What is fleet van insurance?
If you're a business owner with multiple vans owned by your company, fleet van insurance allows you to insure a fleet of vans with one policy. Read our guide to find out what fleet insurance covers and how it works.
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Key takeaways
Fleet van insurance is a policy for businesses with multiple vans, offering a cheaper and more convenient alternative to insuring each vehicle separately
Dedicated business van insurance is necessary for business use, and fleet insurance can save time and money if you have two or more vans
Choose from fully comprehensive, third party, or third party, fire and theft cover
Simplifies administration, allows flexibility with drivers, and can reduce costs with a comprehensive risk management program
What is fleet van insurance?
A fleet van insurance policy is the cover you take out if your business has multiple vans that require insurance – it can be a cheaper and more convenient alternative to insuring each vehicle separately.
With a fleet van insurance, you only need to manage the one policy to give all of your business vans the same level of cover. You can also insure multiple drivers for these vans so all of your employees will receive the same cover as well.
At MoneySuperMarket we are unable to offer quotes for fleet van insurance, however we can help you find a business van insurance policy.
Do I need fleet insurance?
You must have at least third-party motor insurance to drive any vehicle on UK roads, but if you use your vans for business reasons then you will need to take out a dedicated business van insurance policy. It offers cover where a standard policy wouldn’t – using your van for business without the right cover in place will likely void your insurance.
If you have two or more vans forming a company fleet, you don’t necessarily have to insure them all on the same policy – but it can save time and money. It's also a lot easier to manage a single policy compared to managing individual policies for each vehicle.
How does fleet insurance work?
You’ll usually choose your policy type and level of cover – either fully comprehensive, third party, or third party, fire and theft. Fully comprehensive offers the most cover, usually for the cheapest price too. Like individual business van insurance policies, you’ll also need to select your class of use from the following:
Carriage of own goods: You’ll use your van to carry your own goods, for example any tools or equipment you use as part of your business
Hire and reward/courier: You’ll use your van to carry goods belonging to other people for payment – like delivery drivers or couriers
Haulage: You’ll use your van for single long-distance deliveries of business goods – however this may also be covered by some hire and reward policies
What does fleet van insurance cover?
Aside from offering cover for your fleet for business usage, your policy will also provide the same basic cover for the actual vans themselves – this can include:
Damage and theft: Cover for repair costs or a replacement vehicle if one or more of yours is damaged as a result of a fire or an accident, vandalised, or stolen
Third-party damage: Cover for the cost of damage you cause to another person, their car or their property
Motor legal protection: Cover for the cost of legal fees you might need to pay as a result of a car insurance claim
Personal accident cover: Cover that pays out an agreed lump sum should you be seriously or fatally injured in a road accident
Breakdown cover: Cover for the cost of roadside assistance should one of the covered vans in your fleet break down
Courtesy van cover: Cover that gives you access to a temporary replacement vehicle while your broken down van is being repaired
Many providers also offer optional cover that you can add to your policy at an extra cost. Some of the most popular add-ons for fleet van insurance are:
Lost keys: If you lose the keys to any of the vehicles in your fleet this will pay for the cost of replacing them
Misfuelling: This will cover you for costs related to putting the wrong fuel in any of the vehicles in your fleet
Windscreen cover: Windscreen cover will pay for any damage done to any of your vans’ windscreens
Trailer cover: You can also get cover for an attached trailer if it’s damaged or stolen
What isn't covered by fleet van insurance?
Your cover's exclusions will typically depend on the specifics of your policy, but generally speaking the vans in your fleet won’t be covered against:
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 the vehicle
Uninsured goods you are carrying
Our expert says
Covering your entire fleet of vans with one insurance policy makes sense from an administration and cost perspective. Fleet sizes can fluctuate and with a fleet policy, you’ll be able to add and remove vehicles. You’ll also have more flexibility with drivers, who will usually be permitted to drive any van. To reduce the cost of van fleet insurance, and for safety and duty of care reasons, you should have a comprehensive risk management programme which may include driver risk assessments, telematics, dash cams, and driver training.
How do I get cheaper fleet van insurance?
There are certain steps you can take to get cheaper insurance for your business fleet of vehicles – including:
Pay more excess
This tells insurers you’re only likely to claim when it’s really worth paying the extra cost, so they’ll often give you a discount.
Pay annually
Insurers tend to charge less if you pay your full premiums up front for the whole year, rather than spreading the cost over 12 months .
Pick your van
Vans, like cars, are sorted into insurance groups – picking a van in a lower insurance group is likely to result in cheaper premiums.
Pick your drivers
If you’re insuring extra drivers on your policy, keep in mind that young drivers are likely to increase the cost of cover – and in some cases, particularly for ‘any driver’ policies, you may not be able to insure drivers under a certain age.
Store them safely
If you’re able to keep the vehicles in your fleet locked in a secure garage or lot, you’ll usually pay less for cover as the risk of theft and vandalism will be lower.
Ensure they’re secured
Similarly, having factory installed locks, alarms and immobilisers on the vehicles in your fleet also lowers the risk of theft and vandalism.
Compare business van insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket
At MoneySuperMarket, we're unable to help you find fleet van insurance but we can help you get a great deal on your next business van insurance policy. Business van insurance will give you special insurance cover for commercial vans that a standard van insurance policy won't.
It's essential that if you are using a van for work that you have the proper insurance in place. Compare quotes online with us to find a great deal for your next policy.