison.com.
- 2
Describe the tipper and the work
Choose tipper as the body type, then enter the weight, operator licence, loads and who drives.
- 3
Compare and decide
A specialist broker contacts you with options, subject to insurers' acceptance criteria. There is no obligation to buy.
FAQs
Tipper lorry insurance FAQs
What is tipper lorry insurance?
It is HGV insurance for lorries with a body that lifts to unload, such as eight-wheel tippers, tipper grabs and articulated bulk tippers. It covers the lorry on the road and, depending on the policy, while it works on sites and tips its load.
Does tipper insurance cover tipping on site?
Often, but not always in the same way. Some policies cover the lorry while it tips as part of normal use. Others treat it as a tool of trade or working risk, and cover damage caused while the lorry is stationary and working, such as hitting overhead cables or damaging a customer's ground, under public liability (opens in a new tab). It is worth asking how both policies handle tipping.
Do I need haulage cover for muck-away work?
Usually yes. Removing or delivering material for someone else for payment is haulage, also called hire and reward. A policy for your own goods only would not normally cover it. See haulier insurance.
Is a grab crane on a tipper covered?
It depends on the policy. Many cover a grab used to load and unload the lorry, but lifting work for others is often treated separately. See lorry crane insurance.
Is a tipper truck the same as a tipper lorry for insurance?
Yes. Tipper truck and tipper lorry mean the same road-going vehicle. Site dumpers that never go on the public road are usually insured as plant instead.
Will insurers ask about waste carrier registration for a muck-away tipper?
Often, yes. Businesses that carry waste, including soil and rubble from building sites, generally need waste carrier registration, and brokers may ask for it along with your operator licence details.
Can I insure a tipper as a new operator?
Yes, some insurers accept new operators and businesses with no claims history in their own name, with a closer look at who will drive and what the tipper will carry. See new operator HGV insurance.
Are artic tipper trailers covered by the tractor unit's policy?
Sometimes only while coupled. A tipper trailer left on site or pulled by another unit may need its own cover. See HGV trailer insurance.
Can I put several tippers on one policy?
Yes. Once you run two or more lorries, many operators move to HGV fleet insurance, with every tipper on one policy and one renewal date.
Does HGV Insure sell tipper insurance?
No. HGV Insure is an information site and an affiliate of MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that gives operators a gateway to 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 tipper covered?
One form, specialist HGV brokers, no obligation.
Get my tipper quote (opens in a new tab)HGV Insure is an information website and an affiliate of MyMoneyComparison.com. We are not an insurer or an insurance broker and do not give advice. MyMoneyComparison.com is a comparison service that gives consumers and businesses a gateway to specialist insurance brokers, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 916241). HGV Insure may be paid a small commission by MyMoneyComparison.com if you are matched with, and speak to, a broker. Cover is subject to each insurer's terms and acceptance criteria. Compliance · About us · Contact