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Removal van insurance quote comparison from UK-based insurance providers

It probably goes without saying that a van is absolutely critical to the operation of a removal business – but unfortunately insuring your removal van can often be one of your business’s largest recurring overheads, and this type of insurance often doesn’t come cheap.

The reason for that is twofold:

• Firstly, van insurance almost always costs more if the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes rather than as a private-use van;
• And secondly, your removal van insurance policy will need to cover the cost of any damage that your customers’ belongings might sustain while you’re transporting them, which means the policy will need to incorporate ‘carriage of goods for hire or reward’ cover.

That’s why we always recommend that removal companies (including ‘man and a van’ sole trader businesses) use Quotezone.co.uk’s unbiased price comparison service when they’re ready to insure their removal van, which could help them find a better quote by comparing prices from over 50 different van insurance providers in just a few minutes.

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Insuring a removal van: a no-nonsense guide

Why does it cost so much to insure a removal van?

Your removal van truly is the cornerstone of your removals business, which means it’s almost certainly going to spend more time on the road and clock up more miles than a private-use van would do. Since your annual mileage and the amount of time you’re on the road can both affect your risk of being involved in a road traffic accident, insurance companies do take those factors into account when calculating van insurance premiums.

In addition, removal van insurance will need to include ‘carriage of goods for hire or reward’ cover, which can also result in higher insurance premiums.

What exactly is ‘carriage of goods for hire or reward’ cover?

When you’re being paid to transport goods for a customer (which all removal businesses are, of course) that business transaction is known as a ‘hire or reward’ transaction.

Since ‘hire or reward’ carries a risk that the goods you’re being paid to transport might be damaged in transit if your van is involved in accident, your removal van insurance policy will need to cover this risk by including ‘carriage of goods for hire or reward’ cover.

When you’re taking out a business van insurance policy you’ll specify what the van will be used for, and if you choose the “business use for carriage of goods for hire or reward” option then both the goods you transport in your van during the removals process, and the actual van itself, should be covered.

Should I opt for Third Party Only cover in order to reduce the cost of my man and van insurance?

If you’re being quoted painfully-high premiums for fully-comprehensive removal van insurance (because you’re a younger van driver, for instance) you might be tempted to plump for third party cover, but it’s important to be aware of the fact that this level of cover isn’t always cheaper even though it’s less comprehensive.

Since third party insurance is often favoured by drivers with worse risk profiles some van insurance companies have started hiking the premiums for this level of cover, which means it’s sometimes just as expensive to take out fully-comp insurance.

That’s why we always recommend that removal van drivers compare quotes for all three levels of cover and then opt for the policy that offers the most comprehensive cover at the most competitive price.

How can I find cheaper ‘man with a van insurance’?

First and foremost, you should use Quotezone.co.uk to compare removal van insurance quotes each and every time your policy is due for renewal, because even if your existing provider’s renewal quote seems fair it is rarely the best option.

Beyond that, the following steps could help to reduce the cost of insuring your removal van:

• Parking your van off the roadside: Vans are slightly more likely to be targeted by thieves than cars, so if you’re able to park your removal van in a garage or on a private driveway you could reduce the risk of a break-in, which could in turn reduce your insurance premiums. Vans that are parked on the roadside are also more likely to be damaged by a passing vehicle, and that risk would be mitigated if you have off-road parking too.
• Installing an alarm or engine immobiliser: If your removal van didn’t come with a manufacturer-installed alarm or engine immobiliser you could benefit from cheaper insurance quotes if you have them installed.
• Avoiding other vehicle modifications: If your removal van has been modified in some way (by installing racks inside or roof bars on the top, for instance) you’ll need to take out modified van insurance and this can prove to be more costly than you’d pay if your van hadn’t been modified.
• Paying annually: Paying for your removal van insurance on an annual basis will usually be a little more reasonable than paying it off monthly.
• Agreeing to a higher excess: Agreeing to a higher voluntary excess could reduce your removal van insurance premium a little.