Tag: cheap van insurance

Let’s Put The Lasers Down, Please…

Posted on by News Desk

This week brings a strange story

Apparently, a Volkswagen Transport van driver decided to experiment with lasers (and his van).

As a result, his actions have cost him dearly.

In fact, we’re talking a whopping £3,000. And that’s just the start of the punishments…

Genius, Or Just Downright Silly?

Mr. Jason Moore of Swansea has been convicted of something that many of us didn’t even think was possible.

Have you ever heard of a laser jamming device?

Well, it turns out Mr. Moore has.

Additionally, he attached one of these laser jammer devices to his Volkswagen Transport van.

You may be asking why on earth anyone would ever want to do that.

Well, this is where it gets interesting.

Mr Moore decided to attach the laser for one simple reason: to avoid speeding cameras. Genius? Or silly?

Now, it’s not like Mr Moore was travelling down the motorway at 90 miles per hour or anything.

In fact, he was driving 12 miles per hour above the speed limit.

However, that speed is enough to endanger other motorists on the road as well as himself.

Driving without due care and attention, perhaps?

Caught Red-Handed

The laser device interferes with cameras’ ability to pick up and read a vehicle’s speed.

Unfortunately for Jason, videos captured the flashing jammer device in action.

Along with error texts when they tried to read the speed of his moving van.

Mr. Moore, thinking he’d gain 15 extra minutes of sleep by dodging speeding fines, got caught.

The court accused him of perverting the course of justice and ordered him to follow a 2-month curfew.

If that wasn’t enough, he will be facing a sentence of 32 weeks of custody (although this has been suspended for a couple of years).

Well, at least he somehow managed to avoid prison, hm?

And so, van drivers (and motorist drivers alike) are taught a valuable lesson.

Let’s not play with lasers, eh?

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How Sneezing Become Deadly For A Lorry Driver

Posted on by News Desk

Today we bring you a sad story about a sneezing lorry driver.

You may have heard the tragic news already, but if you haven’t, then let this serve as a stark warning.

What Reacting Too Late Can Cost You

The tragic incident of a van driver becoming blind in one eye, and suffering brain damage, happened nearly 3 years ago.

However, the man who was the cause of the accident has just been sentenced.

The event happened due to a lorry driver suffering a sneezing fit.

His reactions were too slow, and unfortunately, he did not slow down in time.

This resulted in a crash between his lorry and the van driver.

It has also been reported that the lorry driver was using cruise control.

Unfortunately, after three years, the van driver, Mr Steven Hurst, still suffers from severe memory loss.

The Price to Pay

The lorry driver will spend a year in prison for his mistake, as well as a driving ban lasting two years.

On top of this, he will carry out 80 hours of work (unpaid).

He will also follow the rules of a strict curfew for half a year, as his sentence has been deferred for 15 months.

However, there is clear remorse from Colin Shaw, as he has accepted his mistake and declared he did not react quickly enough.

He agreed that despite traffic being clear to see for nearly half of a mile, he did not use his brakes in time and was too slow to do so.

A sobering admission.

Van Drivers, Be Vigilant

We know this could happen to any motorist out there, but lorry and van drivers, in particular, deal with long hours.

The tiring effects can be detrimental to driving confidence and ability.

We have even heard about people getting into accidents due to wasps in the car, or something similar.

Our sympathies go out to Mr Hurst and his family.

It is tragic and cannot be helped, but perhaps being aware of what could go wrong can help.

Should things take a tragic turn of events, you’re going to want to make sure you’re covered by good insurance.

Fill out this quick 3-minute form to see how you gain just that, as well as make a saving. 

Drive In Hiring New Delivery Drivers To Cost Company Millions

Posted on by News Desk

Who’s hiring delivery drivers?

Can you guess which company it is?

The story has been doing the rounds all week.

Okay, fine, we won’t keep you in suspense.

Drum roll, please… It’s only everyone’s favourite online supermarket that goes by the name, Ocado. 

Just What Has Ocado Been Up to?

By now, you have likely heard about the serious fuss over delivery driver shortages in the UK.

Unless, of course, you live under a rock.

To attract more employees, Ocado is advertising their delivery driver roles using everyone’s most hated best friend: money.

By offering higher wages and bonuses, they hope these incentives will fill the delivery driver void.

Why are Ocado Offering Higher Wages to Drivers?

Recently, it was confirmed by the UK government, that HGV tests would be sped up and also made easier.

You may have read about it in one of our previous blog posts. 

So, following this news, Ocado hopes their soaring wages will be motivation enough for drivers to want to join them.

At the moment, it is estimated that we are short of around a whopping 90,000 drivers.

Eek.

