Tag: UK Van drivers

Amazon Ditches Drug Testing to Combat Driver Shortage

Posted on by News Desk

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. I

t’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?

Driver Takes His Van For A Swim

Posted on by News Desk

Yes, you did read what you thought you just read.

And whilst it’s not quite as simple as that, we’re phrasing it that way, so the driver doesn’t feel too bad. 

…But he should. 

This week’s news comes fresh to you from Exmouth.

A lovely English Seaside town in the South of Devon, that can get quite lively, from what we hear.

Well, lively enough for a van driver to park his van on a tidal slipway, slip off for a quiet pint or two, and forget about the van.

The driver went off for a pint, that is – not the van.

Then again, the van did go swimming, so who knows what else it’s capable of…

Unfortunately, this memory loss has cost the driver dearly.

The next thing he knew, town members had spotted his white van bobbing off into the sea.

Regrettably, he was not made aware of this until the next morning, when he returned to pick up his van.

Thankfully, the driver appears to have remained upbeat.

What else can you do, we suppose?

We’re not sure what exactly is in the air and affecting our dear van drivers this week, but similar news also hit the headlines in Cornwall. 

Whilst we don’t think a pint was involved this time, there was some blatant disregard for parking rules.

The unfortunate driver was initially at Newquay Harbour Beach to help launch a boat.

He then ignored signs and protests from the parking attendant about leaving his van on the beach.

Well, karma sure came around for this guy because the next thing he knew, his van was already submerged, having a dip in the sea.

The best thing (or worst thing?) was that he left his van there, just so he could go off and jet ski with a buddy.

That’ll teach him. Hopefully.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever left your van parked?

We’re sure there are some juicy stories out there… So, come on, don’t be shy! 

If, like the unfortunate drivers in this article, you ever find your van needing a float in the form of van insurance, we’re thankful to say we have you covered.

 So whether you’re planning on parking on the beach (let’s hope not),

or somewhere a little more sensible (like the road, or a driveway, perhaps?),

you’ll find we have the cheapest van insurance quotes around.

Suppliers: Has The Driver Shortage 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! 

For any new drivers needing cheap van insurance, we’re always here for you.

All you have to do is complete this form, and be welcomed into a world of cheap van insurance providers, that you won’t find elsewhere.

The best thing is — the form takes less than 3 minutes to complete.

Know your Van’s Weight Limit Or Be Fined up to £300!

Posted on by News Desk

This week’s latest news comes to us from the wonderful town of Reading. You may have heard about an unlucky driver who was fined a whopping £6,000 for breaching restrictions to do with his van’s weight. 

Thankfully, not all of us who breach weight restrictions can expect a £6,000 fine. The Mercedes Sprinter driver had overloaded his van by 900 kg. So, not just by a smidgen then. Unlucky for our Sprinter driver, a weighbridge found an excess weight of 25.7%. The Public Protection Partnership (PPP) quickly spotted how low the van was to the ground. It was clear the van was under strain.

We’re sure you already know this, but it is against the law to breach weight restrictions, and unfortunately, the driver’s defendant company found themselves paying over £6k for the sorry mistake. 

Do you know how much weight you’re legally allowed to have in your van? 

Avoid the fines and stay up to date with the latest laws. The DVSA may carry out spot checks, so here’s an easy reminder of how you can stay safe and know just how much you should be carrying:

  • Your van’s gross vehicle weight (GVW) minus (-) your van’s unladen weight.

Let’s explore an example:

  1. GVW is 4000 kg. Unladen weight is 2250 kg. 
  2. Therefore, 4000 kg – 2250 kg = 1,750 kg. 
  3. So, 1,750 kg is the most your payload can weigh.

It’s important not to forget that the payload weight also includes any excess luggage and passengers, too. How you load your van could also affect the overall weight, as you want to make sure you’re not putting too much weight at the front to cause an overload.

Learn More About Van Weight Limits

If you’re unsure about how much weight you’re carrying and want to check within the limits, you can visit your local weighbridge. 

If you’re new to van driving, it might be worth checking out the latest government guidance on loading and driving a van. There’s even a handy video. Access further information and visit the site here.

Whether you’re new to driving a van or know all the rules and regulations like the back of your hand, we’ve got you covered with insurance. So, if you’re on the lookout for cheap van insurance, take a couple of minutes out of your day to see just how much we could save you right here.

