Author: News Desk

A Week of Heroes and Villans

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We start this week with some good news for a change. Yes, despite the weather being more variable than a typical Aston Villa footballing season, we have some good news this week. (No, Villa haven’t signed Gareth Bale – well, not yet, anyway).

The good news is that since lockdown, the average cost for van driver insurance is down. Not by a massive amount, but by 2.3%, which can still represent a good saving on van insurance for most van drivers.

Latest research shows that the van insurance industry has put a pause on their typical insurance price increases, and instead of a hike, have taken a cut.

This is a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has seen a marked reduction in the number of white van men and women on the road throughout the UK. This has meant that unsurprisingly, there have been fewer van insurance claims made and so the cost has come down. 

This is particularly good news because prior to COVID bringing the UK industry to a grinding halt, van insurance premiums were at something of an all-time high. 

The group of van drivers who have seen the biggest drop in their van insurance renewal costs are young van drivers, who have seen the cost of insuring their vans decrease by around 14% (although bear in mind, van insurance for young drivers remains eye-wateringly expensive, with an average annual policy costing upwards of £3,000 compared to the overall average policy cost of a smidge over £1000 – representing a drop of 2.3% in the last few months.

The average premium on van insurance has seen a drop of 0.9% over the last year, so the recent drop of 2.3% is a big change downwards, by comparison.

If you are driving your van for work and using it at home on a ‘Social, domestic and pleasure’ policy, if your van insurance is due, you too, should see a drop although it will be around the more modest 1.2% mark.

Of course, like most good things, they are often fleeting (like the feeling of relief felt when Villa scraped through being relegated), because the future is, like football, less certain. With things returning to normal on the roads, there will inevitably be more accidents, and with more accidents come more claims and that of course means an increase in insurance premiums too. 

So, if your van insurance is due any time soon, make hay while the sun shines. Use our free quote tool, to triple check that you are getting the best possible van insurance deal. 

… And finally,  before anyone writes in to complain of Aston Villa bias or to send Villa-related abuse, let us remind you that the future King of England is a Villa fan, and if he has anything to do with it, you’ll all be Villa fans when he’s in charge.

Until next week.

Bad Back? You’re not alone.

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As this week sees the brave and fearless van drivers of the UK go out of their way to get things to the places and people that need them, all in spite of sweltering heat and traffic jams all around the coast, all we can hope is that you all made time to have your air conditioning re-gassed before the hot weather began. Otherwise, we can’t imagine you’re having too pleasant a time of it.

Whether your office is on the road or in a building, there’s no escaping the heat.

Something else that most van drivers can’t escape is back pain. Sitting in a cab all day, lifting deliveries in and out and the constant stress can all play a part in contributing to a bad back. And it isn’t nice, we’ve all been there. It can play havoc not only on your waking life, but on your nocturnal one too. 

And we know that we’ve talked about it before, but a sedentary life and poor physical fitness is the one thing that can help to make a difference. Maybe shifting a few pounds and getting fit before winter this year is really worth doing more than just talking about it.

But here are some ideas for how you can make those aches and pains a little bit easier to take.

1: Check how you are sitting

Check that your backrest is following the contours of your back. You don’t want big gaps. Try not to recline too much, a straighter posture will force you to stop slumping in your seat a little. If you have an adjustable base, extend it so it supports the ensure length of your thighs. Finally, check your headrest aligns with the middle of the back of your head, and don’t forget to use it. If you need any lumbar support cushions, get them. And use them.

2: Check the steering wheel and mirrors. 

Now everything about your chair is right, try and adjust your steering wheel so your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, but not too close to your chest Adjust the mirrors too.

3: Try and take breaks. 

It’s hard in a COVID world – you don’t want to keep getting out of your van for the sake of it. But a quick get up and move every few hours can get things moving and make all the difference. 

4: Watch your posture.

It’s so easy to start slumping behind the wheel. Try and adjust your posture as often as you can, so that you are sitting tall, in the back of your seat, with your shoulders back and your neck and head straight, not at an angle. Try and keep everything aligned

5: Find some online stretches for at home

Get a free video to bag a few physio-approved moves for a few minutes after work each day. You can also consider getting a back stretcher, an arched adjustable plastic board that you lie on for a few minutes each day, to help put everything back where it should be and relive any pressure off your spine. It’s suspiring how inflexible you may find yourself to be. 

6: If it persists, see a doctor, physio or osteopath

We love our osteopath and think he is nothing short of a miracle worker. But whatever works for you, just do something to seek help to resolve the issue – nobody should have to live with pain long-term.

Safe and cool driving this week, everyone.

Eat out to help out – if you can find parking

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Good news for van drivers up and down the country today, with the Government’s new ‘eat out to help out’ incentive, meaning British workers can take advantage of cut-price meals up and down the country, including many popular takeaways. The scheme which runs Monday to Wednesday through August means that lunches can be on Boris and Rishi for our UK van drivers! To find out which eateries near you are offering the deal, check the website which will give you all results within a five mile radius. We suggest everyone takes advantage of the scheme while it’s on offer, and put a few quid back in your pocket whilst helping the service industry get back on its feet. 

You’ll remember a few weeks ago we were bemoaning the fact that local councils are going gung-ho through town centres, deciding arbitrarily to pedestrianize roads and close off parts of towns to traffic. Well, it seems this is happening across the country, not just in our own little local enclave. Where we are, the latest Highways England/Local council have proposed suspending all parking bays in the centre of town to be able to make those spaces pedestrianised to enable social distancing. Which is great (well, to some, the local cycle groups seem to be lobbying hard for it), but the problem is that not only does that stop local businesses from being able to welcome customers who are able to pop in and visit (our town centre is on a very steep hill, which would make walking to shops impossible for elderly customers), but it also places additional pressure on the limited number of public car parks in the vicinity, which are overstretched as it is. 

This also of course, has a knock-on effect for delivery drivers. Where are they supposed to park to make deliveries, especially those for large goods or bulky items which can’t be lugged up hills from miles away? We don’t know how you guys are supposed to deal with that. And of course, that has a knock-on effect on the shopkeepers too, who need those deliveries to be able to keep trading in what are already challenging times. And that’s before we take a moment to consider those of you who support local delis and sandwich shops by popping in to grab lunch from them. You’re not going to do it if you need to park miles away. 

It seems this is a countrywide issue, with latest reports suggesting that local councils who do impose these measures without public consultation could be liable to legal action as a result. Good! It’s all well and good being able to want to cycle more freely and we understand the environmental benefits that brings, but the reality is that many towns and cities in the UK were created many hundreds of years ago and the way they are built simply doesn’t support that. 

There also appears to be another knock-on effect of these closures creating pinch points, which are increasing pollution as a result of added congestion. Emergency services are also reporting delays in being able to attend emergencies as a result of the congestion. 

If these things are happening in your area, please do take a moment to email your local council or highways agency and make a complaint. Making a living as a delivery driver or shopkeeper right now is hard enough – let’s all try and work together to stop the council do-gooders from making it even harder. 

Time for a little good news?

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Picture the scene (we know you’ve all been there). You’re on the road. On the motorway, to be exact. It’s busy, but its okay. Things are moving. Then, all of a sudden, things start to look busier ahead. You start to slow. You see the familiar yellow signs of roadworks ahead. You groan to yourself. Roadworks for how long? 10 miles? You’ve got to be joking. You’ve places to go and people to see. This is not what you need. But, you do what you need to do, you slow down. Right down. (You’ve clocked the speed cameras there, you can’t afford to get 3 points on your license). And through you drive. Past the road cones, closing one lane… for seemingly nothing. There’re no crews, there’s no lorries, there’s no sign that anyone has done any work here at all. Or looks likely to. What was the point?

Agh! Infuriating, right?

Well, while there isn’t much we can say to make that better, the good news is that Highways England has announce that the typical speed limits imposed at the sites of those repairs is being increased from 50mph, to 60mph. This should lead to a time saving of somewhere between 8%-14%, meaning you will get to where you are going faster as a result. 

