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HGV and truck insurance

Grab Mounted Truck Insurance

cover for lorries with a hydraulic arm behind the cab, handling scrap, timber and waste

Cover for a lorry fitted with a mounted hydraulic grab. The arm is insured as part of the vehicle once declared, while damage caused during lifting may belong on a liability policy alongside it.

  • Scrap, timber and waste arms
  • Lifting cover placed properly
  • Inspection records recognised
  • FCA authorised and regulated

Quick answerGrab mounted truck insurance covers a goods vehicle with a hydraulic arm fitted behind the cab. The arm is what makes the vehicle useful and what makes it expensive, both to buy and to insure. What matters most is whether the policy answers when damage happens during a lift rather than on the road. Tell us the vehicle, the arm and the material, and specialist UK brokers can quote.

Grab on a tipping body? Our tipper grab truck insurance page covers those.

At a glance

Mounted Arms, in Brief

Six things an insurer looks at on a grab-mounted vehicle.

The arm carries real value
Often a large share of the total
It is inspected periodically
Reports are asked for after a failure
Lifting liability sits somewhere
Confirm which policy answers
Jaws differ by material
Scrap, timber and waste all differ
Arms are stolen
Yard security is rated
Reach crosses boundaries
Neighbouring property is exposed

The basics

What a Mounted Arm Changes on the Policy

The vehicle cover is standard. The arm adds a declared value and a working activity, and the two are usually treated separately.

Damage to the vehicle

Chassis, cab and body.

The mounted arm

Declared with make and capacity.

Lifting liability

Placed on motor or liability cover.

Inspection compliance

Periodic examination of the equipment.

Theft of the equipment

Rated against the overnight yard.

Goods in transit

Where the material risk is yours.

How it works

From the Chassis Plate to a Price

You describe a grab-mounted lorry, say who drives it and what work it does, and specialist brokers price it from there.

  1. You describe the vehicle

    Make, weight, body and what it is fitted with.

  2. You say who drives it

    Licence category, age and experience.

  3. You describe the work

    Scrap collection, timber handling, waste or general loading.

  4. You choose the terms

    Cover level, excess, recovery and how you pay.

What it covers

What a Grab Mounted Policy Puts Its Name To

Ordinary vehicle sections plus the arm. The clause to find is the one that says what the policy does while the equipment is operating rather than travelling.

The sections of a grab mounted policy and where the arm sits
SectionWhere it sitsWhat to know
Injury and damage to othersCoreIncluded at every level of cover
Fire and theftCore on higher levelsSubject to the security conditions agreed
Accidental damageComprehensive onlyRepairs to a grab-mounted lorry itself
Windscreen and glassOften includedUsually with an excess of its own
Recovery and roadsideOptionalCheck whether a loaded vehicle is recovered
Legal expensesOptional extraMotoring disputes and uninsured losses
Goods in transitA separate policyThe motor cover does not insure the load

Ask about the arm while it works. Some motor policies cover the equipment only as part of the vehicle in transit, leaving operational damage to a liability or plant policy, and the gap between the two is where claims stall.

What it leaves out

What a Grab Mounted Policy Leaves Out

A policy insures the vehicle that was declared, used as it was declared, by a driver who meets the terms. Step outside any of those and your own cover is what suffers: someone else injured is still paid, and the insurer can then recover that money from you.

Vehicles left off the schedule

A vehicle the insurer was never told about.

Drivers outside the terms

Wrong licence category, or too little experience.

Carrying goods for payment

Hire and reward use, unless it is declared.

Undeclared bodywork

A body or conversion the insurer has not seen.

The load itself

Goods in transit is a separate policy.

Failure of the arm through wear

Mechanical wear is maintenance, not damage.

Kinds of mounted arm

Scrap Jaws, Timber Grapples and Waste Handlers

The arm is chosen for the material, and insurers rate the combination rather than the vehicle underneath it.

Orange peel grabs

Scrap and mixed loose material.

Timber grapples

Logs and cut lengths.

Waste handling jaws

Bulky mixed refuse.

Clamshell buckets

Sand, spoil and aggregate.

Pallet forks on the arm

Placing rather than grabbing.

Long-reach arms

Extra sections for access.

Placing pallets rather than grabbing? See flatbed truck insurance.

Who it suits

Trades That Fit Mounted Arms

An arm on the back means the vehicle does not wait for a machine, which suits collection work where every stop is different.