Naturally, this has caused disruption to supermarket supply chains, fuel and all sorts of other goods.

Are you one of the many thousands who have been affected by the shortages? 

So, What Are Ocado Moaning About?

In paying you lot higher wages and bonuses (as they should), they are estimating it will cost the company an additional £5 million (at least). 

However, we’re hoping this trend of paying our fellow delivery driver higher salaries continues.

Especially as Ocado are not the first to brag about this.

In fact, John Lewis and Aldi have also recently decided to up their delivery driver wages.

Tesco has also jumped on board the bandwagon and are offering decent bonus packages to join them, too. 

Let’s hope these higher paid wages and bonuses are enough to entice delivery drivers back, eh?

Where are you all? We miss you. 

For those of you who are still in the profession, or looking to join, it’s a good thing you’ve stumbled upon this blog post.

The first thing you need to do is to consider van insurance.

There are additional details you need to consider as a delivery driver, too. 

Find out all you need to know about cheap van insurance by completing this quick 3-minute form.

From Angry Amazon Bosses To Delivery Drivers Academies: This Week’s Top Stories

Posted on by News Desk

Delivery drivers….

So, we have two things to report on this week.

The first is actually from across the pond, involving an angry Amazon manager and his poor employee.

The second is related to the ongoing fear of driver shortages Britain is facing at the moment.

Stay Off My Lawn!

Something perhaps more fitting for an elderly gentleman to yell at some troublesome teens.

But no.

This unfortunate Amazon delivery driver received a whole lotta abuse from his own manager. 

You may have seen the video doing the rounds online.

It’s been published in most tabloid newspapers, so it isn’t too hard to find, but you may not want to watch it.

If delivery drivers didn’t have enough to put up with already, this really takes the biscuit. 

The manager claims his employee broke several rules whilst delivering the package to his loving boss.

So, naturally, he felt the best way to let his worker know about it, was to yell at him.

Obviously. 

The main issue the video captures is the berated delivery driver walking across his manager’s grass to deliver the package.

Clearly, a rookie mistake and one that warrants verbal abuse.

Said no one, ever. 

Have you ever experienced unreasonable behaviour from your manager as a delivery driver?

Let us know — we’d love to call them out on it.

Of course, we’d hope no one in Britain would be quite as ‘stern’ when talking to their delivery drivers.

It appears America is a whole other kettle of fish.

Considering A Career Change?

Next up.

If you feel you aren’t being treated well enough as a delivery driver, then why not consider becoming a lorry driver?

With all the driver shortages, Brexit, Covid-19, and just general chaos and hoo-ha that’s hit Britain lately.

Selco is helping with the panic. 

They’ve decided to launch an academy for lorry drivers, encouraging van drivers to become HGV drivers instead.

They’ve also recently increased their pay.

Not too shabby, eh?

So, what do you reckon?

Career change to rid yourself of the annoying boss?

We’d hope not, especially in the UK.

So until then, and as usual, we’ve got your back with the cheapest van insurance quotes around.

You’re welcome.

Delivery Drivers: Shortages And The High-Stakes Solution In The US

Posted on by News Desk

Delivery drivers.

Drive it, 420.

We’re not actually sure if that makes sense, but that’s what the folks in America have decided.

For once, this isn’t a post about electric vans…

So, this week’s news comes from the other side of the pond.

Quite a big pond, actually, as this is news from the ol’ U.S. of A.

Just as the UK has been experiencing delivery driver shortages here, the same has been happening across the US. 

Now, there’s a number of reasons that have been suggested for the shortage in the UK…

We’ve seen stuff about Covid-19 and the ‘Pingdemic’, Brexit, and all sorts of excuses.

Our suspicions are that it probably involves many reasons, so we won’t point the blame anywhere specific.

Whilst the US can’t blame Brexit, they are still suffering from delivery problems.

And so, they’ve used some initiative. 

In America, some states have legalised cannabis, but not ALL of them.

Now, delivery companies are specifically advertising job listings, that stipulate that there is no mandatory drug testing.

This is a particular company, by the way.

You may have heard of them before…

Say, does Amazon ring a bell?

Not only Amazon drivers, but also all the other delivery companies it sub-contracts with.

They’re facing a serious dilemma. Even the munchies can’t ease their concerns. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist!)

Many current drivers and potential hires fail cannabis and THC tests.

Because of this, they’re facing a real shortage, which is now verging on a crisis.

So much so, that the job descriptions that are going out have specific detail that claims there is ‘no marijuana testing’ or ‘THC testing’. 

Many states in the US have decriminalized cannabis.

Some lobbyists are seizing this opportunity to push the agenda further.

They argue that if Amazon can ignore marijuana screening, then so can everyone else.

