Construction Firm Running Mobile Plant + Site Vehicles — NZ Commercial Motor
Construction company with site vehicles (utes / vans / tippers) plus mobile plant (excavators / scissor lifts / dump trucks).
Mobile-plant commercial motor sits at the intersection of motor and material-damage cover. Self-propelled plant (excavators, telehandlers, scissor lifts) may or may not be insured under the commercial-motor wording; some wordings exclude plant entirely (requires separate mobile-plant cover). Hired-in plant adds another sub-limit category. Delta Insurance specialises in this risk class on the FCIB panel.
For this scenario, the fact keys to compare across the ingested wordings are:
vehicle_types_covered — Vehicle types covered
mobile_plant_cover — Mobile plant cover
hired_in_plant — Hired-in plant
modifications — Modifications
Watch out for
Self-propelled mobile plant (excavators, telehandlers) is often EXCLUDED from generic commercial-motor wordings — confirm whether the wording or a separate Plant & Equipment policy covers it.
Hired-in plant typically has a separate sub-limit (often $50k-$250k) and an excess loading.
Site-specific use clauses can void cover when plant operates on private land outside a declared site address.
mobile plant and machinery (cranes, forklifts, excavators, lifting machinery/platforms, log haulers, skidders, rollers, graders, bulldozers)
electric/hybrid/hydrogen vehicles
autonomous vehicles
vehicles used for the Insured's Business
Mobile plant cover
Plant and Machinery including but not limited to cranes, forklifts, excavators, lifting machinery/platforms, log haulers, skidders, rollers, graders, bull dozers is covered subject to the condition that all persons operating such vehicles must be fully trained and qualified, must not operate beyond manufacturer's specifications or recommendations, and must comply with Health and Safety In Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes, And Passenger Ropeways) Regulations 1999. There is no cover while the vehicle is being used or operated as plant or machinery and not operating solely as a Vehicle (Section 2 exclusion: Operation Of Plant Or Machinery).
Hired-in plant
Substitute Vehicles and Rental Vehicles are covered under optional extensions. 'Substitute Vehicles' (Section 2 Automatic Extension) covers liability to the Vehicle owner for damage up to the Schedule limit and liability to third parties where the Insured or Authorised Driver hires, rents or borrows a Substitute Vehicle (subject to declining the owner's statutory offer of insurance). 'Hired And Rented Vehicles' (Section 2 Optional Extension) covers liability for Rental Vehicles. 'Employees' Vehicles' (Sections 1 and 2 Optional Extension) covers vehicles owned by employees used for the Insured's Business.
Modifications
must_be_declared: yes — 'This Policy does not cover Loss or Damage to, or as a result of any Modifications unless such Modifications have been advised by You to Us and noted on the Schedule.'
performance_mods_excluded: yes unless declared — 'Modifications means any change made to a Vehicle from the manufacturer's standard specifications. This includes any performance upgrades or changes, or changes to an Insured Vehicle that alters the use of that Vehicle.'
Ingestion or Entanglement of Foreign Objects extension covers accidental loss resulting from entry, entanglement or ingestion of any foreign object into any mulching, chipping or agricultural implement or machine, up to $50,000 per event. Hoists, Hydraulic Lifts and Rams extension covers mechanical breakdown or mechanical failure of hoists or hydraulic rams permanently attached to the insured vehicle up to $10,000 per event (excess $500). Off Road Tyre/Track Damage extension covers accidental loss to tyres or tracks fitted to an insured vehicle not principally used for driving on public roads. Section 2 excludes liability from the use of mechanical plant components while used for their designed purpose, except for vehicle-mounted mechanical plant used to load/unload or any fork hoist.
Hired-in plant
Hired In Vehicles (General Policy Extension): If you hire in or rent in a vehicle during the period of insurance and you accept the rental owner's statutory offer of insurance, this extension covers: 1. Liability to third parties for the difference between the amount payable under the statutory offer of insurance and the maximum amount payable under Section 2; 2. The difference between the Section 1 excess under this policy and any deductible that would have been applicable under the rental vehicle owner's insurance. Also: 'Hired in Vehicle – Consequential Loss' (Section 2 automatic extension) covers liability to the owner of a hired/rented vehicle for consequential losses caused by a Section 1 loss, up to $50,000 per event, where you reject the owner's statutory offer of insurance.
