Broker-arranged
Removalist insurance
A removalist carries other people’s belongings, in a truck, through doorways and down stairs. Three things can go wrong, and three covers answer them. Here is what removalists hold, how the heavy vehicle rules apply, and how a licensed broker arranges it.
- Customers’ goods in your care
- Trucks, vans and the people who carry
- One short form, then a licensed broker takes it from there
What insurance does a removalist need?
Public liability for injury to people and damage to property that isn’t in your care, such as a gouged staircase or a dropped item on a bystander. Goods in transit, written as carriers cover, for customers’ belongings while you pack, carry and transport them. Commercial motor for the trucks and vans. Then personal accident for owner-operators and workers compensation once you employ.
Public liability usually excludes property in your care, custody or control, which is exactly what a removalist has all day. That’s why carriers cover is the policy that matters most.
Removalist covers at a glance
| Cover | What it does | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Goods in transit | Your liability for customers’ goods that are damaged, lost or stolen while in your care, up to a limit per load. | Arranged by a broker |
| Public liability | Injury to people and damage to property that isn’t in your care. | Arranged by a broker for removalists |
| Commercial vehicle | Trucks, vans and trailers on the road, including damage to other vehicles. | Arranged by a broker for trucks |
| Personal accident | Your own income if an injury stops you working. | Arranged by a broker |
| Workers compensation | Compulsory once you employ staff, through your state scheme. | Arranged by a broker |
Your terms and conditions matter. Insurers read what you promise customers, and a contract that accepts unlimited liability for every item is hard to insure.
Trucks and the heavy vehicle rules
business.gov.au notes that the Heavy Vehicle National Law generally applies to vehicles over 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass. If your trucks are heavy vehicles, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s chain of responsibility applies, and the NHVR lists loaders, unloaders and packers among the parties who share the primary duty to ensure the safety of transport activities. Insurers ask about mass, routes and how loads are restrained.
What’s usually covered, and what isn’t
Usually covered
- Customers’ goods damaged in transit or while being carried, under carriers cover.
- Damage to a customer’s home that isn’t in your care, such as walls and floors, under public liability.
- The truck and other vehicles in a crash, under commercial motor.
- Theft from a locked vehicle, with conditions.
Usually not covered
- Items packed by the customer that were damaged by the packing, in many policies.
- Cash, jewellery and documents, unless specified.
- Goods left in an unattended vehicle overnight, unless allowed.
- Mechanical breakdown of the truck.
How to get removalist cover through us
Removalist insurance questions
Does public liability cover the furniture I’m moving?
Usually not. Public liability excludes property in your care, custody or control. Carriers cover, a form of goods in transit insurance, is the policy for customers’ goods.
How much goods in transit cover does a removalist need?
Enough for the value of a typical load, with the limit per load matching what your terms promise customers. A broker reads your terms against the policy.
Do I need a special licence to be a removalist?
There’s no removalist licence, but trucks over 4.5 tonnes are heavy vehicles under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, with their own driver licence classes and chain of responsibility duties.
Are my casual staff covered?
Casual and part-time employees are covered by workers compensation once you hold a policy. Contractors you engage hold their own.
Why is removalist insurance arranged by a broker?
The mix of carriers cover, trucks and liability needs an underwriter to look at your terms and your fleet, so a licensed broker arranges it.
Keep reading
More industries arranged by a broker
Sources
Removalists