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Why compare recovery truck insurance with MultiQuoteTime?

Running a successful recovery truck business involves hard work and a professional approach 24/7. Having affordable insurance is important to the bottom line, but finding and comparing multiple insurance quotes shouldn’t add to your workload.

Finding and comparing the latest deals available in the insurance marketplace is made easy with our partner, Quotezone. The quote process is designed to be quick and simple, allowing you to compare multiple recovery truck insurance quotes from a wide range of UK insurance providers in just minutes.

Recovery truck insurance guide

Recovery Truck Insurance is a motor trade insurance policy geared primarily toward providing financial protection for those who provide a roadside recovery service. This can include vehicles that have broken down or have been involved in a road accident. To operate this type of service, you need a form of motor trade insurance. This type of cover is aimed at covering both the recovery vehicle and the vehicles that you will be recovering.

This type of service will often employ a fleet of recovery vehicles that can include trucks, vans, 3.5 tonne plus trucks and tow trucks. If you have a fleet of recovery vehicles, then the vehicles can be insured as a fleet, which should work out cheaper.

The first step in researching the cost is to get multiple quotes from a range of brokers. MultiQuoteTime works in partnership with Quotezone who provide a simple form that, once completed, is submitted to a specialist panel of brokers. Members of the select panel will be in contact via the telephone to provide you with tailored quotes.

Types of recovery vehicles include:

Several definitions are used to classify vehicles that are used for recovery, as detailed below.

Breakdown vehicles
Recovery vehicles
Specialised recovery vehicles
Road recovery vehicles
Sliding Platform Recovery Truck or slide on truck

What is recovery truck insurance?

Recovery truck insurance is a cover that is required by UK law to legally operate on public roads. Just like all other motorised vehicle insurance, there are three different levels of cover that can be obtained. This includes

Comprehensive insurance cover provides the most cover, protecting you, your car, and others in the event of an accident.

Third Party : The minimum coverage allowed by UK law is Third Party insurance. This covers the cost of the other vehicle and medical bills when you are at fault in an accident.
Third party fire and theft : has the same coverage as the standard Third Party plus protection if your vehicle is damaged by a fire or is stolen through no fault of your own.
Comprehensive insurance This policy provides the most cover, providing protection for you, your car and other third parties in an event of an accident.

Why choose motor trade insurance for your recovery fleet

If you provide a roadside recovery service, you face unique risks that standard road insurance will not cover. A motor trade insurance policy can be tailored to protect your recovery business from financial loss and operational disruptions caused by accidents, theft, or damage.

The type of cover avaiable under a motor trade policy can include:

Comprehensive cover for your roadside recovery vehicles

Comprehensive cover will provide protection if your truck is damaged in an accident or by fire. The cover will also protect you against vehicle theft. If you have more than one tow truck, fleet cover is an option that may be an attractive alternative, particularly as your business grows.

Third party liabilities

Provides cover against any third-party claims made while operating your business.

Loading and carriage of vehicles

This will provide protection while you are loading, unloading, or transporting other vehicles, ensuring you’re covered throughout the entire recovery process.

Business premises and content cover

This insurance will protect your work premises, offering coverage for both your property and its contents, ensuring you’re safeguarded against potential losses or damages.

Tools and equipment in transit

This coverage protects the tools and equipment that you carry with you while providing roadside assistance, ensuring you’re covered against loss or damage.

Typical insurance exclusions include:

Wear and Tear : No insurance policy will cover normal wear and tear that occurs over time and usage.

Keys : Lost keys are normally not covered, but you can take out a key protection cover to cover the costs of being locked out and the cost of new keys.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs : This will not only invalidate your cover but also make it difficult to get cover in the future.

Driver not on policy: The driver must be named on the policy, unless you operate under an any-driver van policy. Again, under any driver terms, all drivers must adhere to any given limitations. A typical limitation is all drivers must be over 25.

Do you have more than one recovery truck?

Many businesses have a primary focus of recovering cars that have been involved in accidents or are broken down on the road. If you operate more than one tow truck you can also choose a multi van insurance policy, a fleet policy will enable you to manage your insurance under one policy instead of multiple individual policies.

A recovery business with multiple trucks should also consider a policy designed to allow any authorised employee to operate the transporter, rather than designating a single primary driver. This is a form of any driver van insurance and allows multiple operators to use the same towing truck while still being covered.

