Van Insurance for Courier Businesses

Courier van insurance is designed for drivers who use their vehicle for hire and reward – that is to say, they are paid to transport other people’s goods. Due to the nature of the job, a courier driver can often spend a lot of time with the van on the road and is therefore more likely to be involved in incidents than your average van user – something that regular insurance doesn’t always cover.

What does a courier policy offer?

The level of cover depends to some extent on the individual insurer, but in general most policies will include cover for any goods in transit up to a specified value (which can sometimes be amended to better reflect personal circumstances for your business). They will also often include public liability and damage to the vehicle or driver.

Some insurers give the option for employer’s liability, and it’s worth considering companies who offer breakdown cover too, as it gives you added peace of mind; after all, when you rely on your vehicle to do your job, there’s nothing worse than an unexpected breakdown. For self-employed delivery drivers, a courtesy van should also feature on your priority list.

If you own or use a number of vehicles, courier fleet insurance is probably a good choice, as this will offer additional benefits or discounts for a larger number of vehicles being insured. As a rule, if you have 5 or more vans which need covering, multi van insurance is more likely to provide better value for money.

In addition, if you tend to deliver goods abroad, think about whether getting European cover is worthwhile – though if you only cross the Channel once or twice a year, it might be more economical to get an extension to your insurance for the short periods of time required, rather than paying for year-round cover.

Courier insurance vs. Haulage insurance

There are two main policy types for people who transport goods for a living. Courier insurance for vans is mostly for the smaller items – the gifts, white goods, flowers, cakes and leaflets that make their way to individual houses. In fact couriers tend to carry anything for anyone and are likely to have many different items on their van at any given time so the level of insurance needs to cover both the vans and the goods that are carried no matter how diverse. Haulage companies on the other hand tend to have regular contracts and know exactly what they are carrying which is often narrowed down to just one or two items going to regular drops. Either way you will need to have Goods in Transit insurance as well as having your vehicle covered.

Delivering the goods

As you can see, courier insurance offers considerably more than your standard van policy – but it’s needed in order to protect against the myriad risks that a van delivery driver can face on a daily basis. If you think your job falls into the courier category, then find out the best price to get yourself and your van covered for all eventualities with our bespoke insurance comparison tool.