Sector: Road freight  |  Fleet: 84 vehicles  |  Depots: 2

The situation

An overnight fire in a depot yard destroyed four tractor units and two trailers. The claim settled, but the client entered renewal with a loss ratio that had gone from comfortable to unacceptable in a single night. Their incumbent insurer offered terms at a 90% increase; two others declined to quote at all.

What we found

The loss was severe but not systemic. Driver-related frequency had actually improved for three consecutive years, and the fire had a single identifiable cause unrelated to fleet management. The problem was presentation: nothing in the submission distinguished a one-off catastrophe from a deteriorating risk.

What we did

• Built a three-year frequency and severity analysis separating the fire from all other claims activity.
• Used telematics data to evidence a 34% fall in harsh-braking events since the driver programme began.
• Documented the yard changes made after the fire — segregated parking, revised charging arrangements, and out-of-hours monitoring.
• Restructured the programme with a higher own-damage excess and a fleet-wide aggregate stop, keeping catastrophe protection intact while returning attritional risk to the client.

The result

• Renewal placed at 11% above expiring, against the 90% initially offered.
• Four markets engaged where two had previously declined.
• Aggregate stop-loss capped the client’s retained exposure for the year.
• Telematics reporting is now a standing part of the renewal submission.

Why it worked

Underwriters price uncertainty as much as loss. Giving them evidence that separated a single event from underlying performance changed the question from “how bad is this fleet” to “how well is it managed”.