Commercial van insurance

Business and commercial van insurance

Commercial van insurance – or business van insurance – is different to the policy you have for your own personal vehicle. It’s specifically designed to protect you for work-related activities.

If you need commercial van insurance, we’re working with a provider called Brightside Insurance who have options to suit different types of business. They’re a broker, like us, letting you compare quotes from a range of insurers and choose the right one for you.

Get a quote with Brightside Insurance

Do I need commercial insurance for a van?

By law, all vans in the UK used for business purposes need a commercial van insurance policy. Even if you’re just driving to one location, if it’s business-related and you’re using your van, it’s important to consider business van insurance.

A standard, non-commercial vehicle insurance policy will usually only cover you for social activities and commuting. Under the 2011 Continuous Insurance Enforcement Act, the law applies to off-road vehicles too, unless you’ve confirmed demise with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

What is a commercial vehicle?

A commercial vehicle is mainly used to transport goods or materials, rather than people. It'll probably include seating next to or behind the driver, but the distinctive features will be space to carry cargo and usually a towing, lifting or lowering function, or similar.

Vans come in lots of shapes and sizes, but from panel vans and double-in-cabs to pick-up trucks, dropside and tipper vans, all are usually classed as commercial vehicles.

Brightside van insurance

Brightside Insurance have different cover options that can help tradesmen get peace of mind. These include breakdown cover, GAP insurance on hard-to-replace vehicles, and 90 day European cover.

Van insurance features and optional extras

All vans are different, just like the businesses that rely on them. You can look to include these covers as part of a policy, helping you get one suited to you and your business’ needs:

• windscreen cover – if your windscreen is cracked, this can cover the cost of fixing it
• audio cover – cover for your gadgets, including sat nav and entertainment systems
• 90 Day European cover – this can help if you travel abroad for work

Additional van insurance products

When buying commercial van insurance, you might want to consider these options too:

• breakdown cover – cover that helps if you’re stranded on the roadside
• replacement vehicle cover – a replacement vehicle if yours is stolen or written off, for example
• motor legal expenses – cover for costs when you need legal help, for example if you had an accident that wasn’t your fault