Tag: van insurance

Delivery Driver Caught on Video Throwing Packages

Posted on by News Desk

A delivery driver for a well known company was filmed by a member of the public throwing packages into the back of his van.

The video footage clearly shows the driver scanning the parcels individually, no doubt getting ready to take them on his route, only to then pick them up one by one and chuck them without any consideration to the damage that may have been done.

With more people spending a lot of money online these days you can be sure there was some expensive items among those packages, which means they should have been placed in the van, not thrown.

Once the footage was posted onto sites like YouTube where it got millions of views, then the delivery company who the driver worked for had to face the public and give out an apology.

You know what…I bet this company isn’t too pleased with their driver because not only does it bring bad publicity to their brand but it also means many of their customers got broken packages. I’m sure drivers get training on how to handle packages, so why this driver was just throwing things around is beyond me.

Not only that, but when a delivery company breaks something then it comes directly out of their pocket. I’m sure they have enough expenses already…take van insurance for example, which is more expensive than ever before.

Now, these delivery companies can always compare van insurance, which is what I advise everybody to do, but what can they do about drivers who throw packages around? When caught on video and with enough evidence they can get rid of them of course, but in most instances they probably don’t even realise it is going on.

That’s why I think it’s important that when ordinary members of the public witness this type of thing, they film it on their mobile phones and then upload to social media.

This is the only way we are going to get their attention, so they are then forced to do more about making sure their drivers don’t throw packages around.

What makes the video even more frustrating is that many of the packages were marked “fragile” and the driver just didn’t seem bothered.

However, looking at it from another point of view, it has also been reported that many delivery drivers are working for about £6.80 an hour, which is actually below minimum wage.

Also, there have been stories about delivery companies making unreasonable demands on their drivers, which then results in behaviour such as throwing parcels around and driving on the wrong side of the road (like an Argos van driver did recently).

As UK consumers become more comfortable shopping online and their expectation is to get items delivered quicker than ever before, I think more needs to be done by the delivery companies to make sure their drivers are properly trained.

You can Save Money on Van Insurance According to Experts

Posted on by News Desk

If you are a business owner in the UK then you’re no doubt aware just how expensive van insurance is these days. It’s just too much.

However, owning a van or numerous vans is often necessary to keep your business running smoothly, whether you need to make deliveries, visit different sites, or simply go to meetings, a van is the number one choice for many people.

In my opinion, I think that many van insurance companies have been getting a bit too complacent just recently, which has resulted in many quotes being twice as much as car insurance quotes.

While van insurance is always going to be more expensive that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do.

Many of the top motoring experts in the UK say you should always compare van insurance, and I agree completely. You can easily do this with a comparison website and get more than enough quotes in minutes.

The good news is that many of these experts have been talking to the media recently about ways business owners can save money on van insurance. Make sure you pay attention to the following tips.

Insuring young van drivers

If you are a small to medium sized business who employs people under the age of 25, then you may have found your van insurance becoming more expensive recently. The simple reason is that young drivers are seen as more of a risk by the insurance companies, so they make their quotes according to this.

Fortunately, there are ways to save money on van insurance for young drivers. One of the best ways according to experts, is to put the drivers on a Pass Plus course that usually costs a few hundred pounds and takes around 6 hours to complete. However, once they have passed the course then expect to save around 20% on the van insurance policy for that driver.

Buying a fleet policy

Another great tip is to buy your van insurance in bulk rather than numerous single policies. This is known as a fleet policy, and many insurance companies are only too pleased to offer you this kind of deal because it means they get all of your business.

The main benefit of buying your van insurance in this way is that you often get discounts, especially when you shop around and speak to different companies.

Telematics and GPS

I’ve talked a lot about telematics and similar technology on this blog, and for good reason, as many experts agree this kind of thing is the future.

This is why business owners who install telematics and GPS tracking devices are often rewarded with cheaper van insurance, because it allows them to track the driving style of their drivers, and if the drivers obey the rules of the road then insurance companies are more confident about giving you better quotes.

Man Admits Driving Without Van Insurance

Posted on by News Desk

A man in Lancashire was spared a prison sentence when he admitted to driving his van without any kind of insurance.

Not usually something they send you to prison for anyway you might be thinking, but when you consider he was also a disqualified driver then it becomes a more serious offence.

The man, who is 34, plead guilty in a court of law for not having a driving license and not having van insurance, although the judge decided not to send him to prison.

Instead, he got a suspended 8 week sentence, which means if he commits an offence again, especially driving a van without insurance, then he will be sent to prison for around 2 months. Not only that, but he also has to follow a 6 week curfew which does not allow him to leave the house between 8pm and 6am.

He was also given a 12 month driving ban, had 6 points put onto his license, given a 6 month supervision requirement and had to pay costs that came to £200.

