Tag: cheap van insurance

Do You Obey These 3 Strict Rules for Van Drivers?

Posted on by News Desk

There is nothing quite like taking to the open road in your van. You have tools or parcels in the back, and the wind sweeps through your hair.

You are the king of the road there is no doubt about that. Master of your own destiny and controller of your financial future.

If you are the boss then owning your own van is essential, but there are certain rules you need to obey. Do you know what they are? Keep reading…

Rule 1 – Duty of Care

Have you ever heard of something called “duty of care?” Most van drivers haven’t, but they really should.

Why? Because duty of care is a set of rules which companies have to abide by when operating vans. Things such as the incorrect maintenance methods or improper loading methods. If you or your staff get it wrong then you can expect a fine when caught.

The maximum a company can be fined is £10 million pounds. Definitely not small change is it.

Even if you are only a small company you can still be fined around half a million quid. So make sure you get it right and get up to speed with the Duty of Care Rules.

Rule 2 – Mobile Phone

You are a busy business owner who needs to be in constant contact with customers, clients, and suppliers. If you get an important phone call while on the road…what do you do?

If you choose to “answer it” then you have just broke rule number 2 of driving your van. Never use your mobile while at the wheel.

The penalty for breaking this rule? 6 points on your license and £200. If you are a young van driver then could even lose your license.

It doesn’t matter if you are stuck in a traffic jam, getting lunch at the McDonalds drive-thru, or just checking your emails…if you are caught with your hand on the mobile then you are really in trouble.

Rule 3 – Compare Van Insurance

If you have been with the same old boring van insurance company for the last few years then you have just broke rule number 3…ALWAYS compare van insurance.

Sure, we are biased, because as you may have noticed, we are a comparison website, but that also means we know what we are talking about.

The simple fact of the matter is that van insurance companies DO NOT reward you for your loyalty. Perhaps you are wondering why your van insurance gets more expensive year after year? It’s because they don’t care about you.

The solution? Compare van insurance right here from around 40 companies and brokers who partner with us. If you find a cheaper deal then switch right away.

You should do this every single year. It only takes 3 minutes to fill in our form. What is 3 minutes of your time when you could save hundreds of pounds.

Van Drivers Who Passed Their Test After 1996 – READ THIS

Posted on by News Desk

Are you a van driver who passed your driving test on or after the 1st January 1997. If so, then you MUST read this important message.

Ignore this and you could lose your license, get a fine…and even end up behind bars at her Majesty’s pleasure.

Now that I have your attention allow me to tell you exactly what this is all about.

Put simply, anyone who passed their driving test after 1996 is limited to driving vehicles that weigh up to 3500kg when fully loaded. This includes the weight of the driver as well.

If you are a tradesperson or courier driver…then its very easy to go over this 3500kg limit, especially when your van is loaded with tools or parcels.

Also, if you have been hitting the big macs or pizza hut hard recently, then it might be a good idea to eat a salad and hit the gym…hard.

Most van drivers either don’t know about this rule or wrongly assume if the weight of their van is below 3500kg then everything is hunky dory.

For example, the average Ford Transit which is very popular on our UK roads is around 2000kg soaking wet.

However, when you consider that two people can be sitting in the front and there is an assortment of heavy tools in the back…then it’s easy to see why so many van drivers are unwittingly breaking the law.

So are the cops cruising around and looking to bust you for being overweight? They might be, although most of the time they come across your crime by accident.

Many van drivers might be involved in a small fender bender and then the cops show up on the scene.

Nobody is at fault, and after both parties have exchanged details everybody is ready to leave…when…”what is the weight of your van, sir?”

The cops have a nose for this kind of thing, and busting you for being overweight is the cherry on top for them.

Hauling hardened criminals into jail…that is their bread and butter.

Busting overweight van drivers…that is their cherry.

Don’t let the cops pop your cherry. Visit a local weighbridge and make sure you are under the 3500kg limit.

If you regularly driver over the limit then you need to take additional driving tests to become legal.

Oh…and while you are at it you might as well visit our 3 minute form here at Cheap Van Insurance.

Thousands of van drivers make us their number 1 comparison website to get the best quotes. Find out for yourself why many white van men, tradespeople, delivery drivers and LCV owners call us “The Nations Favourite.”

Just go to the top of the page and click on “Get a Quote.”

Banged Up in Bordeaux

Posted on by News Desk

“Hello this is the inspector speaking to you on the pheun in the name of the leahw.”

“The leahw?” I replied.

