Courier van insurance

Courier van insurance is designed to cover not only yourself and your van, but the goods it carries. It will cover you for any damage to your cargo, or if its lost or stolen. Exactly what you're insured for will still depend on what level of cover you get. You will normally need to declare to your insurance provider what type of goods you're transporting, and your premium should reflect the value and risk involved.

You should get courier van insurance if you use your van specifically for transporting and delivering goods. If your business relies on getting things to people, it could be extremely damaging if anything was to happen to your cargo, for example if it was damaged, lost or stolen. Courier van insurance will help to minimise the impact these unfortunate events would have on your business.

Different types of van insurance and levels of cover come with different prices, but it's important not to cut costs. Private van insurance is usually cheaper, but if you need to make a claim while you're driving your van for work then you'll be considered uninsured if you only have private van insurance. This will lead to a driving conviction and points on your licence and will make getting cheap van insurance in the future much more difficult.

There are different levels of cover you can get for both your van and the goods it's used to transport. You must first choose the level of cover you want for your van. The most basic level is third party only cover, however it's not always the cheapest. People who take out third party only insurance are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents, so some insurers may charge more for the basic level of cover. The three levels of cover are:

Third Party Only

This is the most basic kind of insurance and covers the cost of any damage caused to another vehicle, person or property. However, it doesn't cover the cost of any repairs needed to be made to your own van. It also doesn't cover you if your van is stolen.

Third Party, Fire and Theft

This covers everything that third party only insurance covers, but with the added cover of any damage caused to your van in a fire, or if it is stolen.

Comprehensive

This covers everything that the other two levels cover, but also covers any damage caused to your own van in the event of an accident.

You should also consider getting goods in transit insurance for that extra level of protection you need to cover the goods you're transporting. This will cover your cargo if it's lost, damaged or stolen while on route to its destination and could also cover it while it's locked away overnight, depending on the policy. Some policies may even cover you for any lost revenue if there is a delay in delivering your cargo.

Courier van insurance can be expensive, but luckily there are a few things you can do to keep costs down and to ensure you're getting the best deal.

The size of your premium will also depend on the size of your van. While it's important that you need a van big enough to carry the goods you need, try and minimise the size if you can as the bigger and more powerful your van, the more expensive your insurance is likely to be.

Increase Voluntary Excess

You could also lower your premium by increasing your voluntary excess. This is the set amount you agree to pay, on top of the compulsory excess, when it comes to making a claim. Generally, the higher your excess then the lower the cost of your insurance. However, don't set your excess too high, as if it's too expensive then you might not be able to afford to make a claim when you need to.

Security

You can also get cheaper courier van insurance quotes if you can prove to your insurer that you're taking extra measures to improve your van's security. Vans are a popular target for thieves, so if you lock it away in a garage overnight instead of in the street, you could be rewarded with lower premiums.

The quickest and easiest way to get cheap van insurance, is to do a price comparison. Use our price comparison tool to compare van insurance providers today and have a read through the terms and conditions to see what you'll be covered for. It will only take a few minutes of your time, and you could save hundreds of pounds on your van insurance.