Tag: corona

Surges and Savings

Posted on by News Desk

As another big tranche of the work gets back to work this weekend, there is, inevitably, more traffic on the road than before. Every van driver’s nightmare. What is worse is that many of these drivers are going to be out and about at rush hours, because they are choosing to drive, rather than commute using public transport. In fact, some reports are suggesting that there may even be twice as many using their cars to commute than there were pre-covid.

And as if dealing with more traffic isn’t bad enough, we are still waiting to see if any of the powers who be do anything about the fact that the massive savings that car and van insurers made during lockdown have not been passed on to us, the humble drivers who all do our bit to follow the law with a good and valid car or van insurance policy. 

Car and van insurance for new customers has gone down in that time, but if you haven’t renewed recently, you’re unlikely to be one of the few whose insurers have refunded them some of the savings they have made or to have seen any savings being passed on to you. 

It also looks like the van industry is getting back on its feet after a turbulent few months, with van insurance quotes up a massive 37.7% in May, compared to April of this year. 

This is good news – a buoyant van industry means more work for us all. But what this also means is that these people renewing or getting new van insurance now are going to be saving more than those whose policies run out at the end of the year. 

It’s worth calling your van insurance company to see if there are any savings they can offer. If your policy doesn’t have long to run, you may save money by renewing sooner (remember, about 3 weeks before it expires is usually the best time to save money). But if you don’t ask, you don’t get and with all this extra money kicking about at insurance companies, while the rest of us are scraping together a living, it won’t hurt to ask.

Beware! Dangerous drivers!

Posted on by News Desk

If you’re out on the road this week, keep an eye out. What for? Those fresh-out-of-lockdown drivers who have forgotten how to actually drive. 

Up to a fifth of motorists say that they have struggled to get to grips with gearing back behind the wheel after months of staying home in lockdown.

Many car owners have driven just 90 miles (some fewer than 25 miles) while restrictions have been in place, meaning they are considerably out of proactive and an even greater liability to van drivers of the UK, who never stopped motoring through the crisis. 

This is bad news for everyone, with the added possibility of un-roadworthy vehicles out there, thanks the waiving of the MOT scheme. 

In other news, there are a number of initiatives underway that are aiming to boost the high street when it reopens, but that may have huge impacts for van delivery drivers. Many high streets are calling for pedestrianised streets, restrictions in speed limits and no-go zones for vehicles, all in a bid to drive foot traffic back to shops when the time comes for them to reopen, with sufficient space for social distancing outdoors. What this does mean, where it goes ahead is little to no van parking, restrictions on out-of-hours delivery times and slower deliveries, as a result of speed restrictions. 

Thankfully, some traders are banding together to object to these well-meaning plans, seeing not just the issues for white van men, but for those who are unable to walk far, or those who need to collect or drop off goods by car. If they do happen, you can kiss goodbye to the quick drop off on the High Street that you know and love. Fingers crossed that people see that these well-meaning ideas will kill the high street, not bolster it.

As always, stay safe out there.

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

Posted on by News Desk

Another week, another series of trials and tribulations for van drivers up and down the UK. As lockdown slowly eases, the roads are starting to return to normal and, with more traffic on the road, for you, the trusty van drivers of the UK, the stresses and strains of life on the road are also on the up.

The good news is that with more non-essential shops scheduled to reopen in the coming weeks, there should be more work out there for everyone and even more, when, all being well, more of the rest of the country opens up again in early July. 

But, with the lack of traffic on the road you have been used to, there have also been more and more stories in the press of van drivers behaving badly. From hit and runs, to intoxicated drivers, and speeding and dangerous driving, it appears the quieter roads have had a bad effect on some of you. And let’s not forget, anything stupid in your van and you’re not just risking your license, but also your career too. 

Meanwhile over in Ireland, Yodel have dealt a blow to their delivery drivers, who have been banned from taking their vans home overnight, forcing many drivers to need to use public transport to get home at night from their depots. At a time when nobody wants to be on public transport unless they absolutely have to, the timing and tone-deafness to what is going on in the world couldn’t have come at a worse time. 

On the upside, over in London, some savvy business owners have found the best use ever for a white van, turning one into a mobile pub on wheels. The ‘tactical beer response unit’ is on the streets of East London, the back of the van full of kegs of their craft beers, serving customers pint glasses of the good stuff at their doorstep. As one of his customers commented – ‘not all heroes wear capes.’ And who doesn’t miss a pint outdoors in this weather?

And on that note, safe driving. 

Van Insurance Is Cheaper Than Ever

Posted on by News Desk

Yes, more good news this week for our van driving men and women of the UK. We’re over all this doom and gloom, let’s find some reasons to be cheerful. 

And one more bit of good news to follow from last week is the news that van insurance is now cheaper than ever. Well, not ‘ever,’ but it is now the cheapest it’s been in over four years.  Since February, car and van insurance premiums have fallen an average of £56. 

