Carriage of own goods
This covers you if you carry your own goods in your van, such as tools you use for gardening or carpentry
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1 Accurate as of July 2023
Business van insurance is a type of insurance policy you can take out for your van if you use it for commercial or business reasons. It normally covers you for everything a standard policy would, but business van insurance can also offer cover for areas a standard policy wouldn’t apply – such as, if you’re delivering goods as a courier.
Insuring your vehicle is a legal requirement in the UK, whether it’s a car, a motorbike, or a van. It is true even if you don’t use your vehicle, unless you’ve registered and declared it as ‘off-road’.
However, a standard van insurance policy won’t cover you if you use your van for business. It means you won’t be covered if you have an accident or if your van is stolen when you use it for business purposes, unless you take out a separate business insurance policy.
Business van insurance comes in different types, meaning you need to get a policy that's related to exactly how you'll be using the van for your business, and what kind of contents you keep in it.
This covers you if you carry your own goods in your van, such as tools you use for gardening or carpentry
This covers you if you carry goods belonging to others for payment – for example, if you’re a delivery driver or courier
This covers you for making a single long-distance delivery of business goods – but some providers may cover this under hire and reward
A business van insurance policy will cover you for using your van for business reasons – but it will also provide the same basic protection as any motor insurance policy. Depending on the level of cover you take out, it can include:
You’ll be able to claim for the cost of repairing your own van if it’s damaged as a result of an accident or a fire, or if it’s stolen or vandalised
You should be covered for the cost of any damage you do to a third party, their vehicle or their property if the damage is your fault, no matter what level of cover you take out
Motor legal protection will pay out for an legal fees you might have to face because of a car insurance claim. It's also known as legal expenses cover
Personal accident cover offers a pay out if you’re seriously injured in a road accident
Breakdown cover helps with the cost of calling for roadside assistance if your van breaks down while you’re on the road
Courtesy van cover is sometimes part of breakdown cover and will give you access to a replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired
The cost of a business van insurance policy will depend on a number of different factors, such as your age and driving history, the make and model of the van you’re driving, how much you’ll be using the van, and the type of business you run.
Any motor insurance will be more expensive for younger drivers and those with a history of claims or convictions. Insurers also sort vans into different insurance groups, based on aspects such as power, performance and availability of parts. As such, bigger, more powerful vans are more expensive to insure.
The longer you spend on the road the higher your chances of being involved in an accident, so if you use your van frequently it’s likely you’ll pay more for cover than if you only use it now and then. Some types of work also carry higher risks of damage or theft, so if you are in certain professions you may face higher insurance costs.
There are certain things you can do to cut the cost of insuring your business van:
Agree a excess: Agreeing to a higher voluntary excess payment – the amount of any claim you agree to pay – shows you won’t bother with small claims that aren’t worth the cost, so your insurer will give you a discount in most cases
Pay yearly: Paying yearly for cover might mean a higher initial outlay, but it should work out cheaper than spreading the cost over 12 months
Storage: Keeping your van stored in a locked garage rather than leaving it on the street could mean lower premiums – especially if you keep goods in your van overnight
Security: You could also get cheaper cover if your van has factory locks and immobilisers installed. Because that reduces the risk of theft, your premiums are likely to be lower
"If you need a van for work, you need to find the right business van insurance policy. The cheapest may not always be the best, so you need to compare what's included in the cover as well as comparing costs. Don't forget that opting for full comprehensive cover and paying annually can actually bring costs down.
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Comparing and buying van insurance couldn’t be simpler. Follow these three steps to get covered:
Give us a few details about yourself, your van and your business usage
We’ll scour the market to find you the cheapest van insurance that offers the cover you need
We’ll show you the options that suit you the best, and you pick the one you like
If you use your van for business reasons then you may also need to consider the following types of business insurance for you and your van:
Employers’ liability cover is a legal requirement if you employ drivers, and will cover you against compensation claims should one of your employees become ill or injured as a result of the work they do for you
Public liability insurance covers you against compensation claims made by members of the public if they’re injured, if their property is damaged in your workplace, or if your business’ work causes them injury or damage to their property
Goods in transit cover offers protection for the value of any goods or cargo you’re carrying if they’re lost, damaged or stolen – sometimes even when locked in your van overnight
If your business involves driving your van abroad, you’ll likely be covered already to a third-party level as standard – but if you want to upgrade to fully comprehensive you’ll need to take out extra cover
Your business van insurance policy can cover tools and equipment depending on the type of policy you have:
It may be included as standard in your business van insurance
It may be available as an extra feature you can take out
You may have to take it out as a separate policy
It will depend on the type of business van insurance policy you need, but you can generally expect hire and reward cover and haulage cover to be more expensive than carriage of own goods cover or standard social only policies.
It will depend on the specifics of your policy, but generally speaking a business van insurance policy won’t offer cover for:
Wear and tear damage
Electrical or mechanical failure
Theft if items were left out in the open, doors were left unlocked, or keys were left in vehicle
Uninsured goods you are carrying
Yes, you can take out an ‘any driver’ van insurance policy, designed for businesses that need to insure multiple employees to drive a van or families in which multiple members use the van for business.
Yes, you can insure two or more vans on the same policy if you have multi-van or fleet insurance – it can work out easier and cheaper than insuring each vehicle separately.
Many business van insurance policies will come with EU cover included as standard – but it’s likely to only be up to third-party level. If you want more comprehensive cover, you’ll probably need to pay a little more. Always check with your insurer first, to ensure you have the right cover in place to drive abroad.
You’ll usually be able to choose from third party, third party fire and theft, and fully comprehensive cover, as with any motor insurance policy. And also as with any motor insurance, fully comprehensive policies are likely to be the cheapest available while also offering the most protection.
You may also want to consider the following extras for your business van insurance policy:
Lost keys: If you lose your van’ keys this will pay for the cost of replacing them
Misfuelling: This will cover you for costs related to putting the wrong fuel in your van
Windscreen cover: Windscreen cover will pay for any damage done to your windscreen
Trailer cover: You can also get cover for an attached trailer if it’s damaged or stolen
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