Modifications
must_be_declared: yes — 'You must tell us immediately if there are any: a. Modifications to an insured vehicle' and disclosure duty requires disclosure of 'Any non-factory modifications (whether structural, performance or cosmetic) to an insured motor vehicle.'
performance_mods_excluded: not explicitly excluded — undisclosed modifications may affect cover via duty of disclosure breach
vehicles with mulching, chipping or agricultural implements
drilling rigs
vehicles transporting goods for reward
vehicles transporting fare-paying passengers
vehicles used for airside operations
unspecified trailers
Mobile plant cover
Section 1 covers accidental loss to insured vehicles including mechanical plant. The 'Appreciation – Mechanical Plant' extension covers appreciation of market value of mechanical plant up to 25% of the value specified in the vehicle declaration. The 'Ingestion or Entanglement of Foreign Objects' extension covers loss resulting from entry, entanglement or ingestion of any foreign object into any mulching, chipping or agricultural implement or machine up to $50,000 per event. The 'Off Road Tyre/Track Damage' extension covers loss to tyres or tracks fitted to an insured vehicle not principally used for driving on public roads up to $5,000 per period of insurance. Section 2 excludes liability arising from the use of any mechanical plant component while being used for the purpose for which it was designed, except for vehicle mounted cranes used to load/unload and fork hoists.
Hired-in plant
Optional extension 'Hired In Vehicles': If you hire in or rent in a vehicle during the period of insurance and do not accept the rental owner's statutory offer of insurance, this extension covers the hired vehicle as an insured vehicle, whether or not it is a similar substitute vehicle as set out in the definition of insured vehicle; and covers your liability to the owner of that vehicle for consequential losses caused by loss covered under Section 1 (most we will pay $50,000 per event unless different amount shown in schedule). Automatic extension 'Hired In Vehicle – Consequential Loss' also provides cover up to $25,000 per event for consequential losses where statutory offer of insurance is rejected.
Modifications
must_be_declared: yes — 'You must tell us immediately if there are any modifications to an insured vehicle'; also listed as a relevant fact for disclosure: 'any non-factory modifications (whether structural, performance or cosmetic) to an insured motor vehicle'
performance_mods_excluded: no — not expressly excluded, but must be declared; undisclosed modifications may result in the policy being treated as of no effect
leased/hired/borrowed/lent vehicles under care custody and control
Mobile plant cover
your vehicle means all vehicles and, where specified in the schedule, also includes vehicular equipment of every description, including mobile plant and mobile equipment owned or used, which includes being leased, lent, borrowed, hired or under your care, custody and control for which you are responsible for, including their accessories. Tool of trade use is defined and subject to specific exclusions under Section 2.
Hired-in plant
Extension 12 (Difference in Excess / Hired-in or Rental Vehicles): Where you hire in or rent a vehicle in connection with your business and the hire agreement deems the owner of the vehicle responsible for insurance, your policy extends to cover any difference in the basic deductible level between your policy and the deductible level under the insurance coverage provided by the owner of the vehicle.
Modifications
must_be_declared: yes — General Policy Condition 2 requires notification of 'modifications made to your vehicle (excluding conversion to LPG or CNG)'
performance_mods_excluded: not explicitly stated — wording does not contain a specific performance modifications exclusion, but undeclared modifications may affect cover
DUAL New Zealand Commercial Motor Vehicle (08.23 v2)
Vehicle types covered
cars
station wagons
utilities
vans
four wheel drives
trucks
mechanical plant
mobile machinery
vehicles with cranes or hoists
taxis
agricultural vehicles (tractors etc.)
any type of machine on wheels, tracks or rollers (but not rails) propelled by its own power, and anything designed to be towed by such a machine
Mobile plant cover
Mechanical plant is defined as 'A vehicle, that has either plant or machinery attached to it, or is primarily designed as mobile plant or mobile machinery.' Section 1 covers accidental loss to insured vehicles including mechanical plant. Section 1 Automatic Extension A (Appreciation – Mechanical Plant) covers appreciation of market value of mechanical plant up to 25% of declared value. Section 1 Exclusions D (Vehicle Parts) applies but does not apply where loss is the direct result of fire, overturning, impact/collision, immersion in water, theft, malicious damage, incorrect fuel, hail/snow/storm/lightning, natural disaster, or animals.
Hired-in plant
Section 2 Automatic Extension F (Hired And Rented Vehicles) covers liability to third parties for hired or rented vehicles and the difference between the Section 1 excess and any deductible under rental vehicle owner's insurance. Section 2 Automatic Extension G covers the insured's liability to the owner of a hired/rented vehicle for consequential losses where the statutory offer of insurance is rejected. The definition of 'insured vehicle' includes 'any other vehicle, hired, rented, or borrowed without financial or other consideration, by the insured during the period of insurance.'
Modifications
must_be_declared: yes — General Conditions require the insured to 'tell us immediately if there are any modifications to an insured vehicle'
Next step
Personalised advice on which commercial-motor policy fits this operator profile is regulated under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 — contact FCIB: Stewart Hunt — stewart@fcib.co.nz | 0800 437 699 | disclosure statement.