A universal toolkit for commercial motor claims

IN Partnership with

A new model from AAMC streamlines the assessment and repair process, reducing downtime and setting new standards for heavy transport and machinery insurance claims

WHEN A commercial vehicle grinds to a halt due to an incident, the clock starts ticking on lost revenue, missed deliveries and operational disruptions. For businesses across Australia, vehicle downtime is a costly ordeal. Now, AAMC aims to turn things around with Land + Road, a streamlined incident management service designed to cut the time frames from date of loss to completed assessment by up to 60%, setting a new efficiency standard in commercial motor claims management. “Land + Road is a multifaceted management solution that operates proactively from the very start of an incident,” says Ian Brown, AAMC’s national heavy motor vehicle manager. “Unlike traditional models, where assessor interaction is delayed until the insurer’s claims team arranges repair quotes, documentation and other evidence, Land + Road steps in immediately.” AAMC’s Land + Road service, launched in October, reshapes the commercial vehicle claims process from start to finish, eliminating delays by directly managing repairs from new incident notification to completion. Avoiding the delays of traditional claims processes where multiple layers of touchpoints and decisions are navigated, Land + Road deploys assessors immediately, speeding up the time it takes to identify the most

AAMC is a specialist motor accident management provider offering a wide range of services to the Australian insurance, broking and corporate fleet sectors. AAMC is the largest provider of motor repair and assessing services and covers the entire spectrum of motor, including passenger vehicles; heavy and light commercial and transport; plant and machinery; motorcycles and caravans. AAMC has been delivering innovative solutions to Australia’s largest and most prominent insurers for over 20 years and specialises in providing cost, quality and timeliness outcomes for its clients.

Find out more

What does Land + Road by AAMC provide?

Triage – fast initiation of the most appropriate fulfilment path

Ian Brown, AAMC

effective method of fulfilment, while maintaining communications with all stakeholders. The standout feature of Land + Road is that it can be tailored to fit a large range of situations. Designed as a highly flexible service model, it is built to meet the specific needs of insurers, brokers and their respective specialist sectors, be they heavy transport or agricultural machinery. “We are committed to working closely with our partners to ensure this model aligns seamlessly with their operational requirements and enhances their service delivery,” says Brown. Call it a universal toolkit for commercial motor insurance claims. With proactive engagement, simplified coordination and reduced touchpoints, it’s a solution that not only saves companies time and money but also creates smoother paths for fleet managers, brokers and insurers.

Every hour counts when a commercial truck or piece of heavy machinery stops due to an accident, fire or theft. For fleet managers and business owners, vehicle downtime means lost revenue, disrupted operations and frustrated customers. Despite this, the commercial vehicle and machinery claims process has historically followed a standard passenger vehicle claims approach, which often creates multiple opportunities for delay. Brown explains that traditionally, commercial motor insurers must collect all documentation and repair estimates before an assessor will accept an instruction. “Insurers’ internal assessing teams and most of our competitors adhere to this practice,” he says. This requires claims handlers to frequently follow up outstanding

“With the establishment of a dedicated administration team, we can actively collaborate with all parties involved – policyholders, intermediaries, repairers, technical experts and other stakeholders – without waiting for a claims handler to compile every piece of evidence or documentation before initiating the assessment,” Brown explains. The impact of this streamlined approach is substantial. “Land + Road can reduce up to 60% of the average time cycle from ‘Date of Loss to Assessment Report Completion’,” Brown says. “This remarkable reduction is achieved by eliminating the traditional bottlenecks – where a claim typically passes through broker notification, lodgement, claims administration and internal assessor review before reaching AAMC.”

Despite offering enhanced service, Land + Road maintains competitive pricing. By having the service team handle the groundwork – including gathering essential documentation such as digital images and repair estimates – technical assessors can focus on high-value tasks and ultimately spend less time on each file. “Land + Road simply offers a more efficient and cost-effective approach,” Brown explains. “This streamlined process reduces overall costs and expedites the claims cycle, providing a comprehensive service without additional expense to the insurer.” The service encompasses all aspects of the repair process. Land + Road operates as a full-service model, managing a network of trusted partners, including repairers, parts suppliers, transportation providers and salvage disposal services. “We can connect claimants with our partnered repair network or seamlessly coordinate with a customer’s preferred repairer. Our team oversees each step of the repair process, proactively managing timelines, tracking progress and following up on any outstanding tasks to keep everything on track.”

