The carrier and decks
Damage to the truck, trailer, hydraulic decks and ramps, including failures that occur while decks are being raised or lowered.
Car Carrier Insurance
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Car Carrier Insurance
Cover for car transporters carrying customer vehicles on open or enclosed decks.
A car carrier is often carrying more value on its decks than the truck underneath is worth. Standard motor cover responds to the carrier, not to the cars strapped to it, so the value of the load and the wording that addresses it are usually the first things to settle. Loading damage, roof strikes and clearance issues account for most claims.
What is it?
Car carriers range from single-vehicle tilt trays and two-car trailers through to rigid and semi-trailer transporters with hydraulic upper decks holding eight to twelve vehicles. Operators include dealer delivery fleets, auction and fleet movers, interstate linehaul transporters and enclosed carriers used for prestige and classic cars, and insurers rate those uses quite differently. Deck height, ramp angle and clearance vary considerably between builds.
What does car carrier insurance cover?
Vehicles in your care
Damage to customer vehicles being carried or held is generally handled by carriers or vehicles-in-custody wording, not the motor section.
Loading and unloading
Scrapes, roof strikes and drive-off damage that happen while cars are moved on and off the decks.
What affects the cost?
- Number and value of vehicles carried at once
- Open decks versus enclosed transport
- Whether prestige, exotic or classic vehicles are carried
- Interstate routes versus local dealer delivery
- Yard security where vehicles are held between legs
Worth raising on the call
- The single highest-value vehicle you ever carry should drive the limit, not the average load.
- Loading and unloading damage is sub-limited or excluded under some wordings, so it is worth reading closely.
- Vehicles left on the decks overnight in an unsecured yard are usually treated differently to vehicles in transit.
Claims we are commonly asked about
Roof struck loading the upper deck
A car is driven onto a raised upper deck and the roof contacts the deck frame, damaging the roof skin and windscreen surround. On a prestige vehicle that single repair can cost more than fixing the trailer would.
Strap loosens on an interstate leg
A wheel strap works loose on a long run and a vehicle moves against the one behind it, damaging bumpers and a quarter panel on both. Two customer vehicles are affected by one restraint failure.
Vehicles taken from a holding yard
Cars left on the decks overnight in an unfenced yard between legs are stolen. Whether the loss is treated as in transit or in storage usually decides which section of the program responds.
Worth confirming in the wording
- Worth confirming what limit applies to all vehicles on the decks at one time, not just to a single unit, since a full load can carry substantial combined value.
- Worth confirming how damage occurring while cars are driven on or off the decks is treated, because loading and unloading is often sub-limited or dealt with separately.
- Worth confirming whether prestige, exotic and classic vehicles need to be declared individually or fall under a separate per-vehicle value cap.
Common questions
Does my motor policy cover the cars I am carrying?
Generally not. Motor cover typically responds to the transporter and its trailer, while customer vehicles on the decks are usually addressed through carriers or vehicles-in-custody wording. Operators moving customer cars almost always need both, and the limit should be set against the highest value load carried.
Do I need cover for vehicles sitting in my yard between legs?
It is worth arranging deliberately. Vehicles held at a depot are commonly treated as being in storage rather than in transit, and some wordings deal with them under different terms or require specified security. Fencing, lighting, cameras and whether the yard is attended usually affect what an insurer will offer.
Are drivers moving customer cars on and off the decks covered?
It depends on the wording. Damage caused while a vehicle is being driven on or off is one of the most common car carrier claims and is treated inconsistently across policies, sometimes under a specific loading extension. It is worth confirming before you assume the motor section picks it up.
What does car carrier insurance cost?
It depends on the operation rather than a set rate. The main drivers are the number and value of vehicles carried at once, open decks versus enclosed transport, whether prestige or classic vehicles are moved, interstate routes versus local dealer delivery, and the security of the yards where vehicles are held.
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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