Whole combination
Damage to the prime mover and both trailers, which are usually scheduled individually.
B-Double Insurance
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B-Double Insurance
Cover for B-double combinations running linehaul and regional freight.
A B-double is a high-value combination doing high kilometres, usually on linehaul. The exposure is less about frequency and more about severity: when something goes wrong, the vehicle, the freight and the downtime all bite at once.
What is it?
A B-double couples a prime mover to a lead trailer and a second trailer via a fifth wheel on the lead unit, running to specific mass and route approvals. They are the backbone of Australian linehaul, typically pulled by Kenworth, Volvo, Scania and Mack prime movers.
What does b-double insurance cover?
Freight carried
Carriers liability or goods in transit for the load, separate from the motor section.
Downtime
Lost income while a unit is off the road, which compounds quickly on linehaul contracts.
What affects the cost?
- Route approvals and network access
- Annual kilometres and linehaul proportion
- Commodity carried and load values
- Driver experience and fatigue management
- Depot security and overnight parking
Worth raising on the call
- Total combination value drives premium more than any single unit.
- Confirm whether both trailers are individually scheduled.
- Linehaul downtime costs are usually higher than operators assume.
Claims we are commonly asked about
Rear trailer off-tracks into a barrier
On a tight interchange ramp the rear trailer cuts in and clips the concrete barrier or a light pole. The trailer repair is usually straightforward, but the road authority's claim and the time waiting for a replacement trailer are what hurt.
Night run-off on a linehaul leg
A single-vehicle run-off in the early hours damages the prime mover and both trailers and scatters the freight across a paddock. Heavy recovery, freight salvage and several weeks off a contract usually combine into a large claim.
Tyre fire from a dragging brake
A seized brake on the rear trailer sets a tyre alight and the fire spreads into the load before the driver can stop and separate the units. Fires on a loaded combination often become total losses across a trailer and the freight it carried.
Worth confirming in the wording
- Worth confirming that both trailers, any converter dolly and any spare trailers held in the yard appear individually on the schedule at current values.
- Worth confirming whether operating outside an approved B-double route, or above gazetted mass, affects how the policy responds.
- Worth confirming the downtime waiting period and daily amount, and whether downtime responds when only one trailer is out of service and the prime mover can still work.
Common questions
Is a B-double more expensive to insure than a single trailer combination?
Usually yes, because the total insured value is higher, the kilometres are typically higher, and a single event can damage three scheduled units at once. Route access, commodity and driver experience also carry more weight at this end of the market. The gap varies considerably between insurers, which is where comparing helps.
Are both trailers covered under the one policy?
They generally can be, but each trailer is normally listed as its own scheduled item with its own value rather than covered as a set. If a trailer is swapped, sold or added to the set, the schedule needs updating. It is worth checking the schedule matches the fleet each renewal.
What happens if I run outside the approved network?
Route and mass approvals are regulatory obligations administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and state road authorities. Insurers commonly expect you to operate lawfully, and operating outside an approval can affect how a claim is handled depending on the policy terms. If your work regularly needs permits, that is worth disclosing up front.
What does B-double insurance cost?
There is no standard figure. The usual drivers are the total combination value, annual kilometres and the linehaul proportion, route approvals and network access, commodity and load values, driver experience and fatigue management, depot security, the excess and claims history.
General information only. Cover, limits and exclusions depend on the PDS, TMD, eligibility, underwriting and the policy terms. See truck insurance for the wider picture.
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