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Business van insurance

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Buy business van insurance and get year round hot drinks plus your choice of reward**

  • We compare up to 61 van insurance companies1 to save you money

  • Our van insurance customers rate us 4.7/5 on reviews.io

  • We guarantee to beat your renewal. Or give you the difference, plus £20***

**Single annual policy. New and former Paramount+ subscribers only who sign up at ParamountPlus.com. Subscription required. Auto-renews unless cancelled. 18+. Just Eat website account required, geographical exclusions apply. The year-round reward is provided by Greggs, and consists of one regular hot drink per month for a year, only available via the Confused.com app. T&Cs apply.

***Beat your renewal guarantee. Must be like-for-like. Terms and conditions apply.
1Correct as of October 2024

Do I need business van insurance?

If you’re driving a van for business purposes, you’ll need business van insurance.

This includes if:

  • You drive to more than one place of work including depots, work sites and offices. If you only drive to a single place of work, you'll need private van insurance.
  • You drive between multiple sites as part of your job, which applies if you’re a plumber, electrician, dog groomer or do anything else that requires you to drive from site to site.
  • You’re a delivery driver and transport other people's goods. If you do, you’ll need a specific type of commercial policy known as hire and reward insurance.

What type of business van insurance do I need?

At Confused.com, we compare quotes for two types of business van insurance. We refer to these as classes of use

We’ll ask you which class of use you need when you get a quote. Pick the one that most closely fits the type of driving you do.

  • Carriage of own goods is for those who drive a van as part of their job but do not carry other people’s goods while doing so. This includes self-employed tradesmen, gardeners and mobile hairdressers who may carry their own equipment with them while driving from job to job, but do not carry parcels, or other items belonging to clients.
  • Hire and reward insurance is for couriers, delivery drivers and long-distance hauliers who carry other people’s goods as part of their job. It’s sometimes known as courier insurance, and covers the vehicle you’re driving while you make deliveries. It doesn’t cover the goods you’re carrying though. For this you’ll need goods in transit insurance.
Image showing classes of use selection panel in Confused.com's business van isurance journey

Will my insurance cover what I'm carrying in my van?

Business van insurance does not automatically cover the goods you carry in your van, and most policies will only cover the vehicle itself.

But there are ways to insure the goods you carry:

If you carry your own goods some business van policies will offer tool insurance as an add-on. Others may even include it free of charge. This adds in cover for any work equipment you own and carry with you, up to a set limit.

If you carry other people’s goods like parcels, or make larger deliveries of things like electricals, hazardous goods or even livestock, you’ll need goods in transit insurance. This is a separate type of insurance you take out alongside a haulage or courier insurance policy. It covers the goods you're carrying up to the value of £10m in case they’re damaged in transit.

Explore tool insurance

Explore goods in transit insurance

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**Single annual policy. New and former Paramount+ subscribers only who sign up at ParamountPlus.com. Subscription required. Auto-renews unless cancelled. 18+. Just Eat website account required, geographical exclusions apply. The year-round reward is provided by Greggs, and consists of one regular hot drink per month for a year, only available via the Confused.com app. T&Cs apply.

How much is business van insurance?

Average cost of business van insurance2.

Hire and reward insurance

£2,011.58

Carriage of own goods insurance

£751.78

2Based on Confused.com data November 2023 to April 2024.

Your van insurance price is based on a range of factors including:

The value of your van, as bigger, pricier vans cost more to repair and replace, and are pricier to insure as a result.

Your driving history, as drivers with points or convictions are seen as riskier by insurers, who charge them more for their cover.

The type of driving you do, as couriers who spend a lot of time on the road carrying valuable items are seen as riskier to insure.

The areas you drive in, as those working in areas with higher than average crime levels may be at greater risk of vehicle theft.

How can I get cheaper cover?

What you pay for your insurance is largely based on risk. Insurers give each driver a 'risk profile', which is determined by things like your driving history and your van's insurance group.

Anything you can do to bring your risk profile down could help you save. With business van insurance, this includes things like:  

Adding signage to your van which can make it easier to trace if it’s stolen and can help deter thieves. 

Installing internal racking in your van, which can lower the risk of loose items causing an accident. Our data shows that this could bring your costs down by an average of 17%(2) on a carriage of own goods insurance.

Joining a trade federation, which can be an easy way to save as some insurers offer discounts for members. Our data shows that members of bodies like the Gas Safe Register paid £54(2) less on average for their cover.

Improving your van's security is one of the most obvious ways to lower your risk profile, with our data showing that even simple factory installed immobilisers can cut the average cost of cover by as much as £74(2).

Considering black box van insurance as these policies are often cheaper than standard van insurance, and come with fewer restrictions than you might think.

Choosing comprehensive cover can be a quick way to save, as fully comp policies tend to be far cheaper than other levels of insurance despite giving you a higher level of cover.

Avoiding auto-renewal as comparing quotes is one of the quickest ways to save. Get a quote in minutes to see our best deals, and find the right cover for you at the right price.

Explore more van insurance saving tips

(2)Confused.com data November 2023 to April 2024.

We compare up to 611 van insurance companies to save you money

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What other types of cover might I need?

If you’re driving for business purposes, you may need to have certain types of business insurance in place alongside your commercial van insurance. Some policies include this as standard, but others may only offer it as a paid-for add-on.

