Northern Ireland Farm Fleet Insurance

Northern Ireland Farm Fleet Insurance

You might agree that your tractor, combine harvester or quad are some of your best employees. (Although it’s probably best not to say it out loud). And if you’re relying on them to put in the hours when time and weather are against you, they’re probably a loss you can’t afford. You can cover the risk of breaking down, accidental damage, or theft of all these vehicles under one policy with Northern Ireland farm fleet insurance.

Managing a farm with multiple farm vehicles can be a lot of pressure and expense. And having separate insurance policies for your individual farm vehicle can make this even more time consuming. You’ll have to keep up with each policy’s specific terms, coverage and renewal dates. So insuring your vehicles under a single farm vehicle fleet insurance NI policy takes out a lot of this work and cuts down on the number of premiums you have to pay. 

The minimum number of vehicles you can have on a farm fleet insurance NI policy can be as low as two, as long as the vehicles are all owned by the same business. These policies can cover tractors, diggers, balers, ATVs and livestock trailers depending on the individual policy. 

Some insurers also provide farm fleet customers with supportive services like risk management advice tailored specifically to agricultural operations. These can reduce the likelihood of claims which helps you across all of your insurance costs, personal and business. 

Get a quick comparison of Northern Ireland farm fleet insurance quotes now.

Cheap NI Farm Fleet Insurance 

Finding cheap Northern Irish farm fleet insurance, like with other insurance, is about shopping around for the best price. At CompareNI.com, we are not owned by and do not have any investments in insurance brokers or insurance companies. This means that we can give you an impartial comparison across farm fleet insurers in Northern Ireland.

How much does farm fleet insurance cost in Northern Ireland?

This varies from policy to policy. For example, if you are insuring a tractor and quad used on your own personal farm against theft and fire, you will be charged a very different price than someone insuring a fleet of ten farm vehicles with multiple drivers for commercial farm use.

The level of coverage you need is a key factor in the cost of your farm fleet NI insurance. Like other motor insurance, if you are planning to drive your farm vehicles on NI public roads you will be required to have a minimum of third party insurance by law. 

These are the three levels of cover offered by farm fleet insurance NI policies:

• Third party – this is the legal minimum requirement for driving on NI public roads. It covers the cost of any damage done to another person, their vehicle or property. 
• Third party, fire and theft – this offers the same cover as third party, as well as cover if your farm vehicles are stolen, damaged or destroyed by fire.
• Fully comprehensive – this is the highest level of cover. It includes all of the above, as well as damage caused to your own farm vehicles and their drivers.

How can I find cheap NI farm fleet insurance?

Knowing the risks to your vehicles and determining the level of coverage you need is half the battle. We at CompareNI.com can help with the hard part of comparing prices across multiple farm fleet insurance providers throughout Northern Ireland.

Some of the factors that influence the cost of your insurance premium are beyond your control, but there are some actions you can take to minimise your insurance expenses:

1. Insure experienced drivers

Insurers typically offer lower premiums to older, more experienced drivers as younger drivers as seen as a higher risk. If you are adding drivers to your fleet insurance policy it could benefit you to consider their age and driving experience.

1. Keep claims to a minimum

Most claims that people make are considered necessary, but there are a lot of things you can do to prevent these incidents from happening. Researching and practicing farm specific risk management measures can decrease claims long term, so you have a higher no claims discount.

1. Avoid motoring convictions

You should be aware of and follow Northern Irish road laws at all times, especially those that apply to agricultural vehicles. Similarly, any personal convictions like speeding or driving under the influence can increase insurance premiums when you’re listed as a driver under fleet insurance. 

1. Keep your farm vehicles safe

A PSNI report from 2022 revealed that theft accounts for 74% of all agricultural crime in Northern Ireland, especially in rural areas. This makes theft a significant threat and explains why insurers prefer you to keep vehicles in sheds and behind locks where possible.

1. Choose your premiums and payment 

Increasing your excess and paying your insurance policy annually rather than monthly can win you discounts from some insurers. Some employers will even transfer the burden of covering excesses onto the employee who is driving to encourage caution and accountability. 

You’ll also need to be careful around using red diesel. If insured vehicles are used outside of normal farm operations and are still using red diesel, this can invalidate some insurance policies. 

Compare Farm Fleet Insurance NI policies now. 

Is farm fleet insurance cheaper than individual farm vehicle insurance?

There are too many variables in each customer’s insurance policy to give a definite answer to this. The size of your fleet, the drivers included on your policy and how you use your agricultural vehicles, among other factors will all impact your costs.

The fastest way to find out the exact costs to you is to compare NI agricultural fleet Insurance or farm vehicle insurance and get personalised quotes now. 

Who can drive under my NI farm fleet insurance?

If your farm vehicles are driven by multiple employees you can name them individually on your policy or you can opt for the ‘any driver’ option. This gives you more flexibility when at work and when managing employees, but is usually a more expensive option. 

When it comes to minimum age restrictions on who can drive on farm fleet insurance NI policies, each insurer will have its own rules. Generally speaking, there is usually a minimum age restriction of either 21 or 25 years old for drivers not listed as named drivers on the policy.

Does my farm’s postcode affect the cost of my NI farm fleet insurance?

Insurers will use your postcode to gauge the location of your farm which can affect insurance costs. For example, If you live in a built up, busy area and drive your farm vehicles on NI public roads, insurers see you as being more at risk of road accidents and can increase premiums. 

Likewise, if you live in an area with high rates of agricultural crime, like in rural areas of Northern Ireland, this means that you are at a higher risk of theft, and can affect premiums. These costs can be balanced with extra security measures like alarms, trackers or CCTV which helps to deter theft and can reduce premiums with some insurers. 

What vehicles can be covered by farm fleet NI insurance?

This is specific to the individual insurer. For example, most insurance providers have a minimum and maximum number of vehicles that can make up a ‘fleet’. 

But generally speaking, the vehicles that can be covered under Northern Irish farm fleet insurance can include:

• Tractors
• Combine harvesters
• Balers
• Sprayers
• Loaders and telehandlers
• Livestock trailers
• ATVs and UTVs
• Ploughs and cultivators
• Backhoes and excavators
• Quad bikes

Enter a few, simple details and compare prices for your farm fleet insurance now.