Published on May 6, 2026
The conversations at this year’s SC&RA conference were consistent.
Across committee sessions, opening discussions, and countless conversations, the focus was clear: managing increasing complexity, improving safety and working practices, and navigating the growing pressure from litigation and rising costs. For those of us working closely with the crane and rigging sector, none of this comes as a surprise.
But it does raise a more fundamental question — one that sits behind many of these challenges:
After nearly two decades in specialty insurance, I’ve watched countless crane and rigging programs launch with great fanfare only to disappear within a few years. The pattern is depressingly familiar: enthusiastic entry into the market, a couple of good years collecting premium, then one significant loss, and suddenly the capacity provider wants out. The policy holders are left scrambling, brokers are frustrated, and the whole cycle begins again with a new carrier.
This isn’t how insurance should work, particularly not in a sector as critical as crane and heavy equipment operations. So, what separates sustainable programs from those destined to fail? The answer lies not in avoiding losses—that’s impossible—but in understanding what you’re truly underwriting and having the courage to stay committed through inevitable challenges.
Crane and rigging insurance isn’t a simple product. When we set out to build our program at ARTes, we knew we were creating something with genuine complexity. A comprehensive program needs to cover not just the equipment itself, but rigging liability, installation floater, transportation exposure, warehouse contents, and potentially on-hook coverage. That’s close to ten distinct sections in a single policy.
Many programs fail because they shy away from this complexity. They write vanilla coverage for vanilla risks and hope to avoid anything challenging. But that approach misses the point entirely. The crane operators and contractors who need true expertise and tailored solutions can’t get them from programs that won’t engage with the actual risks of the business.
What capacity providers need to understand is that comprehensive coverage, properly underwritten with quality data and expert distribution, actually reduces risk rather than increasing it. When you’re working with brokers who truly know the crane industry, who understand OSHA regulations and can educate their clients on loss mitigation, you’re not just writing policies—you’re partnering in risk management.
Perhaps the single biggest differentiator between programs that last and those that don’t is the willingness to commit for the long term. I tell every capacity provider the same thing: if you’re considering this space, plan on staying in for at least five years. That’s when you’ll see the profitable returns.
Why five years? Because crane insurance operates in cycles, just like any other property risk. You’ll have good years where premium flows in and losses stay manageable. Then you’ll have a year where a major crane overturn or equipment total loss hits hard. Modern cranes are only going one way in terms of value—up. They’re advancing technically at an incredible pace, and when a top-tier mobile crane goes over, you could be looking at several million in property damage alone.
Programs that dip in for a year or two inevitably exit at the wrong time. They take the premium during the good years and then flee when faced with their first significant claim. This approach isn’t just bad business—it’s fundamentally unfair to the policy holders who bought coverage in good faith and deserve stability.
Sustainable programs require courage. You must be prepared to weather the loss years, confident that your underwriting discipline and partner selection will deliver results across the full cycle. There’s a phrase in this business: it’s not a game for the weak. That’s absolutely true.
At ARTes, we don’t write open market business. We maintain a deliberately small, select panel of distribution partners. This might sound counterintuitive in an industry often focused on market share, but it’s central to our philosophy.
We’re not here for market share. We’re here to underwrite best-in-class risks and pay fortuitous losses when they occur. That requires working with brokers who bring more than just applications—they bring genuine sector expertise, they educate their clients on risk mitigation, and they help us get to accounts we wouldn’t otherwise see.
The value in specialist distribution cannot be overstated. When brokers understand B30 regulations, when they’re having conversations with crane operators about soil conditions and load calculations, when they’re reviewing work tickets to ensure proper risk transfer language—that’s when you build a truly resilient portfolio.
This selective approach also means we can show capacity providers data they would never see through traditional wholesale channels. We’re accessing quality accounts that aren’t shopping around, that have solid risk management practices, and that value long-term relationships over just the lowest premium.
Nothing dooms a crane program faster than poor claims handling. The speed and professionalism with which claims are investigated and resolved directly impacts program sustainability.
