Truck insurance news - Safety inspections raise concerns

A joint safety initiative of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has found that many haulage companies are failing to meet baseline load security standards, potentially risking claims on their truck insurance policies.

In the early part of this year the organisations carried out a pilot of inspections, following these up with spot checks in March and April.

Worryingly, they found that many companies were failing to meet Department for Transport safety standards on load security, risking injuries to both employees and members of the public. Haulage companies have also been warned that this could jeopardise the competitiveness of their truck insurance policies.

A VOSA spokesperson commented, "Fatal and major accidents have occurred both on the road and in the workplace because loads have not been secured properly.

"Operationally, the pilot was a success, with both agencies working well together. However the report of the pilot concluded that the standard of load securing was low and the majority of vehicles did not meet the basic standard required by the DfT Code."

Haulage companies which fail to comply with basic safety standards risk fines, prosecution and, potentially, increases to the cost of their truck insurance.