Introduction to Van Insurance UK - This type of commercial vehicle insurance can also cause a good deal of confusion when you are trying to purchase it from an insurer or broker.  Most insurers believe that if you have bought a Van then you must be intending to use it for business purposes, perhaps you are a builder and want to carry tools, you could be a shop keeper and need to visit the cash & carry or you deliver your goods in the vehicle.  It does not follow that van Insurance is more expensive than car insurance, it is just a different more restricted type of policy wording.  If you do need to use your van for business then you should insure it as a business vehicle, the private car policy wording will not give you the correct usage.

If you have genuinely purchased a Van for pleasure use then you may be able to insured it under a Private Car Insurance policy, usually if it is below 2000cc you can obtain a quote. Some people just prefer vans to cars, perhaps you are a fishing enthusiasts and need the van to carry your equipment, you may have animals that you wish to carry in the back The rule is as always, never mislead your insurance company about the use of the vehicle, in the event of a claim, you may find your self without any cover. The cover types provided by Van Insurers are the same as under car insurance:-

• Comprehensive

• Third Party Fire & Theft

• Third Party Only

The actual cover provided under Third Party & Third Party Fire and Theft is fairly similar, however under Comprehensive, you may find there are quite significant differences. Watch out for the following:-

• Protected Bonus May not be available.

• Driving other Cars will be excluded.

• Contents will be excluded.

• Windscreen cover may be an optional extra.

• Courtesy vehicle is not available.

The insurance is usually rated along similar lines to Private Car Insurance but the use of the vehicle is taken in to consideration. The cheapest insurance rates are available for vehicles that are used for the carriage of own goods, this is usually on an unlimited radius basis but some insurers may offer a discount if you are prepared to restrict your operating radius. Be careful with this, you wouldn’t want to turn down work just because your insurance policy doesn’t cover you if you go beyond a certain mileage.  The more expensive rates are charged for haulage but this type of work is not usually normal in a van. If you intend to use the vehicle for courier or multi drop parcel delivery, always inform your insurers, you may find that a number will be un happy to provide this type of insurance

As well as the usage, insurers will rate your premium of the carrying capacity of the vehicle. Basically, the more the vehicle will carry, the more expensive, the premium will be.  Van insurance uk policies do not cover the contents of the vehicle. So if you carry expensive goods or perhaps tools, you will need to make other arrangements to cover them.

Goods can usually be covered under a Goods in Transit policy, the premium being calculated on then types of Goods carried and the value etc. If you carry tools in your vehicle and are worried about Theft, you may find it possible to obtain cover by extending your Tradesman’s Public Liability Policy to include Tools cover.