“Monsieur..Don’t try to be funnayyyy with me…The leahw of France…and it is in the leahw that I inform you of your balloon seller who thinks he is a news reporter…has just been been sentenced to 7 years in a prison in Bordeaux”

“Is this a wind up?” I asked.

“This is no wind up Monsieur..the glueve was found at the crime scene last night of some precious jewels that have been robed. It was a white glueve…with the initials…CNR.”

“It can’t be…” I said in disbelief.

“If the glueve fits…” the inspector replied.

“Oh yes, it is obvious to my trained eye who the criminal is here, and now he is doing the time,” he went on to add.

“Oh and one more thing before I get off the pheun…I will be sending you a bill for a priceless Steinway.”

The next morning and the morning papers confirmed what the inspector told me.

“FAMOUS CHIEF NEWS REPORTER JAILED FOR 7 YEARS IN FRANCE”

Sub headline: “A gardener who thinks he is a photographer sent back to Beijing”

I couldn’t believe the headline staring back at me.

I only sent him on a simple assignment and now he was going to be folding laundry in prison for the next…7 years!

I gathered all of the staff in my office and poured everybody a shot of whiskey.

“Here is to the best damn CNR you could ever get” – as I rose my glass to him.

“Yes he definitely was a bit…eccentric,” said the head of the SEO department.

“He was a genius,” I corrected her…

“An eccentric genius, yes…but a genius…although a bit flawed…true, some would even say… that is what he was…an eccentric, flawed…

“Loony” the head of the SEO department added.

Everybody in the office laughed.

“You can take those kind of comments down to the ….JOB CENTRE…your fired!”

“Anyone else want to make any comments? Get back to work.”

I can only wonder what he is doing right now inside those walls of the prison de Bordeaux. No doubt he is on some kind of wild ride already. I just hope he has access to a pen and paper to document everything

But…the show must go on. Apologies if the quality of blog posts goes down over the next 7 years but we no longer have our CNR.

I’m sure our JNR is going to step up to the plate and start pumping out some classic blog posts, but he has to learn the ropes.

Of course, loyal readers and customers of CVI you will still be able to get cheap van insurance…don’t worry about that. Just fill out our 3 minute form to get around 40 quotes from van insurance companies.

38, Mate? Van Insurance Liar!

Posted on by News Desk

No word from our Chief News Reporter in Paris, France. No pictures. No telephone calls. Nothing. Just what is going on here? I don’t know.

What I do know is that all of you CVI enthusiasts will have to wait for the official Instagram page to be launched. Social media domination will be ours…just not yet.

While I’m waiting for word from our CNR, the only thing left to do is bring you some van insurance news.

So…in the absence of the Chief News Reporter I hand the torch over to the…Junior News Reporter.

JNR, it’s over to you…

It seems van drivers in the city of Blackburn are in a rush to age themselves. Forget about plastic surgery to look younger, these van owners are using van insurance applications to become older.

Take the story of a 20 year van driver as a prime example. Not happy with drinking from the fountain of youth, this kid wanted to become a man…a 38 year old man.

So when he filled out his online van insurance form he didn’t tell the truth. What he did was put “38” in the age box.

The reason? For cheap van insurance of course. Why else? There is no other reason.

As we have reported about before…young van drivers really do get hit in the wallet when insuring their van. Especially in cities such as London, but also in places such as Blackburn.

Unfortunately for the 20 year old van driver from Blackburn, his lies didn’t slip through the net, and the online lie detector machine “blew up” virtually when processing his van insurance application form.

It wasn’t just his age he was lying about either. He also had two speeding convictions which didn’t get mentioned on his application.

This brought his annual premium down to an affordable £924, although it was all based on a web of lies.

A few months later and the van driver was stopped on the M65 for speeding. Surprise, surprise. And Police quickly cottoned on to the fact this guy has been telling a few pork pies.

He then found himself in a courtroom where he had no choice but to plead guilty, which led to a conditional discharge for 6 months with £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

The lesson here? Don’t lie on your van insurance application form. It really is as simple as that. You will get found out.

It’s a much better idea to use our 3 minute form here at Cheap Van Insurance. Then tell the truth, and nothing but the truth and you will be rewarded with amazing quotes from trusted van insurance companies and brokers.

Revenge Of The White Van Dog

Posted on by News Desk

I watched as the White Van Man was restrained by 5 French police officers as commanded by the inspector.

I rushed over to the inspector.

“It’s ok…he is just a white van man…a bit hot under the collar…but no harm,” I said to the inspector.

“Monsieur…what do you know…you are just a balloon seller,” he replied

It was then he looked me up and down…”do you have a lisonce for selling those balloons?” he asked.

“No.”

