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EU wants more cover stories
Page 8
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• A new European Union directive will require hauliers to givr details about every vehicle they use to their insurers, includ ing those on temporary hire.
The Freight Transport Association warns hauliers tha the directive will take up a lot of admin time, but says it coulc help operators involved in accidents abroad. Don Armour FTA road freight policy manager, says insurance claims after get bogged down by differences in language and legal sys tems: "I have one or two old files where nothing has hap. pened for years," he says.
The directive is designed to smooth out these problems by requiring each EU member state to establish mechanisms for dealing with claims involving two different nationals.
After it comes into force in January 2003 operators wil be required to notify their insurers of any changes to their fleets. Under current proposals this will have to be done within five working days
Armour says that, although common practice on the Continent, UK operators don't normally notify their insurers of every addition to or reduction of their fleets unless the change falls outside the terms of the policy.
He adds that operators with several depots would be well advised to start working out now how all fleet changes can be recorded centrally.
Failure to comply could weaken their position in any insurance claim, he warns.