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
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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.
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.
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:
You’ll use your van to carry your own goods, for example any tools or equipment you use as part of your business
You’ll use your van to carry goods belonging to other people for payment – like delivery drivers or couriers
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
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:
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
Cover for the cost of damage you cause to another person, their car or their property
Cover for the cost of legal fees you might need to pay as a result of a car insurance claim
Cover that pays out an agreed lump sum should you be seriously or fatally injured in a road accident
Cover for the cost of roadside assistance should one of the covered vans in your fleet break down
Cover that gives you access to a temporary replacement vehicle while your broken down van is being repaired
Most insurers will have their own specific limits on the number of vans you can have in your fleet, but generally speaking you should be able to get cover for anywhere from two vans to a few hundred with multi-van insurance.
You should be able to take out cover for other types of vehicles, like cars, trucks or even motorcycles – but you should check with your insurer to be certain.
You may also want to consider the following other types of cover that might be necessary for your business:
You are legally required to have employers’ liability cover if you employ drivers. It offers protection 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 isn’t mandatory, but it can be useful as it covers you against compensation claims made by members of the public if they’re injured, if their property is damaged as a result of your work
Goods in transit insurance provides cover for the value of 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 taking part or all of your fleet 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
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 also 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
Your fleet van insurance policy may offer protection for tools and equipment stored in any one of the vans – depending on the type of cover you have:
It may be included as part of your business van insurance
It may be available as an extra policy you can take out
You may have to take it out as a separate policy
It’s not always certain, but you can be relatively sure that insurers will offer a discount for covering multiple vans on one policy – and if your fleet numbers into the tens or hundreds then it probably just makes sense anyways.
It will 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
Yes, you can take out ‘any driver’ van insurance which will let you insure multiple employees to drive any of the vans in your fleet.
You might also consider adding the following extra features to your policy:
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
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