Private van insurance
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Compare quotes and get the right cover for your business van
Commercial van insurance is also known as business van insurance. It covers your work vans and your personal or professional possessions, like tools.
It can cover travel to multiple places of work, as well as the transport of goods and materials.
You can pay extra to add more cover for things like courtesy van hire and breakdown assistance. They can help minimise the impact of any accident or theft on your business.
There are three levels of commercial van insurance, depending on what you use it for:
This is if you use your van to transport business-related goods or tools, for example, if you’re a self-employed plumber or florist.
You’ll also need this cover if you just use your van for commuting.
If you transport goods for payment this is the option for you.
It’s usually for those who transport goods to multiple destinations, like fast food or catalogue couriers.
Driving a long way to make a single delivery means you’ll need haulage cover for your van.
Different insurers have varying definitions for this cover and carriage of goods for hire and reward, so double check you’re getting the right cover for your job.
You’ll need commercial van insurance even if you only occasionally commute or your van is for business use.
For light commercial vehicles (LCVs) weighing up to 3.5 tonnes, you need commercial van insurance. Anything heavier is classed as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), so you’ll probably need truck insurance.
If you use your van purely for socialising and no commuting, then you’ll need a private ‘social only’ policy.
Not sure whether you should go for private or commercial van insurance? We can help you decide.
Exactly what’s covered depends on your policy level and type, but commercial van insurance can covers:
If you have the wrong van insurance and need to make a claim, your cover could be invalid and you’d have to pay for damages yourself
Commercial van cover has three levels of cover. Make sure you choose the right one for you and your business:
The average cost of business van insurance depends on your type of use, but some types might be almost as cheap as a social only policy. We found that carriage of own goods policies were just 16% more expensive on average than social use.*
It’s significantly more expensive to insure ferrying other people’s goods around. Carriage of goods for hire and reward was £1,137 on average and haulage cover was £916.
Your own quotes will be higher or lower and will depend on your own personal circumstances, including the van you drive, your location and your driving history.
To reduce the cost of your commercial van insurance, you could improve your vehicle’s security, install internal racking to safely store equipment and use ‘how’s my driving?’ signs, to show you’re a responsible motorist.
*The average purchase price for annual comprehensive van insurance policies purchased through GoCompare by drivers with a full driving licence in January 2023.
You’ll need to tell us a few things so we can show you your commercial van insurance quotes:
Things like the make and model of your van, or the registration number, any modifications or signage, it’s estimated market value and usage
For example, your name and date of birth
Including your licence details and whether you want to add another driver to the policy
What level you need, when you want it to start and whether you’d like to pay annually or monthly
Yes, it can. Cover for goods and equipment might be included in your commercial van insurance, available as an optional extra or bought as a standalone tool insurance policy.
Here are a few ways to get a good deal on your commercial van insurance:
Depending on your needs, your van insurance might include these as standard, or offer them as optional extras:
That depends on the type of commercial policy you need. Standard ‘social only’ van insurance costs £328 on average. Business carriage of own goods policies average £382. In comparison, haulage cover is £916, and carriage of goods for hire and reward policies are £1,137 on average.[1]
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[1] Average median price paid for policies purchased through Go.Compare in January 2023.