Author: News Desk

New Figures Suggest Van Insurance “Way More” Than Inflation

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During the 12 months of 2016 van insurance had a rise of 11.7% according to new official figures, which is “way more” than inflation commented one expert.

I have to agree, and it’s just like I’ve been saying for a long time now…van insurance is just too expensive for the average white van man so to speak, but because many people need vans for their work they don’t really have any choice.

In other words, you have to pay it, and the van insurance companies know this which is why they have no problem adding another nought to your policy whenever they feel like it.

The new figures also said that an average van insurance policy is now priced at £1591 for the year, which is pretty much double what you pay for car insurance, despite the fact that many small commercial vehicles are not much bigger than a normal car.

Like I’ve talked about before though, it’s the under 25’s that really get hit in the wallet, and as the new figures suggest, this age bracket has an average premium of £4700 a year.

Yes you read that right, and that is why I always advise young drivers who want to insure a van – “use a comparison website,” because you might be able to save a few quid, although you will still probably pay quite a bit.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that under 25’s only witnessed a rise of 3.6% in their van insurance costs during the 12 months of 2016, although that is still more than inflation.

Despite all of this, sales of vans around the UK are stronger than ever before, with the new figures suggesting that there will be more sold this year than ever before. This really is a good time to be a van manufacturer it seems, and with the self driving revolution just around the corner things are going to get even better.

One way that many van drivers save money on their insurance is to opt for “carriage of own goods” cover, as this does save a bit of money. If you are a trades person such as builder, roofer, plumber or carpenter then you might want to give it a try.

Also, don’t forget to use a van insurance comparison website, where all you have to do is submit a straight forward form and you then instantly get access to around 40 quotes from different insurers.

The one tip I will give you is to stay away from those comparison websites that have fancy gimmicks or give you a free gift.

You are much better off going with a site that is no-nonsense and designed for the average van driver, like this one, so the quote you are offered is the price you pay should you decide to go with it.

Delivery Drivers Tell All in Anonymous Survey

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Every day vans are driving around the country making important deliveries, but what about the delivery drivers themselves? A new survey tells us more.

No names were taken when conducting the survey, which means the drivers could relax and open up about what really goes on when they deliver goods and packages to homes in the UK.

One driver told the survey that it often never occurs to customers who have just moved in to tell them where white goods such as cookers and washing machines are going in the house, expecting him to instantly know where to put such items.

“We’ll turn up and they’ve just moved in, with boxes everywhere, and they’re expecting us to navigate this huge oven down to the basement kitchen.”

Another driver, who will remain nameless, mentioned how a woman screamed and swore at him because an expensive brand name stove wouldn’t go around the bend of her very narrow stairs. Apparently, she just couldn’t comprehend how the stove could not be taken to the kitchen, and ended up blaming the delivery drivers.

Of course, a simple 2 minute job with a tape measure would have told her that a designer stove was not getting around the stairs. Not surprisingly the delivery driver had to take the stove away and the woman was refunded.

That same driver also told a funny story about how he once delivered a washing machine to a student house, only to be asked “so can we, like, use it now?” He had to explain that it needed to be plumbed in first.

What almost all delivery drivers agree on in the survey is they just can’t stand the guy who stands around like a gaffer ordering them about and giving instructions while trying to deliver white goods and other large items.

“Mind the walls” and “bend your knees, up a bit,” these people will say, but at the end of the day delivery drivers know their job and are better off left alone to do it after getting some simple instructions.

“I’m often tempted to drop their new fridge on their feet,” said one driver when asked about the home owners who try to order him about.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, with the majority of delivery drivers agreeing that many customers are very nice, and the best ones are those who offer a cup of tea.

If there is one thing that all delivery drivers like it’s a good cup of tea…and cheap van insurance as well.

Insuring your van is getting more expensive, but you can save money by using a comparison website.

Nearly 400,000 Light Commercial Vehicles Registered in UK

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Light commercial vehicles, or LCV’s as they are also known, have always been popular, but at the end of 2016 a record number were registered.

375,687 was the exact figure according to official records, although as we approach the half way point of 2017 it wouldn’t surprise me if the figure was now nearly 400,000.

This is in stark contrast to 2009, when the official number of light commercial vehicles was 186,387. In just 7 years the number of LCV’s has pretty much doubled. It makes you wonder what that figure will be in another 7 years? A lot I’m sure.

It all has to do with the fact that companies of all sizes are now investing in LCV’S, as they are both practical and look professional, and in many cases are far more affordable to run than bigger vans.

Take van insurance for example, where insuring your light commercial vehicle is now potentially cheaper than ever…as long as you use a comparison website of course.

Insurance for LCV’s is not all that owners are willing to spend their money on though, as recent reports show that many companies now like to spend a few quid on customisations for their vehicles.

Things such as sliding doors, branding vinyl wraps, and customised mats are just some of customisations that companies order with the LCV.

They also go directly to the manufacturer to get specific customisations that improve productivity and keep their light commercial vehicles on the right side of the law.

To give you an example, a business owner recently ordered 100 Renault Master Panel Vans that came with rear doors that opened at exactly 270 degrees and had a limit to how fast the van could go…68mph!

So I don’t think any of these Renault Master Panel Vans are going to be getting pulled over by the Police for speeding anytime soon, although the company owner should still warn his drivers about the possibility of being stopped for talking on a mobile phone while driving.

I’m sure it must have cost quite a bit more to have these customisations on the Renault LCV’s, but if the company owner visited a van comparison website, such as this one, then I’m sure he could potentially make a lot of that money back through the cheap insurance quotes on offer.

Also, let’s not forget that if the company has 100 LCV’s then they qualify for specialised fleet insurance, where you are able to take advantage of discounts when insuring a large amount of vans on one policy and at the same time.

If you are in the same position, where you have many light commercial vehicles in your company and you want to save money on van insurance, then my advice is to start with comparing quotes right here. It only takes a few minutes, and you get instant access to quotes from around 40 insurance companies.

24% of Van Drivers Lie On Their Insurance Application

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A new study looking at the habits of van drivers found that nearly a quarter lie about various things on their van insurance application form.

I must admit, I’m shocked to find out that so many van drivers would actively lie when applying for van insurance, it was always my opinion that most, if not all, were an honest bunch who wanted to tell the truth.

Well, I suppose that approximately 75% do tell the truth, or they just didn’t admit to lying when asked about it in the study, but I would like to think that most van drivers are honest and tell the truth…especially when using a comparison website.

Let’s say that you fill in the form on this website, which should take you no more than about 3 minutes.

It’s very important that you tell the truth and nothing but the truth, because when we send off your details to around 40 van insurance companies they really need to know the facts about your situation so they are able to give you an accurate quote.

Do you know why you should always be completely honest when filling in any kind of van insurance form? Quite simply, because if you withhold details or bend the truth slightly, then when it comes take to make a claim you might not be able to.

That’s right, when you lie there is a risk you could invalidate your policy completely, to the point where your van insurance is not even worth the paper it is printed on.

You end up losing out twice, because you are essentially paying for a policy that isn’t even active and then if you need to make a claim for damage to your van or something like that you won’t get a penny.

Not only that, but most van drivers are not aware that it’s against the law to lie on your insurance application. Don’t believe me? Then you should refer to the Road Traffic Act, van insurance section, where it quite clearly states that it is an offence to withhold information when applying to an insurer for cover.

According to the study one of the main areas where van drivers bend the truth is about penalty points on their license. Most of the time they “forget” to mention they have 3 or 6 points in the hope that they will get a cheaper quote.

As you are no doubt aware, insurers look at your complete driving profile when coming up with a quote and if you have points on your license then it does typically make it a bit more expensive.

It seems that nearly a quarter of van drivers think they are being clever by lying about penalty points, because they do get a cheaper quote initially, but of course, if they need to make a claim then any insurer will look more closely at the details provided, and if it doesn’t match up then forget about any kind of payout.

