Tag: white van owner

New Report Shows White Van Men are Turning to Healthy Eating

Posted on by News Desk

Well, it’s almost as if you lot almost listen to us, isn’t it? A new study, commissioned by Vauxhall Motors has found that white van men (and women) are ditching both the booze and the fast-food in search of healthier lifestyles. 

Well done, you guys.

The report fid that 37% of you cut back on the booze, trying alcohol-free beer and wine and many of you are even working out more outside of the van driver working day, hitting the gym and, for 2% of you, going so far as to take up yoga or Pilates. 37% of van drivers are now hitting the gym, according to the report and you’re even cleaning up your smoking act, with 22% of you saying you have reduced how much you smoke or quit entirely.

If that wasn’t enough, more of you are also turning vegan, and 2 in 10 of you are opting for vegetarian or meat-free meals. And even those of you who aren’t giving up old habits are saying you wished you could eat more healthily (31%). This is big news, considering previous reports have said up to 60% of you admit to not eating healthily and not eating fruit or vegetables every day. 

It seems that more and more of you are searching for a healthier lifestyle and are doing more than many others to make those positive lifestyle changes. 

While we undoubtedly applaud you for taking those positive steps, we can reassure you that we will continue to bring you the latest in all news from the world of van driving and won’t be turning into a lifestyle blog and teaching you how to knit your own vegan quinoa any time soon. Nope, we’ll just stick to doing what we do – bringing you the best possible van insurance deals and the latest news, views and opinions from here at the heart of CVI HQ. But we just may do it, sipping on a fruit and wheatgrass smoothie, once in a while. After all, we can’t have you lot putting us to shame, can we? 

Perfect Christmas gifts for Van Drivers

Posted on by News Desk

Okay, so you’ve been asked what you’d like and besides that box set and PS4 game that you know you’re not going to get, what can you ask for?

Here are our top ideas to make any driving days just that little bit better.

Like your coffee? How about a portable espresso machine? Perfect for coffee on the go. This takes classic coffee pod filters, and can be plugged in to your van’s power socket.

Or what about a heated lunch box? This is great for those who drive long distances and want a hot meal, without paying an arm and a leg at the service stations – just plug it in to your car charger socket and enjoy a nice warm lunch, rather than a chilly limp sandwich.

Magnetic phone and coin pads.Never be rifling around for coins again, have your phone where you can see it, and generally be a little more organised with one of these. 

Heated seat pads. Because there’s nothing like a warm bum on a cold day! Or, go the whole hog and ask for an in-car electric blanket. Perfect if you’re a driver up north who frequently battles with the snow and can sometimes see yourself stuck in accident traffic or impassable roads. 

In-car Wi-Fi. Turn your cab into your office with one of these great gadgets. Be always on, listen to music, game while you’re waiting for a pick-up (but not in a traffic jam, please)

Mini hoover.Let’s make spiders dropping from the visor a thing of the past, people. An in-van mini hoover can help clear up those crumbs and that dirt in no time. 

Hanging storage. Keep all your paperwork in one place, and find things fast. It will shave a few minutes off your day, and in an industry where every second counts, you’ll be thankful for it.

A lumbar support cushion. Because being a van driver plays havoc with most people’s backs, given enough time behind the wheel. A solid, supporting cushion for your back will pay dividends and save the cost of those trips to the osteopath. (although we can recommend a brilliant one, if you do need one). 

Van detailing kit.Because we all like a nice, clean van, don’t we? Oh, wait. Well, maybe if you get one, you’ll actually use it. We can’t force you to, but you know, it might just give you the motivation that none of the lads have managed. Make it a new year’s resolution. 

A driving experiences.No chugging along, waiting for the diesel to finally kick in and give you some oomph. Blast out your driving frustrations with a track session in a supercar at one of the U.K.’s race tracks and unleash your inner Lewis Hamilton (other F1 drivers are available). 

