Commercial Van Insurance
Commercial Vehicle Insurance
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What is business van insurance?
If you have taken out private van policies before, you will be familiar with cover for different uses. These include social and domestic, commuting, or business use. When you insure a van for commuting, you are covered for travel to and from one single place of work.
However, when you take out business use cover for your van, you are protected for using your van when travelling to jobs at various locations. This cover is also known as commercial or company van insurance and offers protection to the many vans that are instrumental to businesses across the UK.
When do I need commercial van insurance?
If you use a van for commercial activities outside of simply commuting to work, you will need this cover. This will include a wide range of businesses including if you are self employed, or a sole trader. It is also available to larger companies using vans for business operations. Some industries that commonly use this cover include:
Construction and trade services
Mobile service providers
Retailers and wholesalers
Farmers and agricultural workers
Charity and community services
Event and entertainment services
Types of business van insurance
There are different types of cover for business vans depending on how you use them. Some are specialised for particular services and could be a better fit for your needs than others. Options include:
Commercial van insurance
Covers vans used for everyday business tasks like travelling to jobs or transporting tools, stock or equipment. This option is ideal for tradespeople, shop owners, or small businesses.
Hire and reward insurance
You’ll need this specific cover if you transport other people’s goods for money. Hire and reward cover is for vans used by multi-drop couriers and food or parcel delivery drivers.
Haulage insurance
This cover is designed for long-distance drivers making fewer stops. This is best suited to delivery firms, freight companies and HGV operators.
Catering van insurance
This covers the unique risks involved with insuring catering vans like ice cream vans or mobile coffee vans. It can protect your equipment and risks to the public.
Business van fleet insurance
For larger companies that need to cover multiple vans or business vehicles, a fleet insurance policy can be a better option. With this, you can cover three or more commercial vehicles on the same policy.
Temporary business van insurance
For short term business use, a temporary policy could be cheaper than taking out business use coverage for an entire year.
What is covered by commercial van insurance?
Each policy will differ slightly when it comes to what is and isn’t included, and to what extent each is covered. However, this guide can give you an idea of what is generally included in your commercial van insurance quote.
What’s covered
Commercial van drivers have three levels of cover to choose from, and these will dictate what is covered on your policy:
- Third party insurance – Only covers claims made against you for damage or harm caused to third parties of their property.
- Third party, fire and theft – Provides third party protection and cover for the insured van if it is damaged or lost because of accidental fire or theft.
- Fully comprehensive insurance – Protects against third party claims, and covers the van for damage or loss in a wide range of circumstances, including when you are at fault.
What’s not covered
- Young drivers – Some providers won’t insure young drivers on a commercial van policy. Common age restrictions require drivers to be over 25.
- Tools or equipment kept in the van – This cover does not come as standard. However, it can usually be added as an extra.
- Goods in transit – This cover protects other’s property that you are delivering. It can also be added as an extra in most cases.
- Wear and tear – Mechanical breakdowns and everyday damage typically aren’t covered.
- Unsecured loads – If damage is caused by improperly securing cargo in or on the van, any claims related to this can be rejected.
Additional cover available
- Breakdown cover – This can help recover a broken down van and its driver and get them to a nearby garage for repairs.
- Windscreen cover – Covers the cost of windscreen repairs or replacement.
- Courtesy van – Can provide a temporary van while yours is being repaired after an accident, so you don’t have to delay operations.
- Legal expenses cover – Helps with legal costs if you’re involved in a dispute after an accident your van was involved in.
- Any driver cover – Business van insurance with any driver cover allows any qualified driver with the permission of the business to use the van for business purposes.
- EU road cover – This extends your protection to include driving on roads outside of the UK.
How much does business van insurance cost?
These prices are likely to be higher than the average cost of standard van insurance. This is because business vans spend more time on the road, clocking up a higher annual mileage. They also pose more risk to the property of others, as they visit multiple sites that drivers are likely to be unfamiliar with.
Factors specific to your van and what it is used for will also affect the price of your commercial van insurance quote. The insurance group of your vans, the nature of the work you do, and the risk profile of the drivers you are insuring all contribute.
By using a comparison site like ours, you can quickly find out how much it will cost to insure your specific van and driver. Simply enter a few details and we’ll match you with policies from over 50 trusted UK van protection providers, starting with your cheapest options.
How can I find cheap commercial van insurance?
The following tips could help your search for cheaper quotes:
Making use of off-road parking
Vans that are parked off-road when they’re not in use have a lower risk of being damaged by a passing vehicle or targeted by thieves. So if you have secure off-road parking, this could result in cheaper insurance quotes.
Avoiding vehicle modifications
Cover for modified vans is usually more expensive than a standard van. Modifications that increase the power or overall value of the van will generally mean higher premiums.
Installing an alarm or engine immobiliser
If your van didn’t come with a manufacturer-installed alarm or engine immobiliser, then installing these additional security features could help lower the cost of your commercial van cover with some insurers.
Paying annually
If you opt to pay for your insurance annually rather than choosing a monthly van policy, this will usually lower overall costs.
Agreeing to a higher excess
A higher voluntary excess means you’ll cover more costs if you need to claim. This is why many insurance providers will reduce your premium a little if your excess is higher.
Compare business van insurance
Using an unbiased comparison service like Quotezone means you get a clear view of what you should be paying for your van cover. We partner with van insurers from across the UK so you can make clear comparisons before you commit to a policy and price.
Insurance for commercial van FAQs
Can I carry passengers in a van when driving on commercial insurance?
Who can drive a van with company van insurance?
Does business van cover protect my tools?
Is it more expensive to insure a van with business protection?
Can I get temporary business cover for a van?
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*51% of consumers could save £668.40 on their Van Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next five cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from November 2024. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances.