Whilst there are obvious similarities between both car and van insurance, there are also a number of fundamental differences that set them apart from one another. Here we’ll explore some of these differences and see what impact that will have on your cover and the costs involved.
Vans come in all shapes and sizes. They can also be used for a variety of jobs that no other vehicle would ordinarily perform. All of these variations have a significant impact on the type of insurance required and the cost of cover.
For instance, most car insurance policies won’t have any need for insuring the contents of the vehicle. However, if you are driving a van full of tools and other expensive equipment, there’s a good chance that you’ll want it all covered against accidental damage (in the van of course) and theft. This will allow you to get on with your work without being constantly concerned about whether anything has been taken from your locked vehicle.
Van usage also tends to be markedly different from a car’s too. Quite often they will be used as commercial vehicles. So for instance a van is regularly the vehicle of choice for labourers, couriers and delivery drivers. This change of purpose sets it apart from almost any car and means that the insurance quote will have to take much more into account when being calculated.
Delivery drivers for instance will often cover thousands of miles each month as they drive around the country. The more mileage you do, the greater the risk of causing damage and making a claim. This is all taken into account when calculating a quote and will be used in conjunction with other factors – such as usage and the value of the vehicle.
In fact it can be a very complicated job working out van insurance.
Often you’ll have more than one driver covered, can have contents of varying values and will cover significant distances on a daily basis. With each added risk comes extra cost, which is another way of differentiating it from a standard car insurance policy.
One business can also have a number of different vans within a fleet. Whilst these can’t be bundled onto a single policy, there are often discounts for those who choose one provider to cover each van. They will obviously have their own policy to cover individual incidents and may not have a designated driver attached to it – particularly large businesses with numerous vehicles and employees.
Whilst car insurance contains a contingency for where the vehicle is kept overnight and during the day, this is often more complicated when sorting out a policy for a van. As we’ve covered, a van can often travel great distances in a day and will take varying loads; therefore you have to take into account that it might be left at any number of depots across the country and could have tools or other valuable left in it overnight.
These changes might be relatively slight, but they can have a huge impact on the way you obtain cover and the overall cost. The major difference is that vans are primarily used as commercial vehicles whereas you would typically buy car insurance for a personal run around. This has a huge impact on how it is calculated and changes the whole dynamic of the policy.
With cars you will obviously be asked for the size of the engine, the model and any modifications your vehicle may have. However, when it comes to vans, there are all sorts of shapes and sizes to take into account. The capacity can vary wildly, so too can the overall function. This impacts on the value of the van and has a knock on effect for your quote.
So there are similarities, but also plenty of aspects that ensure van insurance and car insurance are markedly different.
Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For Car and Van Insurance he recommends BUDGET Insurance.