Popular types of business insurance drivers choose include:

Public liability insurance

This covers you if you injure a member of the public or damage their property while you’re working. It allows you to claim for things like legal expenses if you or your business are sued, and can help you cover the cost to repair or replace any property you damage. If you’re a courier or delivery driver, the company you work for may require you to have this in place.

Employers’ liability insurance

If you employ other people as drivers, employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement. It helps cover the cost of any claims your employees make against you. This could be for things like the cost of compensation payouts they're entitled to if they fall ill as a result of their work. As claims can often run into the tens of thousands, it’s a useful type of cover to have in place.

What extras can I add to business van insurance?

Some insurers offer extras that you can add on to your policy for an additional fee. These can help ensure your cover does exactly what you need it to.

Useful add-ons for commercial van drivers include:

  • Breakdown cover
  • Courtesy van cover
  • Legal expenses cover
  • Windscreen and window cover
  • Cover for European driving
  • Sat nav and audio cover

Breakdown cover can help get you driving again so you don't miss a day's work.

Courtesy van cover provides you with a temporary replacement vehicle while yours is being fixed, helping to keep you on the road.

Legal expenses cover can help you cover the cost of going to court if you're involved in an accident.

Windscreen and window cover can help you cover the cost of repairing your windows if they're chipped of smashed.  

Cover for European driving is useful if you drive abroad as part of your business. Some policies include this for free but others may charge to add it on..

Sat nav and audio cover insuresany audio equipment and sat navs in your van.

We guarantee to beat your renewal. Or give you the difference, plus £20***

***Must be a like-for-like policy. T&Cs apply.

Why choose Confused.com?

In 2002 we became the first ever insurance comparison site.

Founded with one goal in mind - to save you money on your insurance - we’ve since gone on to help tens of millions of customers beat their renewal price.

But if that’s not enough reason to choose us, here are a few more:

We’re 100% independent: We aren’t owned by an insurer and we don’t give any of them preference. We show you the best quotes for you, and that's it.

We’re regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority whose strict rules around honesty and fairness align with our own beliefs about always putting the customer first.

We’ve given out over £20m in rewards to our customers so far. And we have no intention of slowing down now. Take out a van, home or car insurance with us and take your pick of 1 of 4 rewards.

Still not convinced? Learn more about us.

How do I compare business van insurance quotes?

You could get a quote in just five minutes. If you’ve used us before it’s even quicker. Just log in and check your details are up to date. For first-time customers:

  • We’ll compare up to 61 van insurance companies to help find the right policy for your business
  • We’ll show you a list of quotes to choose from. You can view prices monthly or annually and add features (add-ons) that are important to you
  • Once you’ve bought business van insurance don’t forget to come back and choose a freebie with Confused.com Rewards**

Our customers say:

Reviews.io 4.5 stars

Confused.com van insurance scores a 4.7 out of 5 rating
based on 11915 reviews as of 10/05/2024

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Need more help?

Can I insure multiple vans on a single policy?

Yes, if you have multiple vans that you use for business purposes, you can insure them all under a type of business van policy known as fleet insurance. Our standard commercial van insurance policy won’t cover more than one van.

Fleet insurance can cover anything from 2 vans up to a few thousand, and cuts down on the time and admin it takes to insure multiple vehicles. You’ll have one easy-to-manage policy that allows you to keep track of exactly what you’re covered for, for how long and for how much.

It’s also usually cheaper than insuring several vans under separate policies.

Can I add additional drivers to a commercial van insurance policy?

Yes. Just like with standard van insurance, you can add additional drivers to a commercial policy. Just be aware that it might affect what you pay - especially if they’re an inexperienced driver.

Looking to add more than one driver to a single policy? Then any driver van insurance might be worth looking at. This lets you insure a vehicle, or vehicles, for use by multiple drivers - which can be handy if you have several workers using the same van, for instance.

Fleet insurance is also handy and can be useful if you want to cut down on the admin of insuring several drivers and vehicles at once.

To add someone to a van insurance policy, you’ll need their details when you get a quote. This includes things like their licence type, how long they’ve held it and whether they’ve had any previous accidents or driving convictions.

How old do I need to be to get commercial van insurance?

You need to be 21 or older to buy commercial van insurance.

Can I get my business van insured under my company name?

Yes. If your van is registered to or owned by your company, some insurers will allow you to buy a policy under your company's name.

This isn’t always the case, though and some insurers will insist that the main driver is also the policyholder. This means the van would need to be insured under the driver’s name, rather than the company name.

Does commercial van insurance cover driving in Europe?

You may be covered for driving in Europe, but this doesn't always come as standard. Check your policy or contact your insurer to find out.

What our van insurance expert says

"Business van insurance will cover your van for work-related driving, but it won’t normally cover the other things you may want insured. Tool insurance, public liability cover and goods in transit insurance are all useful extras you can add on to your policy, and they’re often worth the extra expense. Select the extras you want when you get a quote and we’ll do the rest to find you the policy you need at the right price."

Louise Thomas, Motor Insurance Expert at Confused.com
Motor Insurance Expert Confused.com logo

Page last updated: 10 May 2024

Reviewed by: Louise Thomas

Confused.com van insurance customers rate us 4.7/5 based on 12166 Reviews.co.uk respondents - as of 20/09/24). Read our reviews