This is as a result of fewer cars on the road, and, fewer accidents as a result. This means that the pay-outs that insurance companies are making has dropped, and so they are able to reduce the price of your premiums. In fact, one or two of the insurers have even paid out to their customers in the form of a rebate because there has been such a dip in claims made, making it worth a phone call to your van insurer to ask what they are doing – after all, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s also worth checking to see if your annual mileage can be reduced if you’ve been of the road at all these past few months, which could also save you money.

In other news, if you are in the trades and anticipating getting back to work in the next few weeks, be aware about new coronavirus restrictions on who you can have in your van. Yes, it’s now illegal for there to be anyone in the middle seat of your van, unless you are all members of the same household, in which case, you can fill your boots and your van with as many as you please. If your van is a two-seater, there’s only the driver allowed to be in it. And if you do have back seats, the second person needs to be sitting there, on the passenger side. So, getting everyone on site might become a bit of a nightmare.

Whatever you are doing, stay safe and keep at it, our UK van driver heroes. 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Posted on by News Desk

How is everyone this week? Whether you’re currently locked down or out on the road, rest assured we are here, cheering you on, whatever is happening in the world. Week nine of lockdown may be sending us slightly stir crazy, but it won’t stop us in our quest to bring you, our trusty van drivers of the UK, the latest news and opinions in the van driving world.

Let’s start with some good news – if some of you have lost your jobs as a result of COVID-19, there appears to be a marked increase this week of companies seeking reliable van drivers up and down the UK. It appears that employers are ready to start their recruitment engines as things start to get back to normal. And for those of you who have been waiting on self-employed government payouts, the Self Employment Income Support Scheme is now live and processing payments to those who saw significant business interruption. There are also new bounceback loans available through all high street banks, which offer a government-backed loan of up to £50,000 for small businesses. These loans are interest and payment-free for the first year. 

And it seems the UK government is also ramping up to get the country moving again, although, with the new fuzzy messaging, we’re not entirely clear on what changes when, but then we don’t think anyone else really knows either. But let’s be optimistic and hope it starts to gear up again soon, like we anticipate it will.

Less good news is that the rebates for van and car insurance that we hoped would be forthcoming as they have been in other countries, has not yet rolled out through the UK. Two insurers are offering a small rebate, but we still hope to see all van insurance companies giving their customers some of their profits back, given the huge drop in claims they have seen as a result of the lockdown. 

And absolutely terrible news for those in the south of the country is that London Mayor, Sadiq Khan has raised the congestion charge to £15 (including weekends) whilst simultaneously outlining plans to close major London roads over the next six weeks, to make way for walking and cycle routes. Good luck if you’ve got deliveries in the capital – seems like the mayor is expecting you to bike them in from the suburbs. More on this next week as we get to grips with all the implications.

So there we have it – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. But to end on a high note, don’t forget we can make your life that little bit easier if you need to renew your van insurance policy with our free 3-minute quote tool to give you the best deals around.

Until next week  – stay safe. 

Need a New Van? Sit Back and Wait

Posted on by News Desk

So, instead of all the doom and gloom you read elsewhere, you know we always try to do our bit here at CVI where we can to keep you van drivers smiling. 

And there is potentially some good news on the horizon. We suspect that if you are in the market for a new van, the end of this year could see some absolute bargains to be had.

Reports show that new car and fleet sales were down in April by a massive 97 per cent, the lowest level since 1947 for new vehicle sales in the UK. The Mercedes Sprinter was the best selling fleet vehicle in April, selling an underwhelming 814 vehicles, while the Ford Transit could only muster a disappointing 138 sales. A huge backlog of new vehicles is gathering in car parks and airfields up and down the country as dealerships wait to reopen. The date they are working to is June 1st, when, subject to health and safety legislation, they may once again start to do business. 

But that isn’t the time to go spending your money on a new motor. Analysts are forecasting some pent-up demand and so many dealerships will inevitably be busy with sales over the next few months to accommodate those who simply can’t wait for their new car or van. Slow your roll, there. Because once that rush of sales has happened, and even excluding the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus bringing everything to a grinding halt, there is going to be literal tumbleweed swirling between that backlog of used vehicles. Which means that there are going to be deals to be done, possibly the biggest we’ve seen in living memory, as manufacturers struggle to shift that stock that is just sitting around, depreciating by the day. 

Come September, we think you could be stumbling onto the deal of the decade if you’re in the market for a new van, especially if you’re open to one of the less popular models, such as an Iveco or Nissan. For once, it feels like the customers will be the winners, snapping up bargains as dealers focus on shifting volume sales at lower margins to be able to clear the decks before the new 2021 models are launched.

So sit back, give your current van a little bit of TLC to keep her going for now and wait and see what happens. We think if you’re buying a new van this year, you’ll be in for a treat. And don’t forget, your new van will need new insurance and, as always, even in times of corona, our 3-minute form can help bag you the sort of savings you’ll love, without having to hold out until later in the year.  

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