White Van Men Are Great In Bed, Study Finds

Posted on by News Desk

Well, well well. If this wasn’t something you didn’t already know but are bloody chuffed to read again, here it is…

White van men are good in bed. It’s official! And, as your cheerleaders and (un)official sponsors of white van men and women everywhere, we felt we simply had to share it!

The poll, commissioned by online doctor service, Zava, decreed that while white van men were king of making the moves between the sheets, while tradesmen, managers and house-husbands all left a lot to be desired (probably something to do with the hunky WMV down the road). 

A huge 20% of all the respondents in the survey, white van men included, said stress was a major issue that hampered their love-lives. 

While many men of the 1035 surveyed said at some points in time that they struggled to rise to the occasion, most said that they felt unable to talk to their partner or their doctor about it, and 17% had secretly resorted to taking little blue pills to help alleviate the issue.  Over 60% of managers admitted to struggling to get things moving, 20% more than those who work in skilled or semi-skilled jobs, such as white van men. And the good news is you can feel a little bit sorry for all the rich gits swanning around in their fancy cars and posh suits. Those earning between £60,000 – £100,000 were most likely to report ED issues, the study found.

Something that others, who aren’t white van men, have observed is that there’s something very primal and macho about being a white van man (as if you didn’t know), which probably contributes to their stellar performance in the bedroom. If you’re spending all day being macho and manly, it makes sense that carries on home to your private life. It’s just a more blokey way to live and comes with a certain power and status that other road-users simply can’t muster. 

So, you can keep your suits, and your flash cars and give your van a little pat on the bonnet for making you what you are. A tiger in the bedroom. As soon as you’ve helped the wife with the washing up, that is. 

Van Theft is Only Getting Worse.

Posted on by News Desk

Shocking news here at CVI HQ. 

We’re disappointed to report that new figures show that the number of stolen vans has increased by 45% since 2015. 

45%! 

If that wasn’t bad enough, the last year has been particularly awful for white van man and woman, with nearly 10,000 vans reported stolen in 2018/19.

We’re sad for you. It shouldn’t be this hard to make a living, without some little git having it away with your motor. And as if living in London and dealing with that traffic and congestions charges wasn’t punishment enough, more thefts occurred there than anywhere else (4,777 – nearly half of all vans stolen in the past 12 months). That’s an increase of 15% on the figures from 2017/18.

Outside of the capital, Leicestershire was the second worse area in the country for van thefts, with an 8x increase from the previous year.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, who commissioned the report, suggests that keyless vehicle entry could be partially to blame for the rise in van thefts. That’s definitely one new bit of kit you don’t want on your car. 

Better news however, if you live in the West Midlands, who saw a huge 73% decrease in van theft, which likely has nothing at all to do with Aston Villa being promoted to The Premiership this season, but you never know. Meanwhile, Surrey saw a scant 1% decrease which possibly might be rugby or cricket-related but that’s not our forte and we’re clutching at straws a bit, so we’ll leave that conclusion there.

Keyless Entry is Problematic

Keyless entry is proving to be more of a potential problem than a benefit it seems with thefts of both cars and vans on the rise, thanks to technology hacks that allow thieves an easy way in. And while the wisdom is to add extra security locks and bulkheads and to park your van in a way that doors can’t be accessed easily, it’s not really that simple, is it? You didn’t buy a van tonotbe able to easily access all the extra things you’ve got inside it, without moving it somewhere else and bringing out a prison warden size set of keys for all the extra bolts and padlocks you’ve been forced to add. 

Personally, we’d be insisting on a van without keyless technology, if we were in the market for a new one. But keyless or not, it just goes to show just how important a good van insurance policy is for you guys and girls. And if it’s renewal time, its more important than ever that you check the small print and T&Cs to ensure your personal belongings are also covered and that your van insurance premium adequately covers the costs of the goods that you’re transporting. And that we can help with. Just fill out our form and let the best providers save you a job by coming to you with the most competitive insurance quotes around.

A Haunting Tale About Van Drivers in a Post-Apocalyptic Brexit World

Posted on by News Desk

Brexit. 

