What is specialist van insurance?
Specialist van insurance isn't a standalone type of van insurance policy.
Instead, it is a term that can be used to refer to insurance for van drivers with more unique or complicated circumstances. You might need to tailor policy if you use your van for work, are a younger driver or have previous driving convictions. These circumstances could mean that you have to pay a higher premium.
Who might need specialist insurance?
Here are some examples of why you might need to tailor your insurance needs.
If you're using your van for business
If you use a van – or vans – for business purposes, you'll want to make sure you’re adequately covered. Standard van insurance will typically only cover you for domestic use. There are various reasons you might use a van for work, including if:
You’re a courier
You use your van for ‘hire and reward’ purposes – for example, carrying passengers or goods in return for payment
You’re a tradesperson and carry tools and equipment in your van
You work in haulage.
If you're a younger driver
Younger drivers – aged under 25 – tend to be hit with higher insurance premiums because they are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident.
As such, some van insurance providers impose an age limit for their policies. This means that if you’re under, say, 21 or 25, you may find it harder to get standard van insurance.
One option for young drivers struggling to find a good deal on their van insurance is to look for a provider that offers telematics insurance for vans.
This uses satellite technology to monitor how and when you drive your van. Your insurance provider can then use this information to see whether you’re a safe driver and adjust your premiums accordingly.
If you have a modified van
If a van has been modified from its original factory specifications, it could affect your insurance premiums. This is because modifications can impact your van’s value, power and repair costs.
Whether you’ve modified a van yourself or bought one second-hand, you’ll need to tell your insurance provider straight away. If you don’t, you risk invalidating your policy.
If a van has been heavily modified – for example, if the engine has been adapted to improve performance – some providers might decline to insure it.
In this case, you’d need to compare quotes from insurance providers who can cover your vehicle’s modifications. And it may be that you have to pay more for your cover.
If you have previous convictions
If you have any previous convictions, finding an affordable van insurance quote may be difficult. You may also struggle to find cover altogether.
According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), as many as 50% of dangerous drivers have a criminal conviction, making convicted drivers riskier to insure. For this reason, providers may charge a much higher premium for their van insurance.
You may, however, be able to find a lower quote if you compare policies from van insurance providers that offer cover for those with convictions.
If you've struggled to find cover
You may struggle to find standard cover for your van if, for example, you’ve had a high claim rate previously or you’ve got a poor credit history.
If you’ve got a poor track record when it comes to claims, insurance providers may consider you risky to insure. This means they’ll either hike up your premiums or, in some cases, refuse to cover you.
If your credit score is low, your insurance provider will find out when they quote you for a pay-monthly policy and need to run a hard credit check. They may consider your poor credit history as a risk and reject your application.
In either instance, you may need to look for a specialist type of van insurance to cover your specific situation.
What level of van insurance should I choose?
There are three levels of cover for van owners:
Third-party only: this is the minimum level of cover required by law. It covers you for injury or damage you cause to other people and their vehicles.
Third-party, fire and theft: this gives you cover for damage you cause to other people and their vehicles, as well as cover for your own van in the case of fire or theft.
Comprehensive: includes all the features of a third-party, fire and theft policy, along with cover for the repair of your own van in the event of an accident.
What other types of van insurance are there?
As well as policies that cover drivers with less common circumstances, there are a few other types of cover you could consider:
Temporary van insurance – if you just need to borrow a van for the short-term, temporary van insurance could be a good option. It can offer you comprehensive cover you from as little as an hour up to 28 days.
Multi-van insurance – this could be useful if you run a business and own a fleet of vehicles, for example. Multi-van insurance can cover several vehicles under one policy with a single renewal date.
Any driver van insurance – want to share the driving with your friends on a long-haul camping trip? Or maybe you employ a team and need to insure them to drive your vans? Any driver van insurance lets you add multiple drivers to one van insurance policy.
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With more than eight years’ experience in writing and sub-editing content, Karen started her career in fashion before making the move to insurance. She now specialises in producing clear, engaging content that helps people make better financial decisions.
Karen’s areas of expertise include insurance products, such as car insurance, travel insurance and life insurance, as well as utilities such as energy comparison.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
Amy helps make sure you get the best value when choosing insurance. Thanks to more than four years’ experience at Compare the Market, she understands what people look for, working closely with insurance providers to offer you deals and services that are fair, easy to understand and right for your needs.
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