Are tools in the company van covered by transit insurance?
In short
Are tools in the company van covered? Yes, by own-goods transit insurance (Werkverkehrsversicherung) while they are in the vehicle: after an accident, fire, theft of the whole van and a break-in to the locked van. At night, cover is often full only from 6 am to 10 pm or comes with a deduction. A van with EUR 12,000 of tools costs about EUR 250 a year plus 19 percent tax.
Guide values from published examples, net of 19 percent insurance tax.
Example
Typical range
One van, EUR 12,000 sum insured
about EUR 250 a year
Eight vans carrying about EUR 3,500 each
about EUR 550 a year for all of them
Rule of thumb from practice
about 2 to 3 percent of the carried value per year
Guide values from quoting practice (Richtwert aus der Angebotspraxis), based on published examples.
Night cover and flatbed boxes cost extra.
Your premium depends on tool value, number of vehicles and where they are parked;
we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Electrician, one van, tools and materials worth EUR 12,000
How the cover works out if the tools stay in the van overnight.
Sum insured
EUR 12,000
Net premium
about EUR 250
Insurance tax 19 percent
about EUR 48
Night break-in, loss EUR 5,000, clause with 20 percent deduction
EUR 4,000 paid
About EUR 300 a year. Without night cover you carry at least EUR 1,000 of a night-time break-in yourself, under some policies the whole loss.
What own-goods transit insurance covers for tools
Own-goods transit insurance covers things a business carries in its own vehicles for its own purposes. For tradespeople that mainly means tools, machines and materials in the van. Fixed shelving and workbenches can be included.
Typical cover includes a road accident, fire, emergency braking and swerving, robbery, theft of the whole vehicle with its load, and break-ins. Partial comprehensive car insurance (Teilkasko) replaces only the stolen van; the tools inside are paid by the transit insurance.
Theft from the company van: what counts
Tools in the company van are covered against theft almost only if the thief breaks into the fully locked vehicle and leaves marks. If the van was left open or the tools were on an open flatbed, transit insurance usually pays nothing.
For flatbed trucks some insurers offer a surcharge for fixed, lockable toolboxes. Some terms cap laptops, tablets and phones at low amounts, in one set of terms EUR 2,500 for computers and EUR 400 for phones.
Situation
Usually covered?
Break-in to the locked van in daytime
yes
Break-in at night outside your home
full, reduced or only with surcharge, depending on the night clause
Van left unlocked, tools gone
no
Toolbox on an open flatbed
only fixed, lockable boxes with surcharge
Whole van stolen with tools
yes: van via Kasko, tools via transit insurance
Tools stolen from the building site
no, transit cover ends there
The night clause
Many own-goods transit policies cover tools in the vehicle in full only between 6 am and 10 pm. If the loaded van stays on the street overnight, there is either no cover, partial cover or a deductible, depending on the policy. One published set of terms deducts 20 percent, at least EUR 250 and at most EUR 2,500, for a break-in between 10 pm and 6 am, unless the van was in a locked single garage.
If your tools stay in the van overnight, have night time expressly included, also at employees' homes. The surcharge is usually smaller than the loss from a single break-in.
When another policy fits better
Transit insurance covers tools in the vehicle and during loading and unloading. On site, in the workshop or in storage, you need other policies, such as contents, electronics or machinery insurance for expensive equipment.
If you carry only a few tools and take them inside every evening, you may not need this cover at all. Private household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) does not cover business tools. Norman Nammert arranges cover as an insurance broker; the insurer pays the commission.
Step by step
List the tools and materials in each van and estimate their replacement value.
Check where the vans are parked at night: yard, garage or street.
Have night time included if tools stay in the van overnight.
Check limits for laptops, measuring devices and batteries.
Cover tools on building sites with a separate policy.
Checklist
Sum insured matches the replacement value of tools per van
Night time 10 pm to 6 am included, or knowingly left out
Employees' homes named as parking places
Flatbed boxes fixed, lockable and declared
Receipts for expensive tools kept
Common mistakes
Assuming car insurance also pays for the tools
Leaving a loaded van on the street overnight without night cover
Not locking the van and losing cover because there was no break-in
Forgetting to add new vans or expensive equipment
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does car insurance pay if tools are stolen from my van?
No.
Comprehensive cover pays for damage to the van, such as a broken window.
The load is paid only by own-goods transit insurance.
Are my private tools in the company van covered?
Usually not; the policy covers business property.
Private tools may fall under household contents insurance,
which often pays only limited amounts for theft from a car.
Does cover apply at weekends?
If the van is loaded for business, often yes.
Long periods parked on the street are risky because of the night clause.
Can tools in a car be covered too?
Yes, if the car is named in the policy.
Some terms exclude convertibles and two-wheelers.
What should I do after a break-in?
Report it to the police straight away, list the stolen items with values and inform the insurer.
