Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Life insurance for truck drivers in New Zealand

New Zealand truck drivers can get life insurance. Underwriters look at health first, then the freight you carry: Fidelity Life puts truck drivers in occupation class 4 unless they face high-risk accidents or hazards. Momentum Life's Quick Life asks no occupation or health question for ages 18 to 65, but it excludes pre-existing conditions for 2 years and a dangerous job as its wording defines one.

In short

How insurers class a driver

Fidelity Life's adviser guide sets five occupation classes. Class 4 is "skilled or semi-skilled manual workers and heavy machinery operators (including truck drivers) who are not exposed to high-risk accidents or health hazards" (Fidelity Life underwriting guide). Chubb Life's class 4 uses the same test for manual workers and machinery operators without naming trucks, and says unskilled workers and labourers are not included (Chubb Life Essential Underwriting Guide). Chubb's classes apply to its income, disablement and mortgage repayment covers, so read them as a guide to how an underwriter thinks about your work.

The test is the carve-out: "not exposed to high-risk accidents or health hazards". Neither guide says how it rates dangerous-goods haulage, logging or other specialist freight. That is what an adviser's pre-assessment is for. Fidelity will give a pre-assessment of occupational or health risks before you apply, which it describes as an indication of possible terms rather than an offer. A second job counts too: Chubb rates on the more hazardous occupation or excludes the other, so mention any farm or boat work.

On hours, Fidelity's guide says people who regularly work long hours present an additional risk consideration. It states a maximum of 60 hours a week and says cover may be available on altered terms above that. If your roster runs long, expect the question.

Health facts that matter more than the road

Fact What the published underwriting says What Quick Life does with it
Build (BMI) Fidelity: above 19 to 36.9 needs no mandatory medical; 37 or above needs a GP or paramedical exam and blood tests. Chubb: 18 to 36.9 needs no mandatory medical "though a loading for BMI may still apply"; 37 or above needs a build exam and blood tests A BMI over 40 counts as a pre-existing condition, outside cover for the first 2 years
Blood pressure and cholesterol Disclosed conditions trigger further evidence; no loading is published "Very high blood pressure" and "cholesterol over 7.0" count as pre-existing, outside cover for 2 years
Sleep apnoea Partners Life's concession of no build exam or blood tests up to BMI 37.99 for applicants over 30 on life cover depends on having none of its listed cardiovascular risk factors, which include sleep apnoea (Oct 2024 trade report); no insurer publishes a loading No listed marker, but any condition you had symptoms of or sought advice on in the 2 years before cover starts can count as pre-existing
Diabetes One insurer's guidance (Chubb): Type 1 is most commonly offered life cover only with a loading of at least 100%; Type 2 depends on control, age at diagnosis and duration Complications related to diabetes count as pre-existing

Sources: Fidelity and Chubb guides above; RiskinfoNZ, 17 October 2024; Chubb: diabetes underwriting; Quick Life wording. The detail on high BMI is in its own guide.

Two lessons follow. Underwritten insurers set the amount of evidence by sum insured and age. At both Fidelity and Chubb, cover up to $500,000 needs only an application form or personal statement at every age band, and from $500,001 at ages 61 and over they ask for a GP medical or paramedical exam and blood tests. Any disclosed condition triggers more, so those are minimums. Second, the facts that would draw extra questions or a loading on underwritten cover are the same facts Quick Life leaves out for its first 2 years: a condition you already have is what it excludes at first.

How Quick Life fits a driver

Quick Life is guaranteed-acceptance life cover issued by Momentum Life Limited for residents aged 18 to 65, $50,000 to $300,000 per person. It asks no health or occupation question. For the first 2 years it does not pay for death or terminal illness caused by a pre-existing condition, or for suicide or intentional self-harm. If a pre-existing condition causes a death in the first 24 months and no claim is payable, Momentum refunds the premiums. At any time it excludes the effects of alcohol or drugs (unless a prescribed drug was taken as directed), war, terrorism, criminal activity, and a dangerous job or risky pastime. The wording's examples are handling explosives or weapons, working 40 metres underwater, riding or driving faster than 130 km/h, professional sport and active armed-forces duty (Momentum Life: Quick Life Policy Wording, November 2025). Ordinary freight and urban or highway driving are not on that list, but the list says "such as" and is not closed.

So the plain advice: a driver in good health may get more cover for less, and a clearer answer on a specialist load, through an underwritten application. A driver who has been declined, or who has a condition an underwriter is likely to rate heavily, may still find Quick Life useful for cover in place now, accepting the 2-year limit. Do not choose it for a dangerous-goods or explosives role without checking that clause first. For another high-exposure trade, see forestry; for a trade with different risks, electricians.

The buttons on this page start Momentum's online quote. Quick Life excludes dangerous jobs and pastimes at claim time, and the first-2-years exclusion above applies to every driver.

Mortgage, funeral and what ACC does

Whether a lender asks for life insurance is set out in your loan offer (do you need life insurance for a mortgage). Cover is about the people who rely on your pay if you die.

ACC covers injury from an accident, including a crash, and does not cover illness (ACC: Injuries we don't cover). An illness such as heart disease is outside ACC, which is the gap private cover fills. If a funeral is your only goal and you are aged 40 to 75, Momentum's Funeral Insurance pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs; in its first 24 months it pays only for accidental death and refunds premiums for any other death, and total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, which may not cover the whole funeral. Use the funeral cover amount calculator before choosing an amount.

Getting cover through an adviser

  1. List your freight type, region, hours and any second job.
  2. Ask for a pre-assessment if you carry dangerous goods or work long rosters.
  3. Disclose your build, blood pressure, cholesterol, sleep apnoea and diabetes status exactly. IFSO has published cases where an insurer avoided or reduced a claim for non-disclosure (IFSO).
  4. Compare underwritten terms with Quick Life for the same amount.
  5. Keep existing cover in force until the new one starts.

Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid. Momentum Life Limited's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair), affirmed 11 February 2026, which Momentum's own table puts in its "Vulnerable" group; read its financial strength page. See the guaranteed acceptance hub for the wider options.

Frequently asked questions

Can a truck driver get life insurance in NZ?

Yes. Underwritten insurers assess your health and freight; Quick Life asks neither at application. Each has limits described above.

Does sleep apnoea stop you getting life insurance?

No source we found says it does. It is a disclosable condition, and one insurer lists it among cardiovascular risk factors for underwriting. Terms are the insurer's decision.

Do I need life insurance for a mortgage as a truck driver?

A lender may ask for it as a condition of a loan. Your lender's loan offer states what it requires.

References

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