New Report Shows White Van Men are Turning to Healthy Eating

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? 

Why you may be feeling SAD…

While the majority of our readers here at CVI are waiting each week with baited breath to read out latest news, it appears that one or two of you may be nodding off… at the wheel.

Yes, in shocking news from Motoring Research, they found that almost half of all van drivers have, at some point, fallen asleep at the wheel. And now the clocks have gone back, van drivers up and down the country are even more likely to feel tired and struggle with their moods during the shorter days and longer nights.

The study of 2,000 van drivers found that 83% of respondents said that tiredness was a greater issue for them during the autumn and winter months, and 45% said that they find their mood to be affected by the change of seasons. And why wouldn’t you? Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect many of us in countries with short winter days, and long dark nights, and while treatment is surprisingly straightforward, it appears to be something that many people are embarrassed to seek medical help for.

Going back to falling asleep at the wheel – if you are feeling a little drowsy, what should van drivers who are feeling sleepy to do? Well, it’s been proven that simply opening the window doesn’t work, so that’s 58% of the respondents to the survey who aren’t doing the right thing. At all. Instead, the guidance is to pull over and take a 15-45-minute nap, and thankfully 2/3 of the van drivers said that they do actually this when they are really tired. 

But if you do feel that it’s a little more than a bad night’s sleep and this time of year brings a repeat of the same symptoms, the advice is simple, make sure you lay off the caffeine and alcohol, get a regular sleep pattern, take some form of exercise to boost endorphins and tire you a little and seek medical advice if you feel that you are a sufferer of SAD (Seasonal Affective disorder). If going to the doctors is too much, you could also invest in a SAD light for yourself. Just 10 minutes a day is enough to help make those depressing dark mornings a tad less terrible. 

What a Load of Rubbish! (White Van Man)

“Do you have a license for that?” said the council worker. “You what mate?” replied the white van man.

The council worker edged his nose further into the van window…

“The empty crisp packets and bottles, sir…do you have a license for that?”

“Your having a bubble bath, aint ya?”

You, the faithful reader of CVI might be thinking this is a laugh, but we can assure you this is no joke. This is something that actually happened.

In Hertfordshire to be exact, where a roofer was just chilling out in his white van and enjoying a break before he got back to fixing tiles and pointing up ridges.

Sure, there was empty crisp packets and water bottles in his van. Maybe even some empty pot noodles. Who cares? This is his van and his choice. Thousands of white van men do exactly the same thing. It eventually gets cleaned.

Well, it appears that white van owners are no longer safe. You can’t do what you want in your own van, without jobsworth council workers sticking their noses in and trying to rob you of your own hard earned money.

Like a modern day Dick Turpin, these council workers roam the roads of the UK with nothing better to do.

“A license or a fine,” is what they say, and unfortunately you don’t have any choice in the matter.

Just like the white van man in the story…he couldn’t produce a license so he got slapped with a £300 fine, all for having a few empty wrappers in his van.

“What a load of rubbish!” is what we say here at Cheap Van Insurance.

Isn’t it time these council workers got a real job, and left hard working white van owners alone to get on with theirs.

He wasn’t fly tipping. He wasn’t chucking it in someone’s garden. He wasn’t throwing it out of the window.

It was in his own van! These are crazy times, that’s for sure.

Here at CVI we would like to reach out to every white van man and woman who has ever been a victim of this kind of injustice.

These bureaucrats might wield their power over you with stupid fines but you can fight back using our 3 minute form.

The next time you get a £300 fine you can laugh in the face of the council worker handing it over.

“What’s so funny?” they will demand to know.

“I’m with CVI…I’ve already saved a packet!”

So what are you waiting for? Compare van insurance with us today and make a £300 fine seem like chump change.

Van Insurance is Down…OMG!

A recent report by Consumer Intelligence has come up with one thing we were not expecting…van insurance prices are down.

According to them, the prices have gone down an average of 1.7% compared to last year, giving us an average price of £1240.

However, if you are using your van for work then don’t break out the pot noodles, ham sandwiches and flasks of tea in celebration just yet.

The reason? Because “worker vans” have only seen an average drop of 0.9%, which isn’t really much to get excited about.

On the other hand, people who use vans as a substitute for their car have seen the biggest drop at 5.5% during the last year.

These are the people who check the “social, domestic and pleasure” box on their van insurance application form and then use their van to go and see friends or go on a picnic.

They are not like you, the hard working van owner who is just trying to make their bread and cheese…surely it should be YOU who is making the real savings and not people driving around for pleasure.

That is why I would like to use this blog post as a rally to all those hard working builders, carpenters, roofers, electricians, man with vans, white van men and white van women…

I want you all to UNITE and shout “this is not acceptable!”

“0.9% is a joke,” you should also shout…

You have bills to pay and you have to put food on the table. It should be you with the 5.5% price drop. You are the one who deserves it more than anyone else.

Well, you can use this opportunity to fight the power and hit back with your own counter punch.

If those van insurance companies want to slap you in the face then you should retaliate with right hook.

If those van insurance companies come at you with a baseball bat then you should pull out…

Your smartphone and then go directly to CheapVanInsurance.co.uk

See how those van insurance companies like that. I can assure you they won’t.

Van insurance companies don’t like us. Simple as that. Even those who partner with us. Most of them hate us.

Why? Because we lose them money. Time and time again.

But they have no choice. After all, we are “The Nations Favourite” and the place where ordinary van drivers come to year after year.

We constantly push these van insurance companies further and further…

“More Savings…Cheaper Prices…Van Insurance For Less,” we shout at them over the telephone.

They fight us but it is people power that wins the day. YOUR vote is what counts.

So put your vote in right now…and use Cheap Van Insurance to make real savings on your van insurance.

Introducing…The White Van Woman

I’ve spoken a lot recently about the so called “white van man” but reports are suggesting it is the “white van woman” that should be getting attention.

All the headlines have been about destruction, anger, drunkenness, and home movies…the “winter of unrest,” it has been called. White van men unchained.

However, a recent survey quite clearly shows us that 32% of van purchases are now made by women. Will they soon be making headlines with incidents of rage and unrest? Who knows, they might do.

One of the reasons for women getting behind the wheel of the traditional white van is because they are being used for more varied pursuits.

For example, nearly 1.5 million households have at least one van parked in the garage or on the drive, and almost half of those people admit they use it for both business and pleasure.

So a self employed business woman may very well use the van for driving around with stock during the week, and then load it up with a couple of bikes at the weekend to go and enjoy a bike ride.

Research also shows that women like to buy vans such as Ford Transits and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, so they can travel about in style. White is the preferred colour, and Cheap Van Insurance is their favourite comparison website.

There is also more women who are getting into trades such as building, roofing, plumbing, delivery driving, and carpentry. I’m sure they all consider Cheap Van Insurance to be the number 1 website.

Applying for C1 and C1E licences is something else that women are starting to do more of, so they can start driving vehicles that are considered to be heavy…between 3500 and 7500kg.

This all benefits the van industry of course, where van sales are the best ever and van accessories are big business.

It’s estimated that between January and October of this year there are around 10.5 million internet ads relating to vans being clicked on per month. Business is good and it looks like it is only going to get better.

Sure, we talk a lot about the negative side of the van industry on this blog, what with rage and unrest…and ice cream cones being thrown around, but when it comes down to it, the news is very much good.

It becomes even better when you visit Cheap Van Insurance to get your next quote, because you instantly get to compare around 40 companies, and then it becomes easy to choose the best one.

Step 1

Complete your quick and easy quote

Step 2

Reveal your van insurance policies

Step 3

Pick your favourite and get instant cover