Scrap metal merchants

Collection from yards and sites.

Timber hauliers

Loading cut lengths in the forest.

Waste and recycling firms

Bulky collections.

Agricultural contractors

Loading in the field.

Plant and equipment movers

Lifting rather than winching.

Owner operators

One arm, local collection work.

Farm loading as the main job? See farm truck insurance.

Grab or crane

A Mounted Grab vs a Lorry-Mounted Crane

They share a chassis mount and differ in what they pick up and how precisely they place it.

A mounted grab and a lorry-mounted crane compared
Mounted grabMounted crane
What it handlesLoose bulk materialDiscrete packaged loads
PrecisionScoop and dropPlaced accurately
Typical jawGrapple or clamshellHook, forks or a clamp
Usual tradeScrap, timber, wasteBuilders merchants, fabrication

Placing palletised goods? See flatbed truck insurance.

Cost

What Moves the Price on a Mounted Arm

Arm value and reach, the material handled, operator training and the claims record. We do not print average premiums.

Why the material matters

Scrap, timber and mixed waste each damage equipment differently and attract different theft interest, so the load tells an underwriter more about the risk than the chassis does.

Why training is rated

An arm is a lifting appliance, and an operator who has been formally trained and assessed produces noticeably fewer incidents, which is reflected in the terms offered.

What the quote is rated on

The main factors

  • Arm valueMake, model and capacityBase
  • ReachHow far it works from the vehicleRate
  • Material handledScrap, timber, waste or mixedRate
  • Operator trainingCertificates heldRate
  • Inspection recordPeriodic examination reportsAdjust
Telematics and camera systems can change the terms offered

Keep examination reports

They are the first thing asked for.

Certify every operator

Untrained use is a common decline.

Immobilise the hydraulics

It deters equipment theft.

The details

Four Things to Confirm Before the Arm Is Used

A claim on a grab-mounted lorry usually turns on the paperwork rather than the driving. Four details come up again and again.

  1. Describe the vehicle accurately

    Weight, body type and anything fitted to it.

  2. Check the licence categories

    The right entitlement for the weight being driven.

  3. Keep the examination current

    Lifting equipment is inspected on a schedule.

  4. Report incidents promptly

    Even where no claim is intended.

Quote checklist

What a Broker Asks About a Mounted Arm

Six things shape a quote on a grab-mounted lorry: the vehicle, the drivers, the work, the weight, where it is kept and the claims record.

The vehicle

Make, weight, body type and value.

The drivers

Licence categories, ages and records.

The work

Scrap collection, timber handling, waste removal or general loading.

Weight and loading

Gross weight and what is carried.

Where it is kept

Yard, depot or a secured compound.

Claims record

Recent claims and clean years.

Comparing

Reading Two Quotes on the Equipment Terms

Four areas decide whether a policy suits: the cover, the excess, the driving terms and what the work asks of it. The price is only one of them.

The cover

  • Level of cover
  • Recovery of a loaded vehicle
  • Windscreen cover

The excess

  • Compulsory excess
  • Voluntary excess
  • Any excess for a young driver

Driving terms

  • Licence categories accepted
  • Minimum experience
  • Agency drivers

The load and the work

  • Arm covered while operating
  • Inspection requirement
  • Operator training condition

Ask whether the arm is covered while working. In transit and in use are different things. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.

Cutting costs

Bringing a Grab Mounted Premium Down Over Time

The levers are training, inspection discipline, yard security and a clean record. We publish no savings figures.

Train and re-assess

Certificates are recognised at quote.

Inspect on schedule

A lapsed report undermines a claim.

Secure the arm overnight

Hydraulic locks are inexpensive.

Match the jaw to the job

Wrong tooling breaks equipment.

Fit a camera

Access damage is argued about often.

Compare every renewal

Mounted equipment is rated very differently.

Glossary

Mounted Arm Terms, Explained

The words that come up when the lorry carries its own loading equipment.

Goods in transit
Cover for the load being carried, which a motor policy does not insure.
Own goods use
Carrying your own materials and stock, rather than another firm’s.
Hire and reward
Carrying goods for payment, which needs cover written for it.
Operator licence
The licence a goods vehicle business holds to run vehicles above the weight threshold.
Gross vehicle weight
The maximum permitted weight of the vehicle plus its load.
Rigid
A vehicle where the cab and body sit on one chassis.
Articulated
A tractor unit pulling a separate trailer.
Tachograph
The device recording driving and rest periods.
Excess
The part of a claim you pay. Compulsory and voluntary amounts are added together.
Overnight base
Where the vehicle is normally kept, which the insurer rates.

