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How to check that you have the right insurance for your van

check van insurance

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15 November 2018

In the general scheme of things, most of us will know whether they have the correct, or indeed any, insurance policy for their van or vans. However, there are times when life just isn’t that organised and you may have mislaid your documents or simply forgotten your renewal dates and suddenly you get that gut churning, panic inducing thought that you’ve forgotten to keep up to date with your insurance cover.

Not to worry though, you can check if your van is insured here with just a few mouse clicks. This means you can get back to business with your van knowing that you are covered or, if you find out that your insurance has actually expired, you can get the situation rectified before it’s too late.

Do I have the right insurance for my van?

The other thorny issue when it comes to insuring a vehicle, especially a van, is whether you have the right cover. Making sure you have just the right van insurance cover for your situation comes down to a number of things, which include:

Running a vehicle for business?

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  • What do you use your van for?

If you are a plumber, builder or gardener and you use your van to transport your tools of the trade from one customer to another, you will need slightly different cover than, say, a courier company that uses their van to deliver other people’s goods. It’s very important when you take out van insurance to be specific about all these aspects.

  • Who’s doing the driving?

Who will be driving the van? If you are the sole driver and you are over 25 then you naturally fall into the standard category. If, however, you have a young apprentice as a workmate and they need to get behind the wheel from time to time, you will need to ensure that you have adequate cover for such circumstances.

  • Has your van been modified?

Vehicle modifications can have a considerable impact on your premiums. Even if the modification was something superficial, such as roof bars, internal panelling or a respray, it may still affect your cover. This is definitely something that you should tell your insurance company, just in case there is an issue.

  • Where do you drive?

Your work radius also has a bearing on your van’s policy, so if you are a gardener who only travels between local jobs or a nationwide delivery driver travelling the length and breadth of the UK, your insurance company needs to know.

  • Do I need additional insurance?

Along with your actual vehicle insurance you should also consider whether you need additional cover, such as Goods in Transit or Any Driver insurance. This, of course, will depend on what you use your van for and will vary considerably from trade to trade.

Changes that may affect your insurance cover

There are a variety of reasons why your insurance needs may change through the year. You will need to keep your insurance company up to date with these or you could find yourself in serious trouble or not insured at all, which could be a very costly mistake. Changes that may affect your insurance policy include:

  • Picking up a penalty points on your licence, such as acquiring penalty points for speeding or another motoring offence
  • Change of use of van, for example if you’re changing your occupation from local window cleaner to courier delivery driver
  • Modifications to the van, including signwriting and other unobvious changes, some of which could actually bring down your premiums
  • Annual mileage, if there is a sudden change that means you are now driving substantially more, or less.

Business continuity

Having your van on the road can make or break a business, so it is imperative to check you have cover, in the in the event of a breakdown or an accident. Ensuring that you have replacement ‘like for like’ vehicle cover will help keep you and your business on the road whilst your van is repaired or you replace it with a new vehicle.

Likewise, it pays to make sure there’s breakdown cover on the van, which can be arranged either through your insurance company, or by third party breakdown companies such as AA or RAC.

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