Read the small print
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by Sue Copeman
Updating insurance
IT IS extremely important for the commercial vehicle operator to read the small print in his motor policies as it may well list circumstances under which his claims would not be met.
Insurance policies are not famous for being easily understood, and if you are in the least doubt about any clause or exclusion you would do well to check its meaning with your broker or underwriter.
Failure to read or understand your policies could cause serious problems, particularly if the insurance was • bought at below market rate, when the company concerned is more likely to haggle over settling claims.
All vehicle policies say, in one way or another, that the policyholder must take reasonable steps to protect the vehicle from loss or damage and to maintain it in good working order. "Reasonable steps" can have a wide interpretation.
For instance, where frost damage is covered in the policy (it is excluded in some) and the policyholder makes a claim in this connection, it has been known for insurers to refuse to meet the bill if the operator has not used antifreeze during the winter basing their refusal on the above clause.
Similarly, some policies say that they do not cover the vehicle if it is left on the public highway in a certain area between certain hours. However, if the operator can show his insurer that, say, his vehicles on occasions arrive back from work at such a time that they cannot always get into locked garages or enclosures, the underwriter may be prepared to compromise on this point. The main thing here is to check with the underwriter when the policy is taken out—after a claim has occurred it may well be too late.
Roadworthy
Policies state that vehicles must be roadworthy for insurance cover to apply. This means that if a vehicle is driven when it is known to have faulty brakes, bad tyres or some other serious defect likely to contribute to an accident, the insurer may well dispute any claim that arises. It is obviously necessary for the operator to liaise closely with his drivers as regards the condition of vehicles and to carry out regular checks.
Most policies exclude in some way claims arising from riot and war risks. This particular clause varies quite widely from policy to policy and it is worth checking with your underwriter or broker as to your cover if your vehicles are likely to be going to an area where this could be a problem.
The principle of "utmost good faith" is applied to all insurance policies in this country. Quite simply this means that the insured must disclose to his insurer any facts, which may have a bearing on his policy. Failure to do this could annul the policy.
For example, the insurer must be told if a vehicle is likely to be permanently parked in the street when not in operation. Obviously, this increases the likelihood of damage and, while you are likely to have to pay a higher' premium to cover such a vehicle, failure to tell the insurer about this could result in non-payment of a claim, THE LAST few jobs in a major repair are in particular the ones that tend to get rushed—and the correct coupling of cables and clipping of hoses are typical jobs that get overlooked, especially those under the cab or catwalk.
The repair may involve the clutch or gearbox, and this may have been done correctly and thoroughly, but there are so many minor details to be sorted out at the back of a tractive unit that some can easily be forgotten.
Potential problem areas are the brake pipes and hoses, the clutch actuating mechanism and the electrical equipment.
For example, a steel brake pipe may be bent back to give clearance, so that the union is well out of line with its connection. When the pipe is bent back in line, there is the danger that the force needed may be sufficient to start a small fracture.
Flexible brake and clutch hoses also come in for their fair share of abuse.
Often, before a catwalk is fastened down, the hoses are just tucked in alongside the chassis. Every so often, one is kinked or squeezed, so that the air-flow is restricted, with the result that braking effort to that axle will be reduced—and that can be dangerous. Then, when the brakes are applied, the pressure tries to straighten the hose, but it can't, so it flexes the hose around the kink. After a while, the hose will start to chafe, and may leak.
The case of "the lazy clutch" indicates the sort of problems that result from these oversights.
Some drivers on one particular truck, which had powerassisted clutch complained of lazy clutch actuation, although another driver, who was used to mechanical clutches made no complaint. Investigation showed that the hydraulic hose had been installed badly, with the result that it was kinked where it had been bent around a steel brake pipe to line up with the actuator.
Every time the clutch was applied, the hose would attempt to straighten and would press against the steel pipe. When the hose was re moved, it was cut open, and this revealed that the lining had split. Fortunately, this oversight did not lead to a breakdown or accident, but had it been a brake pipe, that might have been a different matter.
Twist danger
Care is also needed to avoid the twisting of flexible hoses when they are installed. Often, the, hose is secured at one end, and then the hose has to be locked up to a bracket. These brackets are often in confined spaces, so the mechanic is likely to try to tighten the lock nut with the one spanner—with the result that the hose just twists around with the lock nut. Again, the result may be a kink in the pipe.
The answer is that however difficult it may seem, two spanners must be used, and even then the alignment needs to be checked afterwards. If it is absolutely impossible to get two spanners in, it may be possible to wedge something between the nut and the chassis or bracket. Then, chalk lines across the nuts and bracket will soon show whether the hose has twisted or not.
That little bit of chalk could even be a life-saver. . . .