While Highways England are saying that this will not apply to all roadwork sites, you can expect to see the increase in many sites, especially those on large stretches of motorway

But of course, what they give with one hand, they take with another. In some areas of high traffic pollution, they are cutting speed limits, in a bid to minimise emissions from vehicles. While they are also looking for other ways to do so, that do not mean a cut in speeds, there are targets that they need to meet, which they have not found other solutions to, despite only using half of their allocated budget on discovering better ways to fight pollution. We hope that these are only temporary and that they can discover some measure that do not mean a reduction, in speed, which, by our logic, can only lead to more congestion as things slow down (otherwise why would they be increasing the roadworks limits)? 

But if the last few months have shown us anything, it’s that nothing makes sense any more, really. At least one thing is unchanged – that if you are on the hunt for the best van insurance deals around, you’re in the right place. 

Don’t Get Tired of Your Tyres

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New rules are coming in to impact not just classic car and van owners, but might also apply to some of our van driving readers. From September, tyres aged ten years or older cannot be used on the front wheels of buses, coaches or lorries. If it is a minibus you’re driving, then you can’t use them at all. 

Also, if your steep mileage means you use re-treaded tyres a lot to save yourself a few quid, those days might be coming to an end sooner than you think. While not being banned outright, these will need to be clearly marked with their original date from the autumn. This is as a result of older tyres being more prone to corrosion which can have deadly consequences should they fail at high speeds.

This follows on from a report by Halfords late last year, which shows that up to four million vehicles across the UK are being driven with bald tyres. A huge 13% of drivers said they were aware that their tyres were not above the legal minimum tread depth. 

A massive 65% of people surveyed did not know the laws around maintaining a minimum tread, despite the fact that there are heavy fines if you are caught with your tyres below that level.

And, while we expect van drivers to know a little bit more than Joe Public about the rules of the road, we will bet our bottom dollar there’s a good few of you lot who don’t really know what’s what either. 

A tread depth of 1.6mm is the bare minimum for most vehicles, across three quarters of the face of the tyre. (Of course, you knew that, obviously). For LGVs, it’s 1mm. But let’s be honest – when did you last check yours?

Get pulled over for it and not only is there a £2,500 fine for each tyre below that minimum, but there is also three points on your license. Per tyre. Do the maths there – a set of dodgy tires could cost you £10k and 12 points. 

Ouch.

Not only is it a sensible precaution for your health, safety and your wallet, but of course its important for other road users too. Bald tyres can reduce the ability to brake and steer, especially in wet weather. 

And we’ll end this week with an ‘and finally….’ Of the bad news. If your tyres are below the legal tread depth and you are involved in an accident that could have been avoided had your tyres been road-legal? Yes, you guessed it, it could invalidate your van insurance too.

In the meantime, if your van insurance is due, while we can’t make sure your van is insurance worthy, we can point you in the direction of the best deals around.

The World Opens Up, but What Next?

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So, the world is now pretty much out of lockdown and the roads back to pre-corona levels of traffic. And for those of you who are finding life a bit of a struggle financially, don’t spend too much time thinking about your van insurers.

Why do we say that? Well, because the news is that while the UK was locked down, the car and van insurance companies of the UK pocketed a massive £1.3 billion in savings, as a result of fewer vehicles on the road and fewer accidents.

Now, a few of them, such as LV and Admiral have given back a rebate to some, including to van drivers.

But an awful (In fact, all of them with the exception of the two above) have not. That is a lot of our money that they have pocketed, without so much of a “here, have a few quid back, mates, it’s only fair.”

We don’t know what can be done about it, but we’re just annoyed that there seems to be no recourse when so many people are struggling right now and when the regular people have clearly overpaid for services, it’s not right that they don’t get a refund. 

On the flip side though, we are seeing a huge leap in accidents involving van drivers being reported. We aren’t sure if this is largely to do with the fact that there were fewer cars on the road during lockdown, so comparatively the amount of van driver accidents is up, or if it’s more to do with the fact that there have been quieter roads, which have led to more stupid decisions being made.

Well. If nothing else, it probably helps balance out the van insurers not giving any rebates.

We are also still seeing increased pressure in some areas of the UK to make town centres pedestrian or cycle only. An unmitigated disaster for van driver and the businesses they serve. Let’s hope they die a death in the same way social distancing appears to be doing. How is it round by you? Here it’s like COVID never happened. It will be interesting to see if that second wave comes and if it does – then shouldn’t we be thinking of ways for van drivers to protect themselves to be able to carry on? We don’t know what the answers are, but maybe a van driver’s charter is in order….

Surges and Savings

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As another big tranche of the work gets back to work this weekend, there is, inevitably, more traffic on the road than before. Every van driver’s nightmare. What is worse is that many of these drivers are going to be out and about at rush hours, because they are choosing to drive, rather than commute using public transport. In fact, some reports are suggesting that there may even be twice as many using their cars to commute than there were pre-covid.

And as if dealing with more traffic isn’t bad enough, we are still waiting to see if any of the powers who be do anything about the fact that the massive savings that car and van insurers made during lockdown have not been passed on to us, the humble drivers who all do our bit to follow the law with a good and valid car or van insurance policy. 

Car and van insurance for new customers has gone down in that time, but if you haven’t renewed recently, you’re unlikely to be one of the few whose insurers have refunded them some of the savings they have made or to have seen any savings being passed on to you. 

It also looks like the van industry is getting back on its feet after a turbulent few months, with van insurance quotes up a massive 37.7% in May, compared to April of this year. 

This is good news – a buoyant van industry means more work for us all. But what this also means is that these people renewing or getting new van insurance now are going to be saving more than those whose policies run out at the end of the year. 

It’s worth calling your van insurance company to see if there are any savings they can offer. If your policy doesn’t have long to run, you may save money by renewing sooner (remember, about 3 weeks before it expires is usually the best time to save money). But if you don’t ask, you don’t get and with all this extra money kicking about at insurance companies, while the rest of us are scraping together a living, it won’t hurt to ask.

Car Calamities and Doggy Disasters

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So, we’ve spent the past few weeks here warning you about the uptick of idiot drivers on the roads as lockdown eases (day 98 and counting), but it seems it’s not just the members of the great British public who are at it, you lot are having your own fair share of accidents too.

Let’s start in Lancashire, whose police force are currently without their drone unit, thanks to a red van driver who failed to stop and rammed into the police unit before making off. Thankfully he didn’t get far and has been arrested and is awaiting further action.

Meanwhile, a van driver up in Wakefield will be praying his van insurance is the best he could buy, after crashing into the back of a car which was awaiting roadside assistance on the M1. Except it wasn’t just any car. Oh no. The car in question was a Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, which was just 20 minutes old, having just been collected by its new proud owner, before running into mechanical issues and was awaiting assistance. 

Ouch.

Who doesn’t like to take their dog to work? Especially now, given that social distancing in vans means there is more space for our four-legged friends to join us on our day to day adventures. Although with it comes a great responsibility, especially in hotter weather. If you are going to take your dog along, don’t do what a Wilshire van driver did, and leave his Springer Spaniel in the van with the windows closed for over an hour. Seeing the dog was in distress, luckily the police were on hand to break the van window and give the dog some much-needed water. The van driver however, on returning to his vehicle was less than impressed with the police, ‘not seeing a problem’ with leaving his dog in a hot van. Thankfully, this has earned him a referral to the RSPCA. 

DO NOT LEAVE DOGS IN YOUR VAN IN THE SUMMER.

It’s that simple. If they are coming to work with you, it’s your responsivity to make sure that they are well taken care of and not left unattended by you. Otherwise, you are likely going to be better leaving them at home.

One final thing – we expect an uptick in drink driving this weekend when people flood back to the pub, so if you are out, stay safe, and if you are going to the pub – don’t drink and drive, and don’t leave your dog in the van. It’s really not so hard.

Cutting costs – How to Save on Your Van Insurance

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It’s been a rough few months for everyone. Even the most hardy of us have been affected one way or another by COVID-19, and van drivers haven’t been exempted. And with the threat of a recession looming, keeping costs down is crucial, especially those that could be cheaper. 

So, we thought that now would be a good time to take a look at ways that you could potentially trim back some costs on your driving expenses. Just the smallest tweak could save you some bucks, and right now, that’s got to be a good thing. 

1: Do you really need that big van?