When there’s been a fire or overturn, the claim should be reserved as a total loss immediately and processed quickly. The policy holder has equipment down, potentially a major revenue-generating asset sitting idle. Every day of delay costs them money and damages the relationship. Efficient claims handling isn’t just good customer service—it’s essential risk management.
But speed must be balanced with discipline, particularly around subrogation. The industry has developed a troubling habit of just paying claims and moving on, especially when capacity providers are nervous about nuclear verdicts and litigation costs. This approach sends entirely the wrong message.
When a crane overturns or rigging fails, multiple parties often share responsibility. Who provided the load weights? Who was responsible for soil stability testing? Who served as lift director? Who performed the actual rigging? The crane operator sitting in the cab is blamed 100% of the time, but the reality is rarely that simple.
Aggressive subrogation isn’t about being difficult—it’s about ensuring that responsibility is properly allocated according to OSHA regulations and contractual obligations. It protects our policy holders’ loss history and reputation. And it sends a clear message that we won’t simply pay every claim without scrutiny.
Programs that lack claims discipline inevitably fail. Either they become targets for frivolous claims, or they burn through reserves paying losses that should have been recoverable from other parties, or both. Strong claims management, supported by specialist knowledge, is non-negotiable.
Operating from London, we encounter a particular challenge: there’s lingering suspicion about US business generally, and crane risks specifically. Lloyd’s syndicates have historically seen American business primarily on a wholesale basis, which creates an assumption that they’re only being shown what the domestic market has rejected.
Breaking down this barrier requires demonstrating that everyone in the distribution chain adds genuine value. When we present our data to capacity providers, they’re often surprised to see accounts they would never have encountered otherwise. These aren’t the distressed risks shopping for any available coverage—they’re well-managed operations seeking expert partners.
The other challenge we address head-on is capacity provider education. Many underwriters simply haven’t seen the full complexity of crane operations. They need to understand the litigation environment in the US, the reality of nuclear verdicts in certain jurisdictions, the technical sophistication of modern equipment, and the regulatory framework operators work within.
This educational process is ongoing. We don’t expect capacity providers to become crane experts, but they need to understand why this business requires specialist attention and why superficial underwriting inevitably leads to poor outcomes.
One of the frustrations that led us to establish ARTes was working in environments where innovation was stifled by fear. There seemed to be a constant reluctance to take risks—which is ironic, given that we work in insurance.
We believe in thoughtful innovation. Coverage extensions like on-hook liability for rigger’s work or loss of use provisions can be tremendously valuable to certain accounts. But these shouldn’t be thrown around carelessly. They need to be offered selectively, to policy holders we understand well, based on loss experience and careful risk assessment.
I’ll be honest: some of these innovations have kept me awake at night, particularly when we’ve faced significant claims. But that’s also how we learn. Every loss teaches us something about what to look for in accounts, what questions to ask, and how to price coverage appropriately.
The key is balancing innovation with discipline. We’re willing to consider coverages that others won’t, but we’re also selective about where we deploy them. This is especially important in the current environment, where third-party casualty coverage is increasingly constrained and expensive.
Ultimately, what separates sustainable programs from those that fail comes down to intentionality. Are you building for quarterly results or generational success? Are you chasing premium volume or underwriting quality? Are you selecting partners based on who can deliver the most business, or who can deliver the best business?
At ARTes, we entered the crane and rigging space with our eyes wide open. We understood the shock loss exposure. We knew we’d face difficult years alongside profitable ones. We accepted that building something enduring would require patience, discipline, and the courage to make decisions that might not maximize short-term results.
The crane and rigging sector deserve better than programs that treat them as a source of quick premium before moving on to the next opportunity. These are serious businesses, often family operations, taking on complex and dangerous work. They need insurance partners who understand their industry, who will be there when claims occur, and who view the relationship as long-term and mutual.
That’s what we’re building at ARTes. Not the biggest program, not the flashiest, but one designed to endure. Because in this business, longevity matters more than almost anything else.
Chief Executive Officer