NTI recently brought brokers behind the scenes at RD Williams for a firsthand look at what happens after incidents involving mobile plant and equipment, and why access to an accredited repairer makes all the difference.
On a bright Wednesday morning in Rocklea, a group of insurance brokers swapped their desks for a working workshop floor. They'd been shuttled in to RD Williams, an earthmoving equipment repairer, for a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when mobile plant and equipment (MPE) is involved in an incident.
Over breakfast and a welcome from NTI's Queensland State Manager Jason Rogerson, the brokers were given a clear premise for the day. Most of them had lodged MPE claims, but few had seen one through from incident to repair with their own eyes. By the end of the morning, they would have.
“Anyone can write a policy,” Jason said. “What really matters is what happens when an incident occurs and what you actually do about it. Experiential days like this are about education, about insight, and about growing confidence with the people we partner with.”
At the centre of the day was the team at RD Williams, one of NTI's specialist MPE repair partners, chosen for their technical capability and their ability to help get businesses moving again quickly. For the brokers, this was a chance to see what that capability may look like on the workshop floor.
Setting the stakes
Tim Pontifex, NTI's Head of Claims Services, framed the stakes for the brokers in the room. “Customers are dealing with a major impact to their business operations,” he said. “While the machine is not operating, while it's sitting in a workshop, that's costing the customer time and money.” For an owner-operator, a machine out of action can have a significant impact on income. For a larger business, one machine down can potentially stall an entire site.
Getting the machine back into operation quickly is rarely straightforward. “Sometimes there's secondary or unseen damage that can add complication to the repair,” Tim explained. “For example, structural damage, hydraulic or electrical damage that needs to be included in the repair scope.”
For most of the brokers in the room, that complexity can be out of sight. “We see a claim form come in, lodge it with the claims team, and they take care of it from there,” Ben McKinnie of BMS Group said. “A day like today lets us see, start to finish, how that claims process actually goes.”
Inside the workshop
Before brokers got onto the workshop floor, a session from Knight's Heavy Towing walked them through the recovery side of the process; to show them how a damaged machine gets off site and to a repairer in the first place.
From there, RD Williams General Manager Fred Carlsson, who has worked alongside NTI for 25 years, took brokers through what specialist MPE repair may involve.
“We’re showing them everything from the repair workshop, to the importance of selecting the right parts, through to how having a lot of stock on hand means we can get the machine repaired much quicker,” he said.
“Because most brokers haven't spent much time around earth moving equipment, we're showing them how two machines that look the same can actually be very different. We think it's valuable for the brokers to see all of this so they understand the repair process.”
Fred was quick to underline why MPE repair often sits in a different category to general smash repair work. “It's specialist equipment,” he explained. “A Ford Ranger is made in the hundreds of thousands a year, whereas even a big production run of earth moving machinery might only be a thousand units. Not just anyone can repair this kind of equipment; you need specialists who can do it efficiently and to a professional standard.
“You need substantial investment in the gear, too; big cranes to lift the machines, and specialist tooling like pin presses to repair them the right way.”
As part of NTI’s MPE Repairer Network, trusted repairers like RD Williams are given authority to work on NTI jobs, meaning work can begin as soon as a machine arrives.
“We're not a storage yard,” Fred said. “As soon as the machine gets here, we order parts and get the job underway. With other insurance providers, it can take days or weeks before someone even comes out to look at the machine, so that automatic authority is a big benefit to customers.”
What the brokers took away
Emma Manton, a transport and earth moving insurance specialist, has spent nine years in this corner of the market. Even so, she said, the day pulled her back to the realities her clients face.
“When you're sitting behind a desk nine to five, Monday to Friday, you can forget what's going on in the real world. Seeing the repair process firsthand means you're better placed to set expectations for clients.”
What stood out most was the difference a strong repair network makes. “I saw firsthand how engaging a repairer through NTI can best place your client's business for a quicker claim and reduced downtime,” she said. “You see what it means to have a repairer that can source parts quickly, and an insurer that allows that autonomy on a claim. It brings parts and supply issues forefront of mind, so you can support clients and set realistic expectations right from the start.”
Ben McKinnie of BMS Group has been lodging claims for 15 years, but the day still managed to surprise him. “What I didn't expect was the depth of the relationship NTI has with their repairers,” he said. “There's a whole other level there that I hadn't really taken into account until I saw it firsthand.”
For Mitch McAllister of TIC Insurance Brokers, the day helped reshape how he'd approach the next call from a client in trouble. “If a client had a claim tomorrow, I'd walk into that conversation with a lot more confidence,” he said. “I could take them through the claims process knowing NTI will see it through, and see it through well.”
That confidence, NTI's Jason Rogerson said, is exactly the point. “We're building experts, not just within our business, but within the broker partners we work with. When we see that expertise lift, there's a better understanding of claims, there's a lot more confidence in the process from the broker, and it's the customer that ultimately benefits.”
Some photos from the day
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