How to save on recovery insurance

Recovery truck insurance is more expensive than standard truck insurance, but you can lower the premium by taking some simple steps, as detailed below. Some policies will provide a replacement van if your van needs to be repaired. If this is not included then you will need to hire a replacement truck for the period, if the accident was not your fault this can be claimed back. Please note, if you do hire a van, the van rental excess amount can be excessive. This can be covered by taking out separate van excess insurance. This cover will provide protection for damaged and theft and some polices will include van key cover and even using the wrong fuel.

Recovery Insurance

Here are some tips and ideas that could help you save £££’s

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Security: Invest in improving security. Examples include installation of CCTV, secure gates, tracking and immobilizer devices.

Make sure drivers are 25 or over and hold a clean driving history, and if possible, select named drivers only.

Increasing the excess amount — the amount you would be liable for if you caused an accident — can help lower your premium. If you speak with your broker about accepting more risk by raising your excess, they will usually adjust your premium accordingly.

Paying for the entire policy on an annual basis instead of monthly payments.

Consider adding a dash cam. Insurance providers view positively any steps taken to reduce the risk of fraudulent claims by the public.

No claim discounts (NCB). Keep a good history and only employ drivers with a good history.

Some insurers offer discounts to recovery truck operators with low annual mileage. This is ideal for businesses that focus primarily on repairs, with recovery being a secondary part of their core business model.

Some benefits of getting multiple quotes online

1. Multiple Quotes Saves Time

Get multiple quotes by completing one simple online form. Letting you easily compare a range of options from competing insurance providers

2. One form – you could save £££’s

Have multiple options increases your odds of making savings, as you can easily compare deals and prices and choose based on price or preferred insurance company

3. Online Reviews

Check out online forums to hear what real customers are saying about your preferred insurance company before committing. Pay particular attention to how quickly they process claims and the level of customer care.

3. Quick

After deciding on your preferred insurer, getting insured can be completed online in minutes. Choosing to pay with a UK debit or credit card, makes setting up your policy a breeze.

Steps to comparing Recovery Truck insurance quotes at MultiQuoteTime.co.uk?

Finding an affordable insurance policy for your breakdown truck is easy when you have Multiple Quotes:

Complete Questionnaire: Provide details about the recovery truck to be insured and the diver or drivers. Include details of claims history

Work Details: Do you work from home or at business premises? Do you work full-time or part-time? How many years have you worked in the recovery trade?

Select level of Cover Required : Level of cover and any add-ons required.

Compare Multiple Quotes: Find a deal that saves you money today

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Recovery Truck Insurance FAQs

what insurance do i need for recovery truck?

The type of insurance you need for a recovery truck depends on your intended usage. If you’re in the roadside recovery business, a motor trade insurance policy will typically cover both the transporter and the vehicles you’re recovering. However, if your business is focused solely on transporting vehicles, you will need a vehicle transporter insurance policy and cover the vehicles being transported.

How much does insurance for a recovery truck or van cost?

Every recovery business will have a different set of requirements based on types and numbers of tow trucks in the recovery fleet. As a result, giving an average costs for recovery operator insurance is not possible. Some of th key factors that will determine the final premium include:

The size of your business in terms of number of towing trucks and drivers
Business location, some locations attract a higher premium if deemed to be in a higher crime risk location
The number of staff, drivers and admin staff
The type and level of cover that you choose.
Additional add-ons, example legal cover

What is recovery truck insurance?

What Is vehicle transporter insurance?

If you are not in the motor trade, but transport vehicles, then you will need vehicle transporter insurance along with goods in transit cover. The goods in transit will cover the vehicles that you are transporting. The quote system will provide quotes for both the motor trade and those that simply transport vehicles.

Is insurance available if I don’t hold an operator’s licence?

The UK panel of insurance brokers can provide breakdown insurance quotes to both those that hold and those that do not hold an operator’s licence.

What licence type do you need to drive and operate a recovery Truck?

A licence with category “C” is sufficient to drive a recovery truck under 3,500 kg, for vehicles above this weight a “C+E” will be required.

What Is vehicle transporter insurance?

What additional options can be added to a motor trade recovery policy?

To keep a car transporter operational, the equipment in the back that makes it possible to attach and lift the disabled vehicles must be in proper working order. To protect this equipment there is an add-on to a recovery truck insurance policy called ‘tools, machinery and equipment’. This add-on will provide cover the cost of repairs and replacement if this equipment is damaged.

Can the contents of my garage also be insured

Yes, the building and its contents can be included in the motor trade recovery truck insurance policy. This type of cover can help protect the business if there is a fire or other event that would cause damage to the property that might hinder the business’s ability to operate.

Updated: 16 April 2025
Reviewed by Eamonn Turley Insurance Expert