“I arrest you in the name of the leahw!”

5 minutes later and me and the white van man were sat in the back of French Police van speeding through the streets of Paris with my balloons hanging out of the back window.

“Ne-nah, ne-nah, ne-nah, ne-nah…”

“You been on tour?” I asked the white van man.

“Yeah, just getting back from an extended tour in Siberia mate…hang on…how does a French balloon seller know so much English? He replied.

“Actually…I’m the CNR of a website called…”

I paused for effect…

“Cheap Van Insurance!”

“You…Are…Joking…It’s my favourite website pal. Proud customer of 5 years. Your blog posts kept me company in Siberia for the last 6 months.

Fast forward a few hours…and the boss back at HQ had spoke with the inspector and got me off with a warning and “no more costumes!” My balloons were confiscated.

I arrived back at the apartment.

“Chang…Chang…” I called out to my photographer. “Chang…Chang, where are you,” I said as I walked through the apartment.

There was an uneasy silence.

I went to the fridge to get some lunch.

As I opened the fridge door…Chang suddenly pounced out of the fridge and attacked me.

“sayawwwwww!” he shouted as he grabbed me and tried to take me to the floor.

“Chang…not…now….” I tried to say as we struggled

The struggle continued…right into the Steinway Piano in the living room.

“SMASH!”

It was an intense battle…and then…the phone rang.

We both stopped…and then Chang answered the pheun.

“CNR residence…it’s the boss,” he said handing me the pheun.

“Give me that,” I said snatching it away.

“Hello…”

“We’ve just received intelligence that the White Van Dog is at the park near your apartment. Go there immediately and get the photo. Our social media experts are waiting and ready to get this on Instagram. Don’t let us down…”

“I won’t,” I said.

I put the phone down.

“You are getting better Chang, but you forgot one thing…”

I gave him a “karate chop” to the head.

“Never let your guard down…”

“Now I must go to the park…I will take your camera.”

Chang spoke from the floor…

“Wait…the piano…that is a priceless Steinway,” he said.

“Not anymore.”

We both laughed.

10 minutes later and I was in the park trying to act normal but realised my white gloves and camera gave me away

and then…

there she was…

The White Van Dog

I approached with excitement.

“Does your dog bite?” I said to the owner.

“No”

I went to down to say hello and then…

*BITE*

“ouch!”

The white van dog bit my hand and ripped my glove off.

“I thought you said your dog did not bite?”

“That is not my dog,” he replied.

I watched as the white van dog ran off with my white van glove into the distance.

“Revenge of the White Van Dog,” I said to myself.

Return Of The White Van Man (On Tour)

Posted on by News Desk

“The Inspector wants to talk with you,” I said to the boss over the phone as I sat there in a French Police Station. I handed over the phone.

“This IZ Chief Inspector speaking on the pheun,” the inspector said.

Wait a minute, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the start shall we.

It all started when we arrived in Paris in search of The White Van Dog if you remember.

The smell of French bread lingered in the air and the sights of accordion players with meenky’s (collecting the cash) made me feel like I was now in France. And I was.

I was with Chang, a freelance photographer from Beijing, who had moved to the UK a few years earlier to “photograph vans.”

He seem a bit awed by my presence. I was a CNR after all, while he was still basically a trainee. I liked him though.

“Always be on your guard Chang. That is the secret of excelling in the type of job we do. You never know what to expect next.”

Unfortunately, our afternoon spent walking around the streets and parks of Paris proved to be fruitless.

“No White Van Dogs today,” I said to Chang as we made our way back to the apartment.

The phone line at the apartment went down, and my phone had ran out of battery, with my charger still back at CVI HQ.

So communication with the boss was not possible, but at least it allowed me to focus 100% on finding The White Van Dog, without any distractions.

However, The White Van Dog proved to be elusive. Maybe she sensed I had arrived, and was now in hiding.

Or perhaps it was because I wore white gloves with “CVI” on one hand and “CNR” on the other.

It was obvious to me that I stood out like a sore thumb. I needed to be smarter so I hatched a cunning plan…I would wear a disguise.

So the next morning I dressed as a French Balloon seller, complete with a assortment of balloons to make my disguise even more authentic.

My plan was to head towards the local park and just observe, under the cover of my costume.

As I was leaving the apartment I bumped into Chang and he seemed startled.

“Who are you?” He said, in shock at seeing an intruder, no doubt.

“Relax Chang, It is me, the CNR,” I said as I lifted my cap and made my face more clear from behind the balloons.

“Ahhhh!” he said, knowingly.

