Products
A comprehensive range of products to keep trucking business on the road.
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  Quotation
Request a quotation.
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  Two new products
HCV has two new value-added products. Find out more about Africa tow+care and hire+care. More
 
  Africa tow+care  

This product covers the towing costs directly resulting from mechanical breakdown of an covered vehicle occurring during the period of cover in the following African countries,

 

  • RSA
  • Namibia
  • Botswana
  • Zimbabwe
  • Swaziland
  • Lesotho
  • Mozambique (below the Zambezi River)

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  hire+care  

hire+care will compensate the policyholder for loss of use of their covered vehicle occurring directly as a result of an immobilising occurance.

The policyholder is guaranteed,
  • A driver
  • Basic truck (maximum standard 8 ton)
  • Insurance of the hired vehicle
  • First tank of fuel

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  Traffic demerit system introduced  
Scheduled for national roll-out in this year, the AARTO (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) system will make a positive difference to road safety but will be problematic for unscrupulous operators in the trucking industry when demerit points start to count towards driving suspension.

Truckers should make sure they are prepared or they could be at risk of losing their licenses.

How are demerits allocated?
Every person starts with 0 points and the maximum permissible number of points is 12. Every point exceeding 12 points results in a three-month suspension of the licence. One point is reduced every three months if no further contraventions occur within the period. A licence is cancelled when it has been suspended for the third time.

For a breakdown of traffic violations, fines and the demerit point system visit www.aartosa.co.za. 		   
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  Important things you should know about truck insurance  
In a recent report by the Ombudsman (official watchdog) for insurance in South Africa, some important points should be taken note of. One is that payouts for insurance claims should represent a fair and reasonable payout for the loss suffered, which will then allow the insured to properly repair their damaged vehicle.

Therefore, an Insurer or underwriter cannot simply offer a payout according to what an assessor says should be paid and the responsibility remains with the insurance company or underwriter to place the policyholder in the same position as they were before the accident or loss.

Of course, all of the above also depends on truckers' behaviour. They need to make sure that they have followed all the rules outlined in their policy wording document. Some of these include, not exceeding the speed limit of 90km/h, keeping their vehicle and tyres well maintained, keeping their payments up to date, having a fire extinguisher in the vehicle and transporting only goods agreed to when they took out the policy.
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  Fax numbers changed  
JHB Admin
JHB Claims
JHB Finance
Cape Town
Durban
Port Elizabeth		 011 628 3050 to 086 538 0958
011 628 3051 to 086 538 0906
011 628 3061 to 086 538 0805
011 628 3056 to 086 537 7105
011 628 3055 to 086 538 3020
011 628 3058 to 086 537 9488
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  How to speed up claims  

After an accident, theft or hi-jacking, policyholders can help to speed up their claim by ensuring that HCV has all the required documents as soon as possible. If HCV has to contact the policyholder for missing information, the claim is brought to a standstill. This means it will take you a lot longer to get back on the road and earning an income.

HCV is committed to process own damage claims within 48 hours, provided all photographs and documentation have been received. HCV have one of the most advanced databases. Add to that a dedicated claims team and the result is fast, highly efficient claims service. Remember, the sooner HCV has all the relevant documentation the sooner they can process the claim and get the vehicle back on the road.

The following documents are required to process claims quickly,

1. Claim form fully completed
2. Photographs of the damaged areas of the vehicle
3. Police case number
4. Repair quotation
5. Driver's licence, one legible and clear copy
6. Professional Drivers Permit (PrDP), one legible and clear copy
7. Certificate of Fitness (CoF) and Operators Card, one copy
8. Driver's accident statement
9. Fleet management copy, for example the movement report (if possible/ applicable)

    
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  Claims not late for 48  

HCV endeavours to authorise repairs in respect of own damage claims, on receipt of all documents within 48 hours. This means that trucks are back on the road sooner than ever. Less downtime means more earnings. HCV must receive all documents as soon as possible to ensure the claim isn't late for 48.

The following documents are required for all claims,

1. Claim form fully completed
2. Photographs of the damaged areas of the vehicle
3. Police case number
4. Repair quotation
5. Driver's licence, one legible and clear copy
6. Professional Drivers Permit (PrDP), one legible and clear copy
7. Certificate of Fitness (CoF) and Operators Card, one copy
8. Driver's accident statement
9. Fleet management copy, for example the movement report (if applicable)



    
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  Speed limits on South African roads  

In terms of the National Road Traffic Act, 1989 and its Regulations are:

 

Speed limit Road Type
60 km/h Public road in an urban area
100 km/h Public road outside an urban area which is not a freeway
120 km/h Highways and motorways

 

Speed limits for trucks


A maximum speed limit of 80 km/h for:

  • Trucks exceeding 9t
  • Combination vehicles, such as a horse and one or two trailers of which the sum of the GVM exceeds 9t
  • Articulated vehicle of which the GVM exceeds 9t.

 

Provision is also made that certain vehicles (minibuses, buses and goods vehicles) shall not exceed the speed limits imposed on tyres by SABS 1550 or as approved by the manufacturer of such tyres.

 

Certain tractors and trailers or combination vehicles may also not exceed speed limits of 35 km/h and 15 km/h based on their braking capabilities.

 

Road traffic signs can also prescribe speed limits that may be lower or higher than the general limits applicable on a public road.

  
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  Why speed kills  

The severity of a crash increases with speed. If a trucker is speeding, they might not be able to stop. With a reaction time of one second, it will take the average driver driving at 110km/h about 90m to come to a stop on a dry surface.

 

If the driver encounters a hazard such as a pedestrian at a distance, of say, 60m ahead, the car will hit the pedestrian at an impact speed of 80km/h.

 

At that speed there is a 100 percent chance that the pedestrian will be killed. If the driver were driving at 100km/h instead of 110, the collision speed would be 60km/h and the chances of the pedestrian being killed would be reduced to 70 percent.

 

Had this driver been driving at 90km/h, the collision speed would have been
30km/h and the chance of death for the pedestrian would be reduced further still, to approximately 7%.

  
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  3 Facts policyholders and brokers must know  
FACT # 1: Speed is a factor in 75% of accidents on our roads
FACT # 2: The faster a truck goes, the harder it hits
FACT # 3: The sentence for speeding can be as high as a R24 000 fine or six months imprisonment, earning the offender a criminal record
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The Heavy Commercial Vehicle Underwriting Managers (Pty) Limited (HCV) product offering is underwritten by Lombard Insurance Company Limited. Registration Number 1996/001253/06 VAT Number 4360121331. HCV is an authorised financial services provider. FSP License Number 9853 Registration Number 1995/010667/07 VAT Number 4950187627 Tel 011 628 3000 Fax 086 538 0958 www.hcv.co.za 08610-CARES (22737)