Why MyMoneyComparison.com

Why Grab Mounted Operators Compare Through MyMoneyComparison.com

MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces operators to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.

1

One form, one vehicle

Describe the vehicle once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.

0

Advice given

We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.

FCA

Authorised and regulated

MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.

2013

Incorporated

A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.

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FAQs

Grab Mounted Truck Insurance FAQs

Answers on scrap handling, timber grabs, arm inspections and where lifting cover sits.

Is the arm insured while it is working?

Not always under the motor policy. Many cover the equipment as part of the vehicle in transit and leave operational damage elsewhere, so confirm which policy answers during a lift before you need it to.

Does the arm need periodic inspection?

Mounted lifting equipment is subject to regular examination, and insurers expect the reports to exist. After a failure the last report is usually the first document requested.

Can an untrained driver operate it?

A policy will often require trained operators, and using an untrained one is a straightforward route to a declined claim. Formal certificates also tend to improve the terms offered.

Is scrap handling harder to insure?

It attracts more questions. Scrap yards and collections involve mixed material, contamination and theft interest, so the appetite is narrower than for timber or packaged goods.

What if the arm damages a customer’s driveway?

That is a liability question rather than a vehicle damage one. Whether the motor policy reaches it depends on the wording, which is why placing lifting liability deliberately matters.

Are long-reach arms rated higher?

Usually, because reach means working further from the vehicle and over more property that belongs to somebody else. Declare the reach rather than just the lift capacity.

Can the arm be stolen separately?

Yes, and they are targeted for their resale value. Hydraulic immobilisation and a secured yard both help, and both are worth mentioning when the quote is being put together.

Does fitting an arm to an existing lorry change the policy?

It should be declared straight away as a mid-term change. The vehicle value rises substantially and the use changes, and an undeclared arm is a problem waiting for a claim.

Is the load covered as well as a grab-mounted lorry?

No. A motor policy insures the vehicle itself. Whatever is being carried needs goods in transit cover, which is a separate policy and is usually arranged at the same time rather than chased afterwards.

Does it matter who owns the goods on a grab-mounted lorry?

Very much. Carrying your own materials is own goods use; carrying somebody else’s for payment is hire and reward, which is rated differently and needs cover written for it. Getting the two mixed up puts a claim at risk.

What licence does a driver need for a grab-mounted lorry?

That depends on the weight rather than the body. The category on the licence has to match what is being driven, and insurers ask for it directly, along with how long it has been held and any endorsements.

How do I compare quotes on a grab-mounted lorry?

Look beyond the price to the level of cover, the total excess, what happens to a loaded vehicle after a breakdown, the licence and experience the driving terms ask for, and whether the load is insured anywhere at all.

Can we insure a grab-mounted lorry alongside other vehicles?

Yes. Goods vehicles, vans and cars can sit on one schedule where a business runs several, and the insurer rates each type separately within that single policy. It keeps the renewal dates together, which is usually the bigger gain.

Does where a grab-mounted lorry is kept overnight change the price?

It does, and more than most operators expect. Theft risk is local and sits where the vehicle sleeps, so a gated yard and a roadside space can produce noticeably different terms for the same vehicle.

What happens if we buy another vehicle mid-year?

It is added as a mid-term adjustment and charged for the remaining months. Tell the insurer before it is driven, because cover begins when the vehicle is accepted rather than when you collect it.

Is breakdown cover worth adding for a grab-mounted lorry?

Often, yes. What matters is whether the policy recovers a loaded vehicle or only the cab, because a stranded load is the expensive half of the problem. Read that clause before relying on it.

Ready when you are

Get the Mounted Arm Covered

Tell us the vehicle, the arm and the material. Specialist UK brokers can then come back with quotes. Free to use, with no obligation to buy.

  • Scrap, timber and waste handling arms
  • Free to use, no obligation
  • FCA authorised and regulated

Free to use · No obligation · UK brokers

About this page

This page explains UK cover for lorries carrying a mounted grab arm: how the equipment is valued, which policy answers during a lift, and what inspection records do at claim time. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.

How we approached this page

  • Published UK goods vehicle policy summaries
  • Mounted arms, periodic examination and lifting liability placement
  • Financial Ombudsman material on commercial motor complaints