Courier? You May Need Special Insurance

Posted on by News Desk

If you’re working as a man (or woman, obviously) with van as a courier, we hope you’ve got the right insurance.

Some, pushed into a new courier career, thanks to Covid, may not be aware that it’s more than standard van insurance that is required.

Couriers can’t just make do with van insurance and hope for the best.

If your van gets broken into or stolen, you need to be pretty certain that the cost of whatever you have inside is covered,

or you could find yourself in a sticky situation.

Not only that, as couriers are also in contact with member of the public for work,

anyone working as a delivery driver needs to have public liability insurance to make sure that they are fully protected.

Most van insurance companies offer specialist courier insurance policies, regardless of what type of vehicle you are using.

These are often more expensive than regular car or van insurance.

The high cost of the goods you transport is one factor.

Plus, spending more time on the road than other drivers increases your accident risk and expenses.

Similar to regular car or van insurance, you can choose third-party cover, third-party fire and theft, or comprehensive.

Comprehensive is always the best option for full coverage.

Additionally, goods in transit insurance protects the value of any items lost or damaged during transit.

This also covers your van and contents in case of theft, whether parked at home or out on deliveries.

A longer driving history, strong van security, and fewer motoring convictions all help.

These factors keep your courier insurance costs down.

Use our free quote tool to ensure you are getting the best deal on your van insurance.

We may be over the snow, but accidents and thefts can happen any time, so it’s always best to stay safe. 

Van Driver Heroes

Posted on by News Desk

You know here at CVI, we’re always doing our bit to celebrate you, the unsung heroes of the UK, the relentless van drivers who get out there come rain, shine or COVID 19 to get things done. And what a lot of grafters you are. 

But it isn’t just us who want to celebrate the great British van drivers of the UK. What Car? Magazine have teamed up with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles to find those great British van driver heroes that we all know and love. 

We know you’re a modest lot, but friends and family can also nominate you, and as a thank you, the best 10 van driving heroes will be chosen and their achievements and examples of going above and beyond will be celebrated across social media for their commitment to getting it done. 

The competition is fronted by TV personality Edd China and he too, will be sharing on his socials those winners, giving them a great bit of free publicity and of course, the recognition that they deserve. 

Getting involved is easy – just send in up to 300 words explaining why you, or a van driver you know, deserves the recognition and any supporting photos or video and send them using this link. But you need to move fast – entries close this Friday, 9 October. 

This has been quite an extraordinary year, so what better time to celebrate those extraordinary van drivers of any trade or profession who have done their bit and made a difference?

Parking – a Van Drivers Biggest Waste of Time.

Posted on by News Desk

A new study by Vanarama shows that the UK white van delivery fleet is somewhat in crisis. (Tell us something we don’t already know).

We can all relate to the continual difficulty in finding places to park while we drop off our deliveries. But, as traffic and the parking situation worsens across the UK, the pressure on delivery drivers to make more deliveries each day has grown to a whopping expected daily delivery rate of 150 parcels per van. 

In the UK, 5.82 million small businesses depend on van drivers to deliver to them or on behalf of them to get their work done. With 1.2 million parking spaces in the UK, there are 3.24 million van drivers needing to use them (let’s not forget about regular road users too). The maths simply doesn’t stack up.

The report shows that over half a million of you struggle to find parking, typically taking over 20 minutes to find a spot to park for each delivery and in total, you each waste around 1 hour 40 minutes of each day in the hunt for somewhere to park your van. This costs the UK economy over £76 billion each year. Many drivers frequently risk parking tickets simply because they don’t have time to find an alternative option, with the pressure to get those deliveries done. And for those that do find somewhere legal to park, quite often, the space isn’t big enough for their van to fit, an issue now shared by many car drivers, thanks to the popularity of large 4×4 vehicles. 

If you take the number of van users in the UK (3.25 million), and the time it takes to park them each day, that adds up to combined 6.99 billion (yes, billion) hours wasted each year, looking for parking. 

So, what’s the solution? Well, as the study concludes, the fact is that more commercial vehicle parking needs to be created up and down the country, particularly in high street locations. But who is going to do it? What is really needs is one or two forward-thinking towns to step up and create the spaces and prove that doing so has a positive impact on illegal parking, congestion and pollution. Only then will there be a case for others to follow suit.

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