Van insurance is a lot more complex than you would think.

Vans have many different uses and so they also come in many different guises, such as – flat beds, tippers, cherry pickers, chassis cabs, panel vans, luton vans, transit vans, single cabs, double cabs, etc. etc. And these all present different risks to an insurer.

Cover for Business Use

It’s not often a van is bought for purely personal tasks like social, domestic and pleasure purposes, so most insurance companies will not provide insurance other than a commercial vehicle policy to cover a van. This doesn’t mean you cannot have a policy with SDP cover, just that it will be added to a commercial policy rather than being available in it’s own right. It is also worth noting that there are some significant differences between commercial vehicle insurance policies and your usual SDP personal policy for your private motor car.

For instance, fully comprehensive motor policies always used to include an extension so the policyholder could drive other cars. However, this was only ever an extra thrown in to create value, and is not always automatically included. In fact, this extension is being slowly phased out and will not be widely available soon. In the case of insurance policies for vans and other commercial vehicles, the driving other vehicles extension isn’t available at all.

If a van needs cover for more than one driver, insurance companies offer “any driver” policies. although “any driver” applies to those who have clean driving licences and history. A driver with any points or claims would still need to be named on the policy, and this would naturally increase the premium due.

Drivers ages

As you would expect, the younger a driver, the more you will pay whether on a named or any driver basis. On an any driver policy, ages can be limited to any driver over 21, over 25 or over 30, with the latter being the cheapest.

Van Modifications

After purchasing a vehicle, a company will often adapt it for it’s own purposes. For instance, ply lining the interior, changing the number of seats, or fitting a tail lift. In the case of ply lining most insurers will not alter the premium one way or the other, although some will want to know. A tail lift is slightly different in that it is a fixture attached to the van, so if you have fully comprehensive insurance, you can potentially claim for this if it is accident damaged. However, you must declare it to your insurer, and also make sure the cost of the lift and the van combined are included in the sum insured. It is also worth noting that a tail lift is described as a fixture, not tools or equipment – these have to be insured separately.

The seating arrangement is also something that is often customised when a van is purchased. The intention being to add or remove seats as necessary. An insurer will always want to know if you have changed the seating configuration, as the number of passengers you may carry at any time, has a direct effect on the risk an insurer perceives. Adding extra seating must be done to a known standard for the insurer to accept the risk, therefore, this job has be done professionally by someone with the relevant recognised qualifications, such as a main dealer. It cannot be done by the policyholder, and to prevent this, Insurers will frequently want to see evidence such as a main dealer’s receipt for the work done. If you can’t afford this, really you need to buy a vehicle with the right number of seats to start with. If you are removing seats, there usually isn’t a problem.

Sometimes a van might be modified to make it more personal, such as adding fancy alloys or spotlights, or sign writing the vehicle. Either way, the insurer should be notified, and believe it or not, the premium will not always be increased. In the case of alloy wheels, theft is more likely, so a premium would increase, but a van with sign writing on the side is very distinctive, so is less likely to be stolen, and therefore might qualify for a reduction in premium.

The long and the short of it is:

* Whatever type of commercial vehicle you have, there will be an insurer out there who can cover you * If you have any doubts or questions about anything – talk to your insurer.

For further help or quotes, click on Coversure’s business vehicle insurance page.There are many Frequently Asked Van Insurance questions and information available for other commercial vehicle insurance products.