If like 99.9% of the UK population, you’ve given up trying to understand what the hell happened, what is going to happen and what’s real or not real, like the rest of us, you’re probably over it, and resigned to whatever will happen, will happen.

Let alone trying to understand what any of it actually means.

If you’re a UK van driver who drives their van… well, in the UK, the answer is that to a large degree, Brexit won’t affect you if it does actually happen on October 31st.

If you drive abroad, we hope you’ve looked into the implications in a little more detail, as it’s potentially the stuff of nightmares. 

The customs implications for importing and exploring in and out of Europe are many – there is the extra time it takes to prepare and procure the correct paperwork. There’s the expense of paying for customs charges, most of which will be charged back to the client, but will add extra costs onto your bottom line. Then there’s the time of waiting at borders to have your goods checked in and checked out. If you’re delivering fresh food items for a client – this could be a massive blow to them – and you.

Basically – you’re buggered. 

There is an action in place to try and ensure that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, that both sides agree a continuation as things are until the end of the year, while a solution is sought, but this still has sticking points if you’re travelling through non-EU countries such as Switzerland and there will be restrictions on the number of deliveries that can be made under this agreement.

Added Van Insurance Costs

If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also need to ensure you have a foreign use extension to over any countries you deliver to. And a green Card driving permit to drive in the EU post-Brexit (currently not charged for by your insurance company, but give it time…) These Green Cards are only valid for a maximum of 90 days, so you’ll need to be sure you’re on top of renewing these to keep driving legally abroad. And you should already have one, but you need to be sure you’re not driving on a UK standard license – you’ll need an international driving permit.

While we wait with bated breath to see what happens, we at CVI can’t see how Brexit’s going to be a good thing for our international van driving friends. All you can do, is ensure you have a really good van insurance policy, that your paperwork is in order, and that you pack extra sandwiches for the inevitable long queue at customs. Sweet dreams all, don’t have nightmares. 

The Rise of White Van Woman

Posted on by News Desk

Last week, we reported on how dogs are becoming ever more ubiquitous in the passenger seat of white vans and taking on unpaid labour at the expense of your typical white van man.

If that isn’t bad enough, there’s more doom and gloom for your stereotypical WMV. 

While the reputation of the white van man is well known throughout the UK, it’s a fact that there is another force on the rise in our green and pleasant land.

White Van Woman is here, hear her roar! (Or at least hear her tell you to get your feet off the sodding table).

Back in 2017, a third of all vans were owned by women, but that was just the beginning.

Last year, the number of female van drivers surged by a whopping 52%, meaning that our trusty WMV could soon become an endangered species.

Cheaper van insurance for women

If that wasn’t bad enough, female van drivers pay less for their van insurance than men, sometimes by less than £1,000.

(They’re taking our jobs)!

“What is fuelling the increase in white van women?” I hear you ask.

As well as the obvious, that more women are working in what were historically male dominated industries, such as delivery and construction, more women are choosing to go self-employed, to give themselves the flexibility they need around childcare and emergency manicures (I may have made that last bit up). 

What are these women doing with their vans?

Women working in dog walking, care roles and cleaning are increasingly likely to choose a van as their primary mode of transport, as opposed to a more traditional choice of a little Fiat 500 or VW Beetle to get around in.

Not only that, a growing number of women are also choosing vans as their primary mode of transport to suit their home life – for all those surfers, cyclists and dog owners, it seems like a van is the perfect solution. 

Next thing we’ll know, the van makers will be offering added extras of pink fluffy seats or leopard print consoles, with extra space for handbag storage. (We don’t know why we’re continuing with these gender stereotypes – Mrs CVI knows more about football than any of us do and could out-drink any of us here by a long chalk, here at CVI towers).

Whatever the reason, I guess it was realistically only a matter of time. 

Male or female, you need to be sure you’re getting the very best deal on your van insurance. Simply fill out our 3-minute form, and let us do the hard work for you.

Autumn of Terror – White Van Man STRIKES Again

Posted on by News Desk

Jack…is back…and he is terrorizing the roads and streets of our nation yet again.