Yes, it makes you feel like the man, out on the road, compared to all those amateurs in their Twingo’s and Kangoo’s, but they may be having the last laugh, if they are running close to capacity and you’re riding around with space in the back almost every day. Not only is a bigger van costing you more in fuel and van insurance, but you’ll be paying more insurance for it too. Now, there are of course, costs attached with selling one to replace with another, but if It’s time for a new van, it’s worth thinking about trading down for something a bit smaller if you have the capacity to do so. And you could even spend that money you save on a fancier model with a few more bells and whistles. Doing that may not save you money upfront, but you might end up with a comfier ride and lower fuel and insurance costs.

Are you secure?

Not that your missus might run off with her personal trainer, but your van security – is it up to scratch? A tracking device or security etching could also save you. Vans are a big target for thieves, and anything you can do to reduce the risk of yours getting nicked or help in it being recovered can reduce your annual premiums. Don’t forget where you park overnight, either. Leave it on the roadside outside your home, because it’s a pain to get into your driveway, and you could be paying extra. 

Can you pay your van insurance annually?

If you can afford to, it’s always cheaper. APR’s of around 30% are not uncommon if you’re opting for monthly van insurance payments, which can add a few hundred quid onto your policy cost if you’re paying monthly. If you do need to pay monthly, make sure any comparison quotes you get are all showing those costs so you can make an accurate decision on which one works out the cheapest.

Consider Telematics:

Ok, so if you’re a bit older and prone to the odd white van man manoeuvre, then maybe getting a black box fitted is a bad idea. And there’s the whole Big Brother aspect that nobody likes, but if you are new to van driving or maybe the other side – older and generally sensible, then adding a telematics device could save you a few quid on your insurance too. 

Get Fast, Competitive Van Insurance Quotes

But, if all these options seem like a bit of a pain and not really your thing, we have one thing you can do that will definitely save you not just a few quid, but a massive chunk of time too – when it comes to renewing your van insurance, don’t forget to fill out our quick quote form. We’ll get the best quotes delivered directly to you, without you having to put in the legwork to getting you the best deal possible.

And who isn’t for the easy life, especially when times are tough?

Safe driving!

We’re Leaving Home…

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Another week dawns, and with it, we finally have some reasons to be cheerful. First of all, FOOTBALL IS BACK! We’ve got La Liga with crowd noises finally feeling like footy used to feel, and the Prem kicks off this week with your trusty editor’s team of their birthright, relegation-facing Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United this Wednesday. 

For van drivers around the UK, life is also starting to form a semblance of normality, with shops and non-essential retail reopening from today, meaning deliveries need to be made and people need to buy things – and, if the reports of people queuing round the block to get into Primark and Next are true, then that’s a lot more deliveries that are going to be happening. Will the bubble of retail enthusiasm last? It remains to be seen, but it surely bodes well for the lifeblood of the UK economy, the white van man. 

With it though, comes more stupid drivers out on the road, some of whom haven’t been out in their car for the best part of 3 months. Just as we cautioned last week, there’s a lot of it about, and reports this week show that there has been a massive increase in insurance claims for accidental damage, as Doris reverses into that bollard, or Clive scrapes that car he’s trying to parallel park next to. 

In the South-Central region, vehicle insurance claims for accidental damage are up a whopping 48%, compared to the previous week, with numbers similarly bad in London and the North East. So, while your white van men and women get on with doing what you’ve been doing, keeping the country moving in bread and value pack knickers, it is a case of worrying about what the other idiots on the road are doing and going all out to avoid them. 

Also, worth avoiding are any retail parks where there is a fast food outlet, as reports reach us of queues around the block for certain Mcmeals which are back on the menu. Queues of up to 3 hours have been reported at some branches for a drive-thru after months of home-cooked food only. And we see a great deal of you have been in those queues yourselves. Was it worth it? Just be aware that in some areas you’ll find whole lanes queuing for a taste of those golden arches, so if you’re in a hurry, maybe give those hotspots a swerve.

We hope your lives are returning to normal. We’re sure by next week our soccer enthusiasm will be back to despair, meaning life really has resumed its status quo. In the meantime, safe driving. 

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