The message here is clear if you ask me. Don’t lie on your van insurance application. Just tell the truth, even if it means you pay a bit extra.

5 Van Insurance Companies Join Forces = 1 Super Company!

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In a deal that has been the talk of the van insurance world, it has just been announced that 5 companies are to join forces.

Autonet, Towergate, Chase Templeton, Ryan Direct, and Price Forbes are the van insurance companies who have come together, in a move that many industry insiders are calling “monumental.”

It is thought that this super company will now focus all of their attention on offering van insurance for the “man on the street” or the “white van man” as some people might say.

There has also been talk that during top secret meetings and calls, the 5 companies referred to the deal as “Project Kairos,” which is a Greek work that simply means…the right moment.

Let’s hope that it is the right moment for these van insurance companies and their newly formed super company, although they are certainly entering a competitive market where things are not easy.

This is good for the consumer though, where they now have many different insurance companies all vying for their business.

If you are the “man on the street” or “white van man” and you want van insurance at a fair price, then what better place to start than right here? Sure, you could go directly to this newly formed company for a quote, or even to one of the other well known insurers, but it’s much better idea to start at a van insurance comparison website.

The reason? Because you get a much better sense of what is out there, as you are able to instantly compare quotes and deals from over 100 insurance companies.

Yes, you very well might get a better quote elsewhere by going directly to a company, but you don’t know until you compare online first. It gives you a better idea of the market and what is out there.

Back to the newly formed van insurance super company, and if reports are to be trusted then it’s understood that they will now attempt to raise £800 million worth of capital.

This will involve US private equity groups apparently, although it does make you wonder what they need all this cash for…maybe to make some TV adverts? Hopefully not.

The new company is temporarily named Kris, although if you ask me, they might want to get back to the drawing board on that one. I’m sure some of that £800 million can go towards hiring someone to come up with a decent name.

They currently have 5000 staff across the 5 companies who will now all come under the one company, and estimated revenue for this year will be around £500 million.

You might very well find the cheapest van insurance with Kris, but you should start here first where you can compare over 100 companies.

Driving at 31mph Could Mean Very Expensive Van Insurance

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As the Police are getting tougher on motorists who speed on the roads, van drivers are being warned about the potential expense of being pulled over.

This comes after reports of a van driver who was stopped by the cops for speeding at 31mph in a 20mph zone, and after a good telling off they decided to slap 6 points onto his license. Not exactly something you want to happen is it, but Police now have orders to be tougher on anyone caught speeding.

If 6 points on your license isn’t enough punishment, van drivers are being made aware of the potential expense it could mean for their wallet…when it comes to van insurance that is.

The amount of points you have on your license is taken into consideration by the van insurance companies when you send in your application, and when they see a recent 6 points, and for speeding as well…then don’t be surprised if you find yourself paying hundreds of pounds more than you expect.

One site even did a calculation on exactly how much 6 points on your license could add to your insurance, and they came up with a number of £328, which on average, could very well be put on to a van insurance quote.

Let’s face it, van insurance is expensive enough right now as it is, do you really want to be paying more? Of course not, and that is why you should always watch your speed and keep it within the limits. Even going a few miles per hour above the speed limit can result in a fine and points. Don’t take the chance.

You might want to consider telematics insurance for your van, where all of the driving data is recorded and then sent off to the insurance company.

If you stay within the speed limits and drive safely, then not only will you keep out of trouble with the law, but your van insurer will also see what a good driver you are and hopefully reward you with a cheaper policy, not a more expensive one.

Another good way to make sure you get cheap van insurance is to visit a comparison website, where in only 3 minutes you can put in some basic details about yourself and your van, and then instantly get access to over 100 quotes.

Also, don’t forget that you can get a quote at anytime even if your renewal date is a few months away.

What a lot of drivers do is to start comparing quotes around 2 months before their renewal comes up, then if they find a really cheap deal they can simply pay a small cancellation fee with their current provider to end the coverage early and begin with the cheap van insurance right away.