Van drivers in the UK don’t need to worry about ‘high’ delivery drivers right now.

However, it’s something to consider if cannabis is ever legalised in the UK.

We’re pretty certain we Brits would have more common sense than to get behind the wheel whilst under the influence of anything.

If you need to claim against someone who isn’t law-abiding, you’ll need reliable van insurance.

It’s essential for getting you out of a sticky situation.

It’s a good thing we’ve got you covered with the best and cheapest van insurance quotes around, eh?

Has The Driver Shortages Affected You?

Posted on by News Desk

If you haven’t heard about the driver shortages, you’re likely not from the UK.

Otherwise, you must be living under a rock.

Remember this post we made a few weeks ago about tests for van and lorry drivers being made easier?

This was because the UK was facing the severe issue of a lack of delivery drivers — from vans to HGV drivers.

The reasons are numerous.

The driver shortages stem from Brexit, with Covid-19 making things much worse.

It’s like a tornado stirring the pot.

If there wasn’t a shortage already, ‘pingdemic’, as it has been affectionately named, has unfortunately caused further chaos.

This is because drivers are being pinged left, right and centre, and being told to self-isolate by the ‘track and trace’ app. 

As you can imagine, the consequences have been dire.

Many newsagents, including the chain NISA, have had to drive their vans to pick up supplies.

This is due to severe staff shortages among their suppliers.

This is time and effort spent on top of maintaining and managing their store branches and dealing with staff off work themselves, too. 

There are calls for the government to allow drivers who have been vaccinated (with both jabs) to skip the isolation period.

This is as long as they continue to test, and the results are negative.

At the moment, this is due to come into force from the 16th of August, but things could change — sooner or be pushed to later.

So, everything is up in the air, and everyone is panicking.

Help?

We think so.

What do you think?

Has the media blown this out of proportion, or is this something that needs further immediate attention?

Have you been affected directly by the driver shortages?

The struggling supermarkets certainly show us how serious this all this.

Let us know your thoughts! 

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Tests For Van Drivers Made Easier

Posted on by News Desk

The tests van drivers need to take will be relaxed — but it’s not necessarily a good thing.

You may have heard about the very serious hoo-ha of a shortage of HGV drivers and van drivers facing the UK at the moment.

Some are blaming Covid-19 and the number of tests that have had to be cancelled.

Others are firmly pointing their fingers at Brexit.

Some are blaming an accumulation of both, alongside other resulting factors in the past, very unusual, year. 

We’re not one to accuse people or pandemics (although perhaps we should), but there is a major concern here.

With the tests being made easier, it could be argued that they’re being relaxed a smidgen too far.

And with the ease of passing the tests, there is a rise in numbers of people being concerned about safety issues.

Depending on where you live, you may have also noticed a few empty shelves at your local supermarket.

Again, sparked by Brexit or the COVID-19 app pinging left, right and centre, telling people to isolate and keep the country safe?

Once again, it could be a bit of both. 

Whatever the reason is for the cause of these shortages, from empty shelves to delivery drivers.

This could really affect the safety of our HGV and van drivers out there.

For example, this relaxing of the requirements to pass the test follows a decision that affects breaks that lorry drivers can take.

Now, drivers have to drive for longer before they can take a break, as if it wasn’t exhausting enough already.

The Secretary for Transport, Grant Shapps, has launched a plan of action.

This could increase the number of van drivers passing their tests to over 1,500 successful passes a week.

Off-road manoeuvres are also in the plan to be discarded. 

Are you a van driver and feel strongly about this?

Or, are you going to be sitting your test soon?

Let us know how you feel about the latest news.

Whilst you’re here, whether you’re a seasoned van driver or a new one.

Something we can all agree on is where you get the cheapest van insurance from. Guess what? It’s right here.

Tailgating: Avoid Fines From The Latest Driving Law

Posted on by News Desk

Are you guilty of tailgating?

Okay, own up.

Maybe you’ve done so in the past.

Perhaps, that one Tuesday when you were running late and the Nissan Micra in front of you was crawling along at a snail’s pace?

The Nissan needed a hint, or you were going to fall behind on deliveries. 

Or, perhaps reading the above makes you angry.

Are you on the side of van drivers who absolutely hate tailgating?

Have you ever fallen victim to it yourself? 

Well, whether you’re guilty or not, you may want to rethink driving too close to other cars.

This is solely down to the latest driving law that may be on the cards and introduced very soon.

A law that penalises drivers who might be driving, let’s say, a little too close for comfort. 

And surprisingly, it’s you, the drivers, who are backing these proposals from recent campaigns.