10 minutes later and I was walking towards the local park when I heard a familiar sound…

“You What Mate?” The voice said.

I turned around…and right there on the road was a White Ford Transit Van…with a “white van man” arguing with an inspector of the French Police.

“Have these tools been robed?” the inspector said very loudly.

The white van man snapped…anger, rage, discontent…all rolled into one.

“Return of the white van man…on tour,” I said to myself.

4 Tips to Protect Your Van

Posted on by News Desk

I arrived back at CVI HQ the following morning and there was still no word from our CNR. No calls, no texts…nothing.

So there he was…out there in Paris, France, getting up to some kind of shenanigans, and here I was…at HQ with no news stories to run.

“When you have no news, it’s time to pull out the tip articles,” I said.

4 Tips to Protect Your Van:

Tip 1 – Start with the basics

Yes van criminals might be crafty these days and they might leave you in awe with moves such as “the peel and steal” – but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the basics.

Make sure all of your van doors and windows are locked every time you leave the vehicle. Remember, these van hoodlums only require a few seconds – in and out – and then they are gone. The perfect crime…but it is YOU that does the time.

Tip 2 – Get the right van insurance

In my opinion, the first line of defence in protecting your van is with insurance. Not just any old insurance either. You only want the best van insurance…and the cheapest.

We are not called “The Nations Favourite” for nothing. Thousands of van owners are choosing us and our 3 minute form, and then arming themselves to the teeth with van insurance.

Tip 3 – Get grilling

What is the soft point of any van? The windows of course. Van gangs rub their gloves with glee when they see a window that is ripe for the picking.

The solution? To grill. No, not grill some cheese on toast…what we are talking about here is grills that fit to the window and offer an additional layer of protection.

Think of the grill as kind of like prison bars…only you want to keep the criminals out, rather than in.

Tip 4 – Don’t park here

Imagine a van scally walking down the street and eyeing up two identical white Ford transit vans. One van is out in the open, like a gazelle minding its own business right before a pack of lions strike. The other van is parked with its rear up against the wall, with no access to the rear unless you move the van.

Which van will the scally go for? I reckon it would be the first one, because he could easily get access into the rear and then do what he wants.

The lesson here: Always secure the rear of your van against a wall, or railings, or another vehicle…especially when you are in areas where van crime is…

Just then the phone rang.

“Hello,” I said.

“It is me,” he said.

“Where have you been?” I demanded to know.

“I am in French jail, I was arrested for not having a lisonce.”

“A license? A license for what?”

“A lisonce for selling balloons.” He said, matter of factly.

“Why on earth were you selling balloons, You are supposed to be there…”

“The Inspector wants to talk with you,” he interrupted.

A Shot In The (Social Media) Dark

Posted on by News Desk

I marched into the office of our CNR and announced “You’ve done it…Our approval rating in the white van community is the best ever!”

“Thanks to your recent blog posts white van men are once more flocking to our 3 minute form in their droves…and the White Van Dog post from last week really was the cherry on top.”

Our CNR had the look of a heavyweight boxer who had just won the title back. A look of pride…A man who was now back at the top.

“Listen,” I said to him…”your last post about the White Van Dog got me thinking…if a dog has a social media following from the white van community, then, I think CVI should get a piece of the action as well.”

“You want me to hack the dogs social media account?” our CNR said, looking a bit confused.

“No of course not,” I replied. “However, pictures of these White Van Dogs are obviously popular…this could be a launching pad into the social media for CVI.”

“What I want you to do is head to the source…France, and find as many French Mastiff dogs as you can. Get them to do the “white van man pose” and then social media success will surely be ours.”

“It’s a shot in the dark,” our CNR responded..”But I like it, although…I’m not a photographer, I’m a writer.”

“That’s okay. I organised a freelance photographer to travel with you to France. His name is Chang.”

I handed him two train tickets to Paris.

“The limo will be waiting for you outside in 45 minutes,” I said as I walked out of the room.

“Oh…” I added as I was leaving….”there are no meerkats in France, I checked.”

Fast forward 24 hours and I was looking more closely into this whole social media thing.

I was pretty confident that CVI could become “The Nations Favourite” on Instagram, and maybe even Facebook. As long as we got some good photos of white van dogs…but Twitter? Maybe that would be more difficult.

If this social media thing really took off then maybe we could do away with blog posts once and for all…

Just then the phone rang. It was our CNR, who was now in Paris.

“How are you doing? Have you seen any white van dogs yet?” I asked.

“Not yet,” he replied. “I did see a minkey though.”

“A minkey?” I said, confused.