Admiral Launch Van Insurance

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You’ve no doubt heard of Admiral in regards to car insurance, but did you know they offer van insurance as well? Yes they do.

Actually, Admiral have been in the van insurance game for a while now, but as a broker through their other company called Able Insurance.

Things must be going well, because they have decided to offer van insurance to drivers around the country directly, which will no doubt put them right at the top of companies who are offering insurance to commercial vehicles in the UK.

So what if you currently have a policy through Able Insurance…will this have any impact? According to Admiral it won’t, as a spokesperson for the company commented that any policy taken through Able Insurance will be honoured, and that existing customers will be invited to renew with the newly formed Admiral van insurance.

It’s good to know that Admiral are going to be looking after their current customers and not leaving them with any problems. Not only that, but I’m sure that many will continue with Admiral when it comes time to renew, although by law they must now tell you about the benefits of shopping around of course.

In other words, Admiral have to mention that visiting a site like this one, Cheap Van Insurance, could very well save you money, especially if you use the free online quote feature where you can compare quotes from many different companies in minutes.

Don’t get me wrong…I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go with Admiral or renew your van insurance with them, it’s just that you don’t really know if you are getting the best deal until you shop around, something which you can do right here.

You might very well get the best quote with Admiral, or it might be with a different company completely All you have to do is fill in the simple form and find out.

If you do decide to go with Admiral van insurance then make sure you ask them about a range of other features they could potentially have on offer.

For example, telematics is becoming very popular among van drivers, where their driving data is shared with the insurance company. If you drive well then expect your policy to get less expensive.

Another popular feature is fleet insurance, which is ideal for companies who have more than 1 van and want insure them all on one policy in a bid to save money. Make sure you ask Admiral about that.

Firstly though, start right here at the number 1 van insurance comparison website, where all it takes is 3 minutes of your time and some basic information.

Drivers “Optimistic” About New Van Technology

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New van technology is here, and it is here to stay. Drivers have not always embraced this kind of technology..until now? A new survey reveals all.

This survey was actually conducted by a van insurance comparison website, a bit like this one, although we think our site is much easier to use. Straight to the point and no-nonsense.

Out of all the people asked in the survey, more than 50% said they were concerned about safety when it came to new technology in their vans.

I can see where they are coming from with that one, because at the end of the day, when you have all these new gadgets installed in your van it often takes your attention away from the road.

Just under 50% of those surveyed admitted that new van technology could very well make them too reliant on gadgets, to the point where it would diminish the actual skill of the worker.

I agree with that one. Yes technology is good, but I think we could soon get to a point where the reliance on technology is just too much, and the skill level of van drivers is not what it was.

Not surprisingly, only 1.5% of van drivers said they wanted technology that allowed them to run apps in their vans. I’m sure that most drivers still struggle to operate the apps on their phone, never mind starting to integrate it into the vehicle. Too confusing.

Automatic parking fared a bit better in the survey, with many van drivers admitting they prefer to let the vehicle do the work rather than having to park themselves.

However, when it came to the subject of driverless vans many people were not so keen, obviously because if a van doesn’t need a driver then many of those who were surveyed would be out of a job.

Drivers also didn’t like the idea of telematics that is designed to monitor driving style in a bid to get cheap van insurance. Although they like the idea of paying less, the “big brother” nature of telematics is a bit off putting for many of those surveyed.

In my opinion I don’t think they have anything to be concerned about when it comes to telelmatics, as long as they are obeying the laws of the road of course.

Cheap van insurance is difficult enough to find, so anything that can be done to gain trust of the insurance companies should be applauded and not ignored.

Just like a van insurance comparison website. Every van driver should use one if you ask me, mainly because you can find many different quotes and then instantly compare them.

Overall, the survey found that many drivers were “optimistic” about new van technology, with 82% being interested in some form of technology that is on offer right now.

Clean Van = Cheap Van Insurance? NO!

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A recent survey gives us an insight into van drivers around the UK and how they look after their vehicles. The results are interesting.