Insurance brokers can play a key part in minimising downtime for their customers by engaging directly with underwriters to gain a clear understanding of their specific procedures for handling commercial vehicle and machinery claims. “Practices vary significantly, so it’s essential for brokers to ask targeted questions to ensure they are aligned with the underwriter’s process,” says Brown. Key questions brokers should consider when looking at underwriter options for their clients’ portfolio cover is whether the underwriter’s process allows immediate appointment of a panel assessor for urgent claims, and whether urgent truck and machinery claims are flagged at lodgement to streamline incident management or assessing decisions.

This level of strategic engagement between brokers and underwriters creates stronger working relationships, leading to more efficient claim resolutions. “Understanding whether the underwriter has dedicated expertise in heavy vehicles and machinery can also be invaluable,” Brown adds. “With this insight, brokers can better navigate the claims process, avoid unnecessary delays and improve outcomes for their clients by ensuring claims are directed to the right resources quickly.”

truck with blurred motion racing on a busy freeway

Clearing the obstacles

Role of insurance brokers

Published 02 Dec 2024

“The market response has been exceptionally positive from both underwriters and intermediaries. Extended time cycles in commercial motor claims have long been a significant industry pressure point, and Land + Road directly addresses this challenge”

Ian Brown, AAMC

Land + Road is AAMC’s all-in-one incident management and repair solution for truck and commercial machinery claims. Land + Road represents 20-plus years of processing countless claims for Australian heavy vehicle and machinery underwriters, providing comprehensive nationwide motor accident management and loss assessing services to Australia’s commercial insurance and broking sectors.

Towing and transportation services

Nationwide partnered repairers and suppliers

Regular progress updates and communication with all key stakeholders

Management and oversight of the entire repair process

Desktop assessing (via digital image and video collaboration technology)

Total loss administration (including towing and salvage disposal)

Prime movers Commercial trailers Tautliners Low loaders Hazardous goods carriers Light commercial vehicles Grain and livestock carriers Rigid vehicles Pig and dog trailers Pantechs Refrigerated carriers Bulk hazardous goods carriers Moored vessels Forestry equipment Buses and coaches Concrete agitators Waste management equipment Farm and agricultural equipment Cranes and mobile plant Mining equipment Catering equipment Recreational vehicles

A complete solution for heavy transport and machinery

Land + Road by AAMC specialises in comprehensive incident damage management for:

documentation to ensure all necessary information is in place for the assessment to proceed. This differs from sectors such as commercial property claims, where service providers can be appointed promptly by the insurer and its intermediaries under delegated authority, in urgent situations. With larger underwriters, the decision on when to appoint an external assessor adds another layer of complexity. This step can slow down the process significantly, as internal assessors evaluate whether external expertise is necessary, often leading to additional delays before the assessment and claim can progress.

The new system significantly reduces communication complexity. Land + Road achieves this by immediately engaging in the claim, streamlining all necessary communications from the outset. “Our team manages the entire process, from coordinating all documentation and evidence for an assessment and then matching it to the appropriate assessor skill set, to overseeing every stage of the assessment. This includes providing timely updates to all key stakeholders, such as policyholders or fleet managers, brokers and underwriters, ensuring transparency, compliance and reducing the need for repeated follow-ups.”

To address these inefficiencies, Land + Road takes a different approach. “We’re working closely with our clients to define and agree on clear criteria for immediate Land + Road appointment,” Brown says. “When an incident type, vehicle category or location matches our predetermined criteria, AAMC is notified as quickly as possible after claim lodgement.” This immediate engagement allows AAMC’s Land + Road team to engage directly with the policyholder right from the outset, swiftly assessing the damage and coordinating with technical experts to facilitate efficient repairs.

Taking action more directly

Streamlined communication, fewer costs

Brown is sure the product will be a success – in fact, it is already being well received, even though it’s just a month since launch. “While it’s still early, the market response has been exceptionally positive from both underwriters and intermediaries. Extended time cycles in commercial motor claims have long been a significant industry pressure point, and Land + Road directly addresses this challenge,” he says. “The strategy behind Land + Road is to drive efficiency by investing in systems, technology and strategic partnerships, enabling us to scale without a directly proportional increase in resources.” It’s a go-to versatile solution for fleet managers, brokers and insurers in a needlessly complex area. While it may not be as compact as a Swiss Army Knife, its usefulness means that many more will soon find it just as handy to have in their back pockets.

Gaining traction for future success

RSS

Sitemap

About us

Conditions of Use

Terms & conditions

People

Specialty

Best in Insurance

Resources

Risk Management

News

RSS

Sitemap

About us

Conditions of Use

Terms & conditions

People

Specialty

Best in Insurance

Resources

Risk Management

News

RSS

Sitemap

About us

Conditions of Use

Terms & conditions

People

Specialty

Best in Insurance

Resources

Risk Management

News