The sentence was handed out because the man had only recently been banned from driving, and had significant previous offences.

It just goes to show you that driving without van insurance is something that can get you into a lot of trouble. Even if you don’t have any previous offences or a history of being in trouble with the law, if you get caught driving without insurance then the Police will not be very impressed.

You could find yourself in a lot of trouble, and may even have to go to court. As we’ve just seen, a prison sentence is unlikely, but you could easily get a suspended sentence, as well as fines.

My advice is simple…always make sure you get van insurance, and never drive without it. I’m hearing a lot of complaints recently about how “insurance is so expensive” and “I don’t want to pay it anymore,” but in reality you don’t have any choice.

It is UK law that your van must be insured, so if you don’t have a policy right now you must do it right away.

Sure, van insurance is getting more expensive, but if you shop around then you might be surprised to find out exactly how cheap it can be.

The best way to do this is by using a van insurance comparison website so you can have your details sent off to all the major insurance companies, and then within a few minutes you get all the quotes right there in front of you.

Some people have reported saving hundreds of pounds on their van insurance by doing this, so in my opinion, anyone who wants cheaper insurance should give it a try.

We Don’t Want Van Drivers say House Builders

Posted on by News Desk

New houses are being built around the UK every week and many of them are very nice, but van drivers are not always welcome.

That’s right. If you happen to drive a van, either for your job or business, and are planning to buy one of these new houses, then the message from many house building companies is simple…”we don’t want you.”

This is because they think the sight of vans parked in the area could affect the value of the houses, which ultimately means they lose out on money.

My opinion on this? Who really cares what is parked in other driveways when looking for a house. Is someone not going to buy a house because the person next door has a van parked in the drive? This is all just madness if you ask me.

It’s funny, because if they start to struggle selling the houses then I’m sure they would more than welcome van drivers and their money, but when things are going well it seems they get a bit too choosy.

One van driver who wishes to remain nameless has even had his van banned once he purchased a house. Initially he got two £100 fines for parking it on the street, and now he has to park about a mile away in the town centre, which as you can imagine, is not ideal.

Another van driver has refused to pay tickets issued for his van, and once they tried to ban his van from the new estate he refused again. Currently, he is in dispute with the house building company, so let’s wait to see what happens with that one.

There is also the story of a van driver who saved up a deposit for a £300,000 house in an area he had always wanted to live, only to be then told he couldn’t park his van either in his drive or on the street.

It’s funny because many van drivers are in the building trade, and are the very people that build these houses. Once everything is finished though, they are technically being banned from ever living there, unless they are prepared to park their van somewhere else which just isn’t realistic for most people.

I understand that these house builders wouldn’t want someone parking their vans all over the street, especially if it is 4 or 5, but when you only have 1 or 2 vans and you park them on your own drive, then I don’t really see what the problem is.

This comes at a time of course when van insurance is a major expense, and having to park away from your home would make it even more expensive.

Do you know what? If most house builders don’t want your money then just look elsewhere. There are sure to be some who don’t have a problem with vans. Also, don’t forget to always compare van insurance to get cheaper quotes.

Hitachi Commercial Vehicles to Install RAC Telematics

Posted on by News Desk

In a move that has caught the attention of drivers, it was recently announced that Hitachi would be installing telematics on all their commercial vehicles.

This includes vans of course, so this is certainly something that van drivers and companies who employ van drivers might want to take a closer look at.

The telematics is to be provided by the RAC and if everything goes well then we might even see them use this technology in the consumer car market. Let’s wait to see what happens there.

For now though, thousands of commercial vehicles in the UK will be equipped with telematics technology, where driver and vehicle data will be recorded in order to give everyone more details about performance.

A good example could be a delivery company who have vans and wants to improve getting packages out on time. Having telematics installed in their vans means that they can look closer into things like how their employees are driving and whether or not the best route is being taken.

Not only that, but let’s not forget that telematics is an excellent device to have installed if you want to get cheaper van insurance.

Typically, having this kind of technology makes drivers better on the road, which means you can then show this data to van insurance companies who will reward you with cheaper policies.

So is telematics in vans and other commercial vehicles the future you might be wondering, or is it simply a fad that will go away? In my opinion it’s definitely here to stay, mainly because it offers so many insights into driver behaviour and ways to make your company better.

Sure, there are people out there who say that it’s too much of a “big brother” type scenario where employers are going to be monitoring every thing their employees do, but to that I say…if you haven’t got anything to hide then having telematics in your van shouldn’t bother you in the slightest.

That’s what I say anyway…I’m sure there are many people who disagree with me on this, but I really don’t think it is going to stop more commercial vehicle companies going down the telematics route, especially when the end result is it saves money for everyone involved.

