Specialist mobile plant, superior protection
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TLC Insurance’s specialist contractors mobile plant insurance goes beyond commercial motor cover, protecting against lost revenue, increased costs of working, or the need for a substitute hire following a loss covered under the policy
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FOR CONTRACTORS, the financial impact of mobile plant being out of action is not the cost of the repair itself. It’s the downtime.
Like a pebble in a pond, the effects of downtime ripple out far beyond where the stone impacted the water. Containing that ripple is where mobile plant insurance comes in.
“What can hurt the business more than the damage to the mobile plant is the time that item is out of action, where you face contract delays, possible penalties, staff unable to work,
TLC Insurance is a New Zealand-based specialist insurer, established in 1998 with a clear purpose: to recognise mobile plant and vehicles as distinct risks requiring separate cover. TLC offers specialist contractors plant insurance solutions led by a gold standard claims service and a consistent underwriting approach. In 2021, TLC became a member of the 360 Underwriting Group, which has further enhanced TLC’s capabilities, supporting continued innovation, premium stability and a strong commitment to broker led distribution.
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Types of mobile plant
Articulated dump truck
Backhoes: equipped with a front-end loader and a backhoe excavation arm Bulldozer Compactor Drill rig Elevated work platform (EWP) Excavator Forklift Front-end loader Grader Lighting rig/trailer Mobile crane Portable plant such as air compressors or generators Reach stacker Road paver Scraper Skid-steer loader Telehandler Tractor
“What can hurt the business more than the damage to the mobile plant is the time that item is out of action”
Andrew Reid,
TLC Insurance
potential reputation damage due to unsatisfied clients, rental hire and the possibility of lost contracts,” says Andrew Reid, executive director at TLC Insurance.
It’s a scenario that plays out regularly across the construction, earthmoving and civil works sectors. A machine goes down, the repair process begins, and within days the downstream consequences start to compound in ways the business owner had not fully anticipated.
TLC’s contractors mobile plant policy addresses this directly.
“A TLC Insurance contractors mobile plant policy can help protect your equipment, your cash flow and your ability to keep working, with the automatic inclusion of cover for lost revenue, the increased costs to keep you going, or a substitute hire machine,” Reid says.
For brokers advising clients on their risk programme, this distinction matters enormously. Covering the machine is one thing. Covering the business consequence of losing it is another entirely.
The specialist difference Working with a specialist underwriting agency changes the claims experience in ways that generalist providers often cannot replicate.
“There is nothing generic about a contractors mobile plant policy,” says Reid. “It brings comprehensive protection together in one purpose-built package, covering the largest risks associated with working across multiple sites, frequent transportation of equipment, hired-in machinery, access to substitute machines, and the financial impact of downtime.”
TLC’s claims team works exclusively on mobile plant and commercial motor claims and has access to loss adjusters with
specific expertise in heavy machinery. When a claim is lodged, the people assessing it understand the true extent of what needs to be fixed.
“Dealing with a specialist underwriting agency such as TLC Insurance gives you access to mobile plant insurance, specialist loss adjusters who know heavy machinery, and the experience of a team of claims handlers who only work on mobile plant and commercial motor claims,” Reid explains.
TLC supports clients ranging from owners of a single piece of mobile plant through to large corporate fleets with more than 1,000 units. Recently, TLC worked with an insurance broker to assist an earthmoving contractor in the central North Island. By transitioning its heavy machinery away from a standard commercial motor policy, the contractor now benefits from consequential loss cover, which provides significant protection during periods of downtime following a loss.
The scope of mobile plant The range of equipment that falls under the mobile plant category is broader than many brokers might assume. An intimate knowledge of machines is essential for supporting claims in mobile plant insurance. There is nothing worse than dealing with a generic firm that doesn’t know the difference between a backhoe and a bulldozer.
“Whether you’re in construction, earthmoving, civil works, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, forestry or the trades, your machinery is often your largest investment and your main source of income,” says Reid.
The three most common claim types that TLC sees across its mobile plant book are malicious damage and theft, fire damage and accidental damage. Each carries its own particular sting.
Theft is a persistent and growing concern for contractors. “Mobile plant assets are often targets due to their easy resale, difficulty to locate without GPS tracking, and they are quick to transport, especially items that can fit inside a shipping container,” Reid explains. “The theft of high-value equipment can significantly impact a client’s business.”
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Published 18 May 2026
“Whether you’re in construction, earthmoving, civil works, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, forestry or the trades, your machinery is often your largest investment and your main source of income”
Andrew Reid,
TLC Insurance
Most common mobile plant claims experienced at TLC
Malicious damage and theft
Fire damage
Accidental damage
He lists the typical items: cranes, excavators, bulldozers, graders, forklifts, telehandlers, mobile cranes, road pavers, drill rigs, elevated work platforms, scrapers, reach stackers, skid-steer loaders, compactors, tractors and portable plant such as air compressors and generators. Many items also carry specialist accessories.
“Some mobile plant items also include specialist accessories such as fixed GPS systems, interchangeable attachments like buckets, rock breakers and spades, or modifications such as off-road dump trucks fitted with soil carry bins or water tankers for dust suppression,” he adds.
The financial stakes are considerable. “The cost to any business of replacing just a single item of mobile plant can range from $5,000 to over $500,000,” says Reid. For most contracting businesses, this equipment is not a line item on a balance sheet. It’s the heart of the business itself.
Why a standard policy often falls short A commercial motor policy is designed around vehicles. Mobile plant operates in a fundamentally different environment, and Reid is direct about the gap.
“Mobile plant items tend to be exposed to locations that are outdoors, in harsh conditions, under considerable stress from lifting heavy loads, and being used by a multitude of operators,” he says. “A standard commercial motor policy may not account for this heightened risk.”
Fire claims are less frequent, but the consequences are severe. “Fire claims do not happen often, but when they do, they tend to result in a total loss,” says Reid. “Fire can be caused by electrical wires arcing, leaking fuel, overheating, or an external fire where the mobile plant is located.”
Accidental damage claims are the most common by volume, and rollovers generate the highest-value incidents within that category. Reid points out that the consequences extend well beyond the machine itself.
“A machine rolling over not only damages the machine but puts the operator at considerable risk,” he says. “Operator error is a leading cause of accidental damage. Other claims we see are during loading and unloading or reversing into another building or vehicle.”
Getting the cover right For New Zealand insurance brokers with clients in contracting, civil construction, earthmoving, agriculture or any industry where mobile plant is central to operations, the case for a specialist policy is a strong one. The risks are specific, the financial consequences of an uninsured or underinsured loss are severe, and the difference between a generic commercial motor policy and a purpose-built contractors mobile plant policy can be the
difference between a business that weathers a major claim and one that doesn’t.
As a member of the 360 Underwriting Group, TLC provides continued innovation to the market, as well as premium stability and a strong commitment to broker-led distribution.
The opportunity for brokers is to move the conversation with contracting clients from “Are you covered?” to “Are you covered correctly?” Those are very different questions, and in the mobile plant space, the gap between them can be significant.
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