Nearly 90% of motorists would happily support these plans to hand out fines to offenders, as it would unequivocally promote and increase road safety.

Do you agree that more needs to be done?

Recent results from trials surrounding tailgating indicate a likelihood of the new rule catching potentially thousands of offenders.

The UK government trialled the technology that would be used to catch tailgaters in Northamptonshire, specifically across the M1.

The tech is able to detect whether motorists – yes, that even includes you in the Ford Transit there, sir – are keeping a 2-second gap from the vehicle in front of you.

And this is at all times! 

Tailgating is a potentially risky and major problem for drivers on the road, especially for our lovely, innocent drivers.

Did you know it was listed as the reason for nearly 600 severe accidents in the previous year?

Tragically, in 28 of these, death was the result for some people.

Perhaps this is an excellent time for the government to put these proposals into action, especially with recent campaigns gaining so much support.

So, what do we think?

Not worth the risk, eh.

The last thing you want after being out and about in your van is to come home to a letter stating you’ve been caught tailgating.

Safer roads are something we definitely stand for – that, and cheap van insurance, of course!

Should We Be Cautious Of Driverless Vans?

Posted on by News Desk

You may have heard the recent rumors of the latest government plans surrounding driverless cars.

If you haven’t, allow us to help:

The UK plans to legalise driverless cars later this year.

However, there are some people out there who fear this could bring a whole range of additional headaches.

While some people feel that this move aims to keep drivers safer out there.

others feel it could be distracting.

The government believes road safety could be improved by a reduction in human error,

which causes over 85% of road accidents.

However, necessary training will need to be deployed for anyone considering using self-driving vehicles,

which could bring about a busier workload to some industries.

At the moment, there are only plans for driverless cars to allow assistance for speeds that go up to 37 miles per hour,

and on motorways.

However, just like with cruise control options on some motors,

handing over control to your vehicle doesn’t mean you will be free to do something else.

The same laws apply,

so you can’t use your mobile phone (unless hands-free),

or start eating that KFC you just picked up from Peterborough services.

You will still need to keep full attention on the road.

Should the requirement be there, drivers will need to be able to take control of their vans immediately. 

At the moment, we are waiting for changes to the Highway Code,

and other laws to come into place before any of this can happen.

Others say vigorous testing needs to happen before allowing these plans to come to fruition, too.

Some argue that self-driving vehicles aren’t always the safest options, as a recent Tesla crash has shown. 

So, should we allow technology to fully take control of our wheels?

How do you think it might affect your industry?

If you drive a van for your job, you might welcome this information.

On the other hand, do you feel autonomous vans might be a step too far?

Let us know your thoughts!

For us, vans with drivers, or without, we’re concerned with giving you the best deals.

So, you can bet that we’ve got you covered with the cheapest van insurance deals around.

£17k For Using Your Home Toilet? Every Little Helps…

Posted on by News Desk

Okay, so Tesco is not paying their delivery drivers £17,000 to use their home toilet, unfortunately.

If they were, well then sign my partner up, because I’m certain he would end up bankrupting the company.

I’m sure all delivery drivers have been there.

You’ve still got a couple of deliveries to go, and you’re suddenly bursting to use the loo.

What do you do when these situations arise?

Especially if you work for Tesco, whose vans have tracker systems fitted.

This means they can check up on you every 5 minutes or so, alongside monitoring your speed and location.

Well, for one Tesco delivery worker, his solution was his home toilet.

Nothing too crude here, thank you.

This week’s tale fuels itself with justice and a hefty £17k package.

Tesco’s Scottish branch awarded Billy Fitzsimmons £17k in compensation after his unfair dismissal.

Due to his ailments, he required to use the toilet far more than your average person.

An employment tribunal ordered Tesco to pay Mr Fitzsimmons for not taking his medical problems into consideration.

His employer penalised him for using his toilet at home, even though he only stopped by between deliveries.

After discovering these stops, his boss learned about his urinary tract infection and enlarged prostate, which required urgent restroom access.

However, Tesco bosses claimed they were not aware that Mr Fitzsimmons also experienced incontinence.

Although they were aware of his other illnesses.

Unfortunately, he’d also had to visit home on some occasions to change. 

After conducting his business at home, Mr Fitzsimmons would wait in his delivery van until he had to drop off groceries to the next client.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Deliveries were always made in a timely manner, and not a single person ever made a complaint against him.

Discrimination against disability isn’t a joke.

Fortunately for Mr Fitzsimmons, the judges agreed with him.

Hopefully, many of you will not have faced an illness or a situation like this, but I’m sure we can relate to needing the toilet after a long drive.

We wish Mr Fitzsimmons the best, and if he ever requires cheap van insurance for another role, we’re here to help!

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