You know, I think there are thousands of van drivers out there who would install telematics in their van tomorrow if they knew it could save them a few hundred pounds a year on insurance.

We’ve already heard about how van insurance is more expensive than car insurance…surely this type of technology should be applauded if it can save commercial drivers money? I for one think it should.

Average Van Insurance is £1,500…Drivers Outraged

Posted on by News Desk

Just when you thought driving a van couldn’t get anymore expensive it did in 2016, as new statistics show that van insurance is now, on average, £1,500.

Even worse is the fact that van insurance is now more or less double the price of car insurance, which not surprisingly has left many drivers outraged. Why should you be charged more just because you’re a van owner…this really isn’t on at all.

Research from a consumer intelligence company found that van insurance had an average price of £1,591 in October of this year, while for that very same month car insurance was only at an average of £788.

It’s even worse for younger van drivers, as the under 25 age bracket is regularly given insurance quotes that are just way too expensive, especially for people that are starting out in business and trying to get their first few customers.

The research shows that under 25’s have an average van insurance quote of £4,770, with many being quoted a lot more than this.

So what can you do to get cheaper van insurance quotes you might be wondering? This is something I get asked a lot, and my main answer is simple…get as many quotes as you can from different companies.

In the past this was quite time consuming of course, as you had to contact different van insurance companies and speak with each one directly.

Fortunately it’s much quicker now, as all you need to do is fill in one quick form and your information is instantly sent to the insurers, who then use their technology to give you a quote. You are then in a great position to choose the lowest quote possible. Hopefully lower than £1,500.

Another idea is to embrace things like telematics, where a van insurance company installs a device in your van which then analyses your driving style. They use this data in order to come up with a more accurate insurance quote, which might not be quite so expensive.

One thing we all know is that van insurance is a must for anyone that wants to be a law abiding citizen. Don’t risk driving your van without insurance, because if the Police catch you (it’s easy for them to do it) then not only could you face a big fine, but you might also lose your van and business…even your license.

Instead, take a few minutes to compare cheap van insurance quotes, and see how much you could save.

Argos Van Drivers Call Off Christmas Strike

Posted on by News Desk

It was all set to ruin Christmas as one of the nations favourite stores looked to be on the verge of a strike, but the van drivers have decided against it.

Initially, the delivery drivers and their representatives had voted to strike for 72 hours around the busiest time of the year in a dispute over pay. This would have left the store in complete chaos, with millions of orders that couldn’t be delivered.

The good news is that it now appears the strike is off, although the drivers and their representatives are still going to vote again on whether or not to accept the new pay offer from Argos. Experts have commented that the offer will be accepted soon and the van drivers will be on the road as usual.

Is that a good thing though? A recent video caught an Argos van driving on the wrong side of the road. I know they are in a rush to get their deliveries out, but they really should follow the traffic laws and have basic common sense in my opinion.

Maybe the Argos bosses might want to take out some extra van insurance over the next month just to make sure they are completely covered…that and some basic driver training it seems.

Whatever some might think about Argos delivery drivers and their driving skills, there is no doubt that many people will be glad to see them back on the road, getting those gifts out around the UK in time for Christmas and making sure no-one is left disappointed.

A spokesperson for Argos said, “we are pleased that both sides have resolved their issues and would like to reassure our customers that it’s business as usual this Christmas at Argos.”

Unfortunately, Argos are not the only company talking about striking this Christmas, because as you may have heard the Post Office are potentially going down this route.

Just to be clear, it’s not the Royal Mail and their hard working van drivers that are planning to strike, it’s actual post office workers who sort the mail and things like that.

From what I’ve been told, Royal Mail and the Post Office are two separate divisions, which means we can expect to see the millions of parcels get to their destinations on time because of those Royal Mail van drivers.

As for the Post Office strike? Let’s wait to see what happens there, although I think it’s possible we could see something similar like what happened at Argos, where the workers accept an offer from the company and then it is business as usual.

Car and Van Insurers to Analyse Facebook Posts

Posted on by News Desk

In a move that is sure to get attention, Admiral insurance has launched a new scheme to analyse Facebook posts before giving a quote.

We all know how car insurance, and particularly van insurance is getting more expensive in the UK, and that’s why Admiral have decided to try this new technology

Many people will no doubt see it as them trying to spy on their potential customers, but in my opinion this is not what is going to be happening at all.

In fact, I think that most of the time when you look through the posts of a Facebook account then you very quickly get an idea of what that person is like, and more importantly, what kind of personality traits they have.

This is key for car and van insurance, because it’s these personality traits that typically let you know what kind of driver that person is likely to be.

It’s worth noting that initially this is only going to be used with first time drivers, so if someone has just passed their test and wants to get insured on their first car or want a van to start a business.

Now, before thousands of angry people start writing in to Admiral and complaining about this, you must understand that it is going to be completely optional, and will only be done if the person agrees to it when getting a quote.