The one statistic that I noticed right away is how 45% of van drivers in Sheffield never wash the outside of their van at all, leaving them with the dubious title of “dirtiest vans in the UK.”

In contrast, van drivers in London are considered to be the cleanest, with 38% of drivers washing their vans every week. However, this isn’t a job they tend to do themselves, instead hiring a cleaning or valet company to do the work.

It doesn’t seem that a clean van means cheap van insurance though, because as I’ve talked about before, London has the most expensive insurance quotes, while places such as Sheffield in Yorkshire have some of the cheapest.

Imagine if van insurance companies started noting how clean you kept your van, and then gave you more expensive quotes if it had not been washed for a long time. I’m sure that drivers in Sheffield would soon start getting that bucket and sponge out.

Overall, 17% of those surveyed around the country admitted they never washed their van at all…perhaps they just prefer to wait for the rain? Maybe that is why Sheffield has very little washing going on, because they get the most rain!

67% of those who took part in the survey also said their van is typically filled with food and drink wrappers, and they only clean it up once it literally becomes unmanageable

22% also confessed they use a spare seat in their van as a rubbish bin, while 62% said they prefer to pay someone else to clean their van.

It isn’t just London where vans are a lot cleaner. Cities such as Belfast and Birmingham also see van drivers giving their vehicles weekly cleans, although in these cities they are more reluctant to pay someone to do the job, preferring to do the washing themselves.

While all of this does make for some amusing reading, let’s not forget that if the van is the face of your business and is often the first thing a potential customer looks at, then it makes sense to at least give the outside of your van a wash once a week.

Never washing it all, like 45% of van drivers in Sheffield, might save you a bit of time, but you can also lose valuable customers and business.

Talking of saving time, if you are looking to get a cheap van insurance quote but don’t want to spend hours contacting different companies then you are definitely in the right place. Just use our simple form to get started, and then get quotes from many different companies almost immediately.

It has never been easier to compare van insurance quotes, saving yourself both time and money. Give it a try right now.

New Study – Best Places to Appeal Van Parking Tickets

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Ever wondered why you always seem to get a parking ticket? It’s because you are a van driver…that’s why.

I’ve reported before about how van drivers are being singled out by over eager traffic wardens, with some owners getting a ticket when their van is parked on the drive at the front of the house. You couldn’t make these kind of stories up.

While there isn’t much you can do about finding a ticket slapped onto your front windscreen, you might be pleased to hear that you can fight back. Even better, according to a new study, there are some places in the UK where you are more likely to be successful in your appeal.

This has led pundits to refer to it as a “ parking ticket postcode lottery,” where some van drivers are going to be successful in their appeals, while others are left wondering just what is going on.

I suppose it is a bit like van insurance really. Some van drivers live in the right postcode and get rewarded with cheap quotes, while others, especially those in East London, get the highest van insurance quotes ever seen.

If you have just been quoted an expensive price for your van insurance, then my advice is to shop around on a website like this one. It only takes a few minutes, and you should start to see cheaper quotes almost instantly.

Back to the parking tickets for van drivers and you are no doubt wondering just what are the best places to appeal? The study mentions that some councils approve almost every appeal while others the ratio is just 1 in 10, so it’s definitely worth knowing which places are the most van driver friendly.

To give you an example of how bizarre this can be…last year a place called Runnymede in Surrey only approved 9% of appeals by van drivers, while just 30 miles away in Basingstoke and Deane in Hampshire 95% of the appeals sent in got a stamp of approval.

Other places where you are more likely to find success are Waveney in Suffolk, Swale in Kent, and South Tyneside in Kent.

Should you always appeal a parking ticket though, or are there times when you might be better off just accepting your punishment? In my opinion, if you genuinely are in the wrong then maybe it’s a good idea to simply pay up and move on with your life. However, if you think the parking ticket has been issued unfairly, then fighting back is a good option.

For example, if the signs were wrong, the traffic warden got it wrong, there was an error on the ticket, a thief stole your van and parked illegally, or if you just think you have been singled out because you are a van driver…then do everything in your power to appeal.

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