It is the white van man who is striking terror into the minds of ordinary motorists this Septmeber.

Experts are expecting the terror to continue into October, meaning this is now classified as the…

Autumn of terror.

Much like the summer of rage and winter of discontent, this autumn of terror shows that many white van drivers don’t have any “off season.”

Instead they get into their white ford transit vans and put pedal to the metal and unleash all out terror…

Just like one man in a white van who stopped to get out of his van…to punch a woman jogger!

Shocking!! Is all we can say here at CVI.

Or how about the white van driver who can be seen on dashcam footage SMASHING head on into a car. The reason? Because he was checking out a young woman who was still dressed for summer, even though it was Autumn…

The Autumn of terror, that is!!

And what about the white van owner who burned rubbish in his garden, night after night, leaving his neighbours frustrated and angry.

“This isn’t bonfire night…you know?” shouted one of his neighbours.

“I know…this is Autumn,” the white van owner replied, calmly, but with a menacing terror in his eyes.

Before long the white van owner was attacking his neighbours. There was real terror in the neighbourhood, on that night.

Do you know what though? While there are some white van drivers embracing this Autumn of Terror…there are many of you white van owners who are hard working, law obeying, and just general all around good people.

Sure, you might get up to a few tricks here and there and you might even get a bit hot under the collar against other NON white van owners.

But…you are not into punching joggers, or driving head on into other drivers, or attacking your neigbours.

That is NOT your style.

And if that is NOT your style then you are welcome here at CVI.

We welcome you to fill in our 3 minute form and save a packet on van insurance.

Van Drivers Gone Wild

Posted on by News Desk

First I gave you “Apocalypse CVI,” and now, I give you…”Van Drivers Gone Wild.” A plan for TV domination in 2019.

The formula is simple: We need to take advantage of the publicity from our TV advertisements, by getting on the box with our very own show.

I was thinking me and a documentary film crew could “tour” the country and go to different towns and cities. The show would air on Channel 5 prime time and would rival Can’t Pay Take It Away as the nations favourite…TV program.

“Van Drivers Gone Wild,” is the name, and 9pm on a Wednesday night is the game.

The first episode…

“Wet and Wild,”

The story of a white van man in Surrey who took off in the rain and went on a rampage. We show actual footage of the wild manoeuvrers that took place on the wet roads, and speak with key eye witnesses to the rampage.

Then, in the final part of the show we reach a climax as we enter the prison cell of the white van man and put him on camera, in a no holds barred interview that will shock and entertain at the same time.

I envision that wherever me and the CVI film crew go…we will always attract a huge crowd.

We could give out free CVI hats, free CVI t-shirts, and even…free money. This is reality TV after all, and the more you pay…the wilder it gets!

We could make it rain money, and get the good people of our nation to do all kinds of things in the name of Cheap Van Insurance.

Once finished, everybody gets together to repeat after me…”The Nations Favourite!”

When Van Drivers Gone Wild is established on Channel 5 and winning awards, I think a spin off product should immediately be commissioned to cash in on the craze.

I call it…

Van Drivers AFTER DARK (Banned on TV)

So the plan is to take the footage which is too hot to handle and put it on a DVD. Then buy advertising space on those late night commercials you see after midnight.

“If you thought the van drivers were really wild and out of control on the popular Channel 5 series, then you haven’t seen anything yet, and for only £29.95 you can see everything.”

I reckon we could easily slap a £29.95 price tag for just one DVD and sell 1 million copies.

So that is £30 million quid into the CVI bank account.

“But wait there’s more…

Buy right now and you get the never before seen…

White Van Women Uncensored…

See what happens when the action gets really wet…

It’s yours, completely free of charge, but you must act now.”

So there we have it. This is my synopsis for the “Van Driver Gone Wild” brand. I believe millions will watch this every week and everyone will have a “Wild” DVD in their collection.

Of course, all of this is a lead generator for the simple 3 minute form that gets cheap van insurance for every van driver in the UK.

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