There’s a silent army out there on our roads keeping everything in order. You’ll see them before the crack of dawn at service stations getting breakfast sorted. You’ll see them pop the hazard lights on in the middle of the street when they deliver that most valuable package to you and your neighbours. You’ll even see them in black and gold, appearing on the horizon in the form of an AA van, when you’ve had a breakdown in the middle of the night (well, you will if you’re an AA member, of course).
It is the much sought-after man (and woman!) in a van that are on the road all day, doing jobs that are intense and require skill. If this is you, and you’re out there on the job, usually on your own, the last thing you want to be thinking about is pesky van insurance.
What does a van driver need on their insurance?
Someone driving a van to deliver packages has an entirely different job than a plumber or dog walker. A lot of providers tend to offer insurance that is quite broad and not specific to a driver’s needs. That usually means quotes can be higher. Some of the things to consider if you’re shopping around for van insurance include the following:
Fully comped or 3rd party?
The elephant in the room to address first. Comprehensive van insurance covers you for all damages to your van and other vehicles. 3rd party will only ever cover damage to other vehicles by your van.
Drivers tend to get comprehensive van insurance when they are insuring a new van. For older vans, it helps to keep them in good condition, especially when the weather takes a turn. If that’s you, read out guide on Getting Your Van Winter Ready. And for anyone who’s about to be a 2nd hand van and needs it insured, make sure you follow these steps.
Personal cover
Get hurt while driving your van? Some policies won’t cover it. If that’s a concern for you, ask about personal cover!
Trailer cover
Again, something that a lot of policies don’t account for. If you typically tow a trailer with the van, you’ll want a policy that covers you completely (something we do at the AA).
Who’s driving?
Do you share the van for work? Are multiple people using it throughout the day? You’ll want to ask about an Open Drive policy on your quote.
Is it cheap to insure a van?
Oh, the big question we always get when van drivers call up. While typically a little more than insuring a car, you can still get a good quote for van insurance if you know where to look. For example, we recommend that if you’re considering getting or renewing insurance, you do it online first. As an example, here at The AA, we frequently have offers where online users can save up to €75 on a new policy (just check the latest offer we have highlighted here).
The real trick comes from having a complete view of the market. AA van insurance customers have the luxury of knowing we’ve teamed up with seven different companies across the company to compare everything out there and offer the most suitable quote for customers. That also means that if you have the likes of car insurance with a specific provider, we might be able to get a cheaper rate for you. If you want to know how give us a quick call on 0818 227 228.
And if you have a private car or are an existing AA car customer, please get in touch, as we can probably get a better discount on a new quote or renewal.
Can young van drivers get insured?
There has been quite an upsurge in younger van drivers on our roads, especially the likes of people doing deliveries and those entering the trades from the ground up. That doesn’t mean young driver van insurance has to come with a lot of €€€ attached to a quote.
As long as we know your age, occupation, and driver status, you can leave it to the AA team to compare and figure out what coverage works best for you. Just click here to fill in a quick form, and someone from the AA will call for a chat about your options.
What else should a van driver think about when getting insured?
One final thought; think about how you want to pay! Some providers will lock you into annual payments as standard. Again, it doesn’t have to be that way, at least when you chat with the AA.
If you’ve read this and realised you should start shopping around for van insurance quotes, you don’t need to. Just visit our van insurance page to get started.
