Van Insurance

Whether you drive a transit, a dropside van, or something else, we’re well aware of how important insurance is to van owners.

Tradesman Saver has offered insurance to tradesmen for over 35 years, and we now complement our standard services with Van Saver, a van insurance comparison site. Use our price comparison tool to compare van insurance prices from leading providers and find your perfect policy today.

Some van drivers avoid purchasing van insurance because they believe their car insurance will cover any accidents. However, this isn’t actually the case as these are totally separate policies. Your car insurance won’t help you should something go wrong with your van.

This is because cars are primarily used for social and domestic purposes or for pleasure, whereas vans are almost always driven for business reasons. In addition, vans usually have more powerful engines and spend more time on the road than cars. Both of these factors increase the chances of an accident occurring, which tends to make van insurance policies more expensive. Insurance providers would stand to lose a lot of money if they let people use car insurance for their vans.

However, the difference between cars and vans isn’t always clear-cut. If you’re unsure which type your vehicle is, use the government’s vehicle enquiry service or your V5C log book to find out. 

Van insurance can cover the following things, depending on your chosen policy:

Third party only

This is the minimum level of van insurance available, covering costs like compensation and legal fees if you injure somebody or damage their vehicle.

Third party, fire and theft

The second type of van insurance insures you for the costs of fixing or replacing your vehicle if it’s stolen or damaged by fire. It also offers third party liability protection as well.

Comprehensive van insurance

Comprehensive van insurance includes everything in the above policies, in addition to covering van repairs if the vehicle is damaged in an accident which was your fault.

It’s often believed that comprehensive van insurance is the most expensive because of how much protection it offers. However, this isn’t always the case and it always depends on the provider you choose. That’s why it’s always worth using a van insurance comparison tool like ours to explore all your options before committing to a policy.

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Commercial and personal are the two most common types of van insurance, but there are four main categories in total:

1. Commercial van insurance

Alternatively called business van insurance, you need this cover if you drive your van for work purposes. Commercial van insurance is further divided into carriage of own goods cover (for tools of the trade) and haulage cover (for items you’re delivering).

2. Private van insurance

Private van insurance (also known as personal van insurance) is for those who drive vans for social, domestic or pleasure reasons, such as for shopping or carrying hobby equipment like bikes or fishing rods.

3. Courier van insurance

This cover is for drivers who make regular deliveries using their van. Couriers often transport valuable goods, meaning they need a higher level of cover than other van drivers..

4. Pickup van insurance

If you use your van for all kinds of purposes, then your best bet is probably a pickup van insurance policy. This covers you in both commercial and non-commercial scenarios.

Not sure what van insurance you need? Use our quote tool to find out more!

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The cost of van insurance depends on factors like the amount of cover you need, the type of vehicle you drive and your previous claims history. That said, the UK average is between £1,000 to £1,500 a year.