Van insurance for the self-employed: a guide
If you’re self-employed and use your van for work, we can help you find great-value van insurance that meets the needs of both your vehicle and business.
If you’re self-employed and use your van for work, we can help you find great-value van insurance that meets the needs of both your vehicle and business.
What are the main types of van insurance?
There are three levels of insurance for a van.
- Third party: This is the legal minimum you’ll need to insure your van. It covers you for any damage you cause to others, and their vehicles and property. However, it won’t cover any repairs to your own van.
- Third party, fire and theft: This offers the same cover as third party and it could also pay-out if your vehicle’s destroyed or damaged by fire, or is stolen.
- Fully comprehensive: This cover has all the features of a third party, fire and theft policy, plus you’ll be covered for the repair costs of your van after an accident.
If you’re self-employed, you may need additional cover to account for risks faced by your business. Let’s take a look.
What type of van insurance may I need for my business?
When comparing van insurance, make sure you choose ‘Business use’ instead of only ‘Social, Domestic and Pleasure’. Business use cover is needed when you use your van for work purposes, whether that’s commuting to your premises or driving to work appointments.
You can also insure the contents of your van in case they’re lost, stolen or damaged. If you use your van to carry your tools or other equipment, you might choose carriage of own goods cover (often this is included on a standard van policy).
If you carry goods on behalf of others in return for payment, you can opt for haulage insurance. This cover is aimed at those who transport items from one depot (or similar location) to another.
If you’re a self-employed courier or delivery driver, you may be better served by goods-in-transit insurance, which offers cover for items (such as packages) while they’re in your van. If you carry passengers in return for payment, you’ll need to get taxi insurance.
If you rely on your van for your job, then it might be worth adding breakdown cover to a regular policy. And some policies may offer a courtesy van as a replacement if your vehicle gets damaged, lost or stolen. This could be handy if you can’t afford to wait for your vehicle to be recovered or repaired.
What other types of cover might I need for my company?
As a self-employed van user, you might want to think about additional cover for your business. This might include:
- Public liability insurance: This will pay your legal costs and compensation claims made against you if someone is injured or killed as a result of your work activity and you are deemed to be at fault.
- Professional indemnity insurance: This provides cover if you have to pay compensation to a client because they have suffered a financial loss as a result of work you have done on their behalf.
- Business interruption insurance: You can claim on this policy if your business isn’t able to operate as normal because, say, your premises are unusable because of flooding or another incident.
Why should I buy through Compare the Market?
Choosing a van insurance policy through our website has never been easier. Just let us know what you need and we’ll compare van insurance deals that ensure you get the right level of cover.
