Let’s face it, Vans are important. Whether people like them or not, without them we would be in a lot of trouble. For van owners they are not only a key part of their livelihood they also become somewhere they spend an awful lot of time. We know that some of you love your vans, some of you might be dreaming of a new van and some of you may well be very fed up with your trusty vehicle but we also know you need them and you know they need to be insured. But what level of van insurance do you need? You may be very familiar with UK insurance or you may not, either way we thought a simple rundown of the types of UK van insurance would be useful! So here we go:

Before looking at the types of van insurance available it is important to work out what you actually need for your chosen use.

Private Non-Commercial Use

If you use a van for fun, hobbies and family trips then a private policy will be suitable. You MUST not do any kind of commercial trips or use it for any kind of work or the policy will be invalid.

Commercial Use

If you use your van for work then there are three basic types of insurance.

• Haulage
• Carriage of own goods
• Carriage of goods for reward or hire

There are a few types of commercial van insurance

General Business and Commercial Van Insurance – this is a wide category and covers a range of policies for general business use. Each insurer will have different stipulations and things that are and aren’t covered.

Courier Van Insurance – this is a specific type of cover for people using vans to deliver goods. As with general cover, different companies will offer different levels of cover.

General Insurance Categories

As well as the specific types of business van insurance there are also the standard levels of UK insurance that need to be considered.

Third-Party – this simply covers any losses or injury to other road users. This offers no personal cover, no cover for theft or fire either. It is the minimum legal requirement for UK road use. It is the cheapest but it provides very little cover and not ideal for anything other than very occasional use.

Third-Party Fire and Theft – This is the same as the above option but provides cover against the van being stolen or catching fire. The theft side is a very useful addition because vans are popular targets for thieves.

Comprehensive – This is the best level of insurance. It not only covers other road users, covers against theft and fire it also provides cover for the driver and occupants too. There are various levels within this type of insurances, especially when it comes to commercials cover – these can over good in transit, tools and equipment and more.

Any Driver Van Insurance – Some comprehensive policies come with the option for the insured person to drive any other vehicles, some do not. It is important to make sure if you need to use other vans then your cover allows this.

Niche Insurance Types

There are other more niche types of van insurance for specific groups

Young Driver Van Insurance – as the name states, some companies offer specific insurance for people under 25 wishing to drive a van for work or pleasure. These kinds of policies cater for the potential added risk of less experienced drivers and maybe the only choice for some people in this age range.

Convicted driver van insurance – There are some companies that restrict insurance available to people with previous convictions. Some companies offer specific cover for people in this situation; while the premiums may often be higher they allow people to get cover and to use a van when they otherwise may not be able too.