“No…a chimpanzee Meenky,” he replied, although at this point the phone line seemed to be a bad connection.

“A meenky?”

“No…a…I think there is something wrong with the Pheun,” he said.

“The Pheun?”

Just then the phone line went quiet The connection had been lost.

Has a simple shot in the dark just turned into another wild ride involving our CNR, yet again?

Why oh why can he not just take on a simple assignment and get the job done?

These are all questions I pondered as I left CVI HQ and got into my Rolls Royce.

Stay tuned for more…

The White Van Dog

Posted on by News Desk

You’ve heard of the Pink Panther, Green Hornet and Red Dragon…now get ready for the White Van Dog.

A French Mastiff named Roxy to be exact, who currently resides in our nations capital, London.

As the story goes, Roxy travels in a white van with her owner Nicky Morris on a daily basis. He is a delivery driver, who is always busy delivering parcels all around London, day in and day out.

Roxy is right there by his side, with her seatbelt on, keeping Nicky company and guarding the van while he makes a delivery to Mr Smith or Mrs Jones.

As regular readers of the CVI blog will be well aware…van crime is a national sport these days, which means having a bit of “protection” in the van is always a good idea.

As well as being a thief repellent – get this…Roxy has also perfected…

The white van man pose!

That’s right. Pictures confirm that Roxy the French Mastiff dog does a really good impression of a white van man, especially when leaning out of the window and giving you a stare.

Fortunately Roxy doesn’t follow up the impression with swear words and all out rage. She is a very chilled out dog, even if she does enjoy imitating the white van man.

Of course, the white van man reputation is very much exaggerated. If you ask me they are among the calmest and safest drivers on the road. That’s a fact.

Roxy, The White Van Dog, has built up her very own social media following with her impressions and impersonations.

Do you know what else? I reckon our favourite White Van Dog would also be a good match for CVI.

“Which one do you prefer…1 bark for those Meerkats…or 2 barks for CVI?”

“Woof Woof!”

The Nations Favourite White Van Dog and The Nations Favourite Van Insurance Comparison Website…the perfect match.

Then, as soon as 40 quotes come through from trusted companies and brokers…

“Are these the best quotes you have ever seen?”

“Woof Woof Woof Woof!”

“Good girl. Time for a treat!!”

According to Nicky, The White Van Dog is -”not just a pet, she is a celebrity courier, who drives around London delivering parcels to people. She has been with us for seven years, since she was a puppy.”

Here at CVI we raise our glasses to the White Van Dog. Long may you be delivering parcels in our nations capital and keeping up the good reputation of white van owners around the country.

What a Load of Rubbish! (White Van Man)

Posted on by News Desk

“Do you have a license for that?” said the council worker. “You what mate?” replied the white van man.

The council worker edged his nose further into the van window…

“The empty crisp packets and bottles, sir…do you have a license for that?”

“Your having a bubble bath, aint ya?”

You, the faithful reader of CVI might be thinking this is a laugh, but we can assure you this is no joke. This is something that actually happened.

In Hertfordshire to be exact, where a roofer was just chilling out in his white van and enjoying a break before he got back to fixing tiles and pointing up ridges.

Sure, there was empty crisp packets and water bottles in his van. Maybe even some empty pot noodles. Who cares? This is his van and his choice. Thousands of white van men do exactly the same thing. It eventually gets cleaned.

Well, it appears that white van owners are no longer safe. You can’t do what you want in your own van, without jobsworth council workers sticking their noses in and trying to rob you of your own hard earned money.

Like a modern day Dick Turpin, these council workers roam the roads of the UK with nothing better to do.

“A license or a fine,” is what they say, and unfortunately you don’t have any choice in the matter.

Just like the white van man in the story…he couldn’t produce a license so he got slapped with a £300 fine, all for having a few empty wrappers in his van.

“What a load of rubbish!” is what we say here at Cheap Van Insurance.

Isn’t it time these council workers got a real job, and left hard working white van owners alone to get on with theirs.

He wasn’t fly tipping. He wasn’t chucking it in someone’s garden. He wasn’t throwing it out of the window.

It was in his own van! These are crazy times, that’s for sure.

Here at CVI we would like to reach out to every white van man and woman who has ever been a victim of this kind of injustice.

These bureaucrats might wield their power over you with stupid fines but you can fight back using our 3 minute form.

The next time you get a £300 fine you can laugh in the face of the council worker handing it over.

“What’s so funny?” they will demand to know.

“I’m with CVI…I’ve already saved a packet!”

So what are you waiting for? Compare van insurance with us today and make a £300 fine seem like chump change.

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Complete your quick and easy quote

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