The main thinking behind this is to actually save drivers money, as it simply gives the insurer more information to work with, that can be used to decide what the quote is going to be.

In other words, if Admiral look at your Facebook posts and decide that you seem like a sensible person who will obey the speed laws, be friendly to your fellow drivers, and treat your car or van with respect, then it’s likely you will be rewarded with a cheap insurance quote.

So what of things will Admiral be looking at exactly? A statement by the company says that Facebook posts that are written with proper grammar and use calender apps to set-up specific times for meetings with family and friends are looked upon as good indicators of a safe driver.

However, if your Facebook posts are over confident and aggressive, with bad spelling and no calendar apps, then expect to be given a more expensive van insurance quote.

At the moment Admiral only plan to use this on Facebook, but they might move to other social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram if it proves to be successful.

Delivery Drivers and Self Driving Vans

Posted on by News Desk

We all know that self driving vans are the future,but could this mean the end for delivery drivers? The answer is surprising.

One of the main companies at the forefront of self driving technology is Google of course, who recently have been trying out a number of cars at various locations around the USA (including one incident where their car crashed into a bus and they tried to get out of giving their insurance details).

Well, in a move that is sure to get the attention of delivery drivers, news has just emerged that 2 Chrysler Pacifica vans have been spotted at Google headquarters.

Nothing wrong with that you might be thinking, but our insider sources have told the site that these vans are actually part of a new test for self driving vans.

What I know right at this moment is that each of the vans has been fitted with sensors, which means they are almost ready for the road…without a driver.

Could we imagine a day where vans are driving around delivering parcels and other important packages, without the need for anyone at the wheel? Also, let’s not forget that if self driving vans really are the future then van insurance will probably become a lot cheaper.

If you drive a van though don’t get ready to hand in your notice just yet, because in my opinion I think the technology for these self driving vehicles is a long way from becoming something you see on the roads around the UK.

While companies like Google will tell you it is only a few years away, there is a lot of problems that need to be sorted out, as well as proving to the public that self driving vehicles are the real deal.

This is all going to take time, and it could very well be 10 to 15 years from now until we really start to see things change. Even then, it won’t go smoothly at first, and there will be a need for delivery drivers to keep things running along like normal, even though they might not have to do all of the driving.

I have no doubt that well into the future we shall see vans driving around without any drivers at all, but this is still a long way off.

For now though, the delivery driver industry is going to be as strong as ever, and those millions of vans around the UK still need insuring. It only takes a few minutes to get a quote, and you could easily save hundreds of pounds compared to your current policy.

It will be interesting to find out where all of this self driving technology takes us. Right now it is still a bit unclear exactly how far away this is from being the real deal and how it is going to work, but one thing is for sure, with a company such as Google behind it this is something that eventually is going to become mainstream.

Sheffield Experiences Wave of Van Break-ins

Posted on by News Desk

South Yorkshire Police have issued a warning to all van owners in and around the Sheffield area as the city experiences a mini wave of break-ins.

In the past week there have been multiple thefts all around the city, with many of the vans having power tools stolen. There was even a van stolen from Adastral Avenue in Charnock on the outskirts of the city, which just goes to show how far these criminals are willing to go.

This has prompted Police to issue their warning to all van owners in the area, and if you know someone that owns a van then make sure they are fully aware of what is going on around the city.

Basically, it comes down to the fact that many van owners are not securing their vehicles and the contents inside them properly, which in turn has led to thieves seeing them as an easy way to get some tools and similar items they can sell.

It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of these power tools are being advertised on sites like eBay within a few hours of being stolen. That brings us nicely to the question “are these big auction sites doing enough to make sure stolen items are not being sold on their platform?” I think it is better than a few years ago, but more still needs to be done.

We should all be taking responsibility though. For example, if someone is offering you a power tool down the local boozer for £40, when it usually sells for £400, then you know it literally fell of the back of a lorry.

In this kind of situation you should not only refuse the sale, but report the incident to the Police. At the end of the day, it is the only way we are going to stop these criminals.

Van owners must also do more to make sure their vehicles are secure. Things like parking in a garage or up against one to limit access is a good idea, as well fitting extra alarms, installing more locks and taking your tools out of the van at night.

This also puts you in good favour with the van insurance companies, as they reward you with cheaper policies.

It is always worth doing that bit extra to make sure your van is as secure as it can be. Yes it will cost you a bit more upfront to fit an extra alarm and a few more locks, and it will mean an extra 10 minutes at night taking your tools out of the van and an extra 10 minutes in the morning putting them back in, but in the long run it will be worth it.

Step 1

Complete your quick and easy quote

Step 2

Reveal your van insurance policies

Step 3

Pick your favourite and get instant cover