Author: News Desk

The Winter of Unrest – White Van Drivers Unchained

Posted on by News Desk

Just when you thought it was safe to go out on the roads again, the so called “white van man” has been unchained and is coming to a place near by.

Experts are calling it the “winter of unrest” where drivers of those white vans that are so commonly seen around our roads have decided to start acting out again.

All out rage? Maybe, but this is more like a discontent that can only come during those winter months. I thought that van drivers were more chilled around this time of year…I was wrong.

Take the story of a white van man who went on a crusade of destruction in a quiet residential English town. 5 stationary cars took a hit that day, as well as innocent garden walls and a shop.

It was the beginning of this winter of unrest, that’s for sure, where Police estimate many thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused that day.

8 Police cars rushed to the scene with sirens blazing, no doubt, and a state of the art helicopter was hovering above tracking the van driver as he fled on foot, running away from the havoc his van had wreaked on that quiet street.

Why did he do it? If the Police ever find him then he may very well give us some clues when questioned. Maybe the word “unrest” will appear in the official transcripts. Who knows for sure.

What about the age old rivalry between white van drivers and cyclists, has that been a spark during this winter of unrest? Yes it has, unfortunately, in an incident that was witnessed by a pedestrian on the street although there was no mobile phone footage.

Instead, it was a quick incident that happened and before you know it, the van driver was fleeing the scene…fleeing away from the act that had just been committed, a pensioner being knocked from a bicycle.

It seems the van driver got annoyed with the cyclist and then, without warning, rammed him from behind.

According to the bystander the cyclist was not injured and Police have commented that no incident has been reported, but it just goes to show you what van drivers are potentially capable of in this winter of unrest.

Of course, it’s also Christmas time and a time when workers like to go out and enjoy a drink or two after a hard day doing things. However, for one particular white van man as they are called, a drink or two turned into several and then he proceeded to drive his van home.

Not directly home though. He took a scenic detour while under the influence and then decided it would be a good idea to drive full speed through a wall and into a garden. A few too many pints then, and a lot of “unrest,” but fortunately this guy has been found guilty in a court of law.

Is it all about destruction, violence and dangerous driving though, or are there other ways this “unrest” has been seen among the white van community this winter? One incident stands out.

An incident that the driver would have got away with, had he not filmed it on his phone, and the footage later found by Police.

They were at his house for a totally different reason you see…it had nothing to with the winter of unrest, but, when searching they found footage that has led many to refer to this van driver as…

“White Hand Man!”

I won’t go into details about exactly what was on that footage, but what I will say is that it was done while he was speeding along the motorway. I’m sure you can fill in the rest of the details yourself.

Perhaps he had visited the nations favourite van insurance comparison site and got cheap quotes that would make anyone happy, but then that feeling of “unrest” came on again, and he decided to activate the video camera on his mobile phone.

Who knows for sure, but what I do know is that we must now look forward to a new year and hopefully a step away from rage and unrest. A time for the so called white van men to change their ways.

Ford Want Self Driving Vans on the Road by 2021

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One topic I’ve talked about on this blog quite a bit is self driving vans, everyone is interested about them. Well, Ford could be first to market.

The self driving van market that is, which is expected to be worth billions of pounds in a very short amount of time.

Builders, roofers, delivery drivers, electricians, and trades people all around the country are waiting with baited breath…wondering just when one of these driverless machines will become available to buy.

The popular and well known motor company Ford are one of the major brands vying for a piece of the market, and from what I’ve been hearing they are right at the forefront of technology.

So much so that a recent statement by Ford mentioned that a self driving van could be on the market by the year 2021. The future is nearly here, it seems.

According to experts, one of the main reasons why Ford are potentially ahead of the competition when it comes to self driving vans is because they already have many years of experience in the commercial market.

Not only that, but they also own a major share in a company called “Argo AI” which many are calling the best self driving sensor hardware out there right now.

This type of Artificial Intelligence will soon be driving the van, while the owners themselves will be able to put their feet up, read the paper and enjoy a ham sandwich without being disturbed.

In my opinion, I think self driving vans is going to be a good thing for van drivers, especially the so called white van man who has been known to lose control and fly into a rage at times.

Being able to put their feet up and relax will no doubt go a long way in reducing that anger that can sometimes erupt. Who cares about a traffic jam or annoying cyclists when you are browsing social media and drinking a cup of tea? Many van drivers won’t, I’m sure.

Interestingly, Ford have been working closely with Domino’s Pizza in this self driving venture, as they look to better understand what companies want out of vehicles that have to make deliveries.

Does this mean that UK delivery drivers should start writing their resignation letters? Absolutely not, because while Ford may very well have a driverless van in 2021 that could take over the role of doing the actual driving, there will still need to be someone there to make the deliveries and take over when there are any glitches. I’m sure there are going to be many of those during the first few years.

It’s the robots that delivery drivers should fear if you ask me. Once robots start getting in the drivers seat then the traditional human delivery driver could find themselves out of a job. We are all friends now though, for now.

The good news is that in 2021 van drivers will be able to visit the nations favourite van insurance comparison website to get the best quotes. Just fill in the simple form and instantly compare around 40 van insurance companies.

Supermarket Delivery Drivers Make Up To £12 An Hour

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The time for making money as a supermarket delivery driver is right now. Customers need shopping delivered, and supermarkets need drivers.

It’s the perfect match and many of our nations supermarkets are on the hunt for delivery drivers who are polite, friendly, and of course…good drivers.

How much do these drivers get paid you might wondering? More than you would expect, especially if you are lucky enough to get hired by one particular supermarket.

Ocado to be exact, who are willing to pay up to £12 an hour just for you to get in one of their vans and deliver groceries to their millions of customers.

What about Asda, are they worth working for as a delivery driver? They certainly are, with the average pay at roughly £8.50 an hour but this also includes a competitive bonus package and discount for when you do your own shopping.

In return you must be a people person and also have no trouble driving a 3.5 ton automatic van. If you have more than 3 points on your licence then forget about it, because Asda don’t want your application.

The same can be said for Tesco who also don’t like to see penalty points on your licence if you are applying to be one of their delivery drivers. They do like to see a full driving licence though which must have been held for at least 12 months.

If you become a delivery driver for Tesco then expect to get a full workout each and every day because they get you doing other things as well. Things like checking the baskets and loading up the van…they might even get you on the shop floor stacking shelves.

The main job is driving of course, where you will be expected to be a safe and courteous driver who treats every delivery of shopping as if it was your own.

Another supermarket that is always on the lookout for delivery drivers is Sainsbury’s, who are not as strict as Asda when it comes to points on your licence, they don’t mind if you have 6, but they are more strict when it comes to experience, they want 3 years of driving experience.

If you start driving one of the Sainsbury’s vans around UK roads then expect to be compensated with £8.20 an hour for your time.

Should you even consider supermarket delivery driving though? It was only a couple of months ago when I reported how robots are soon expected to take over this kind of role, especially once vans become self driving.

In my opinion this won’t be for a few years yet, which means you should go ahead and apply to your local supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Ocado.

Delivery driving is a boom profession right now. A real gold rush. There are many self employed positions in the courier industry as an example.

Just make sure you get the correct van insurance if you are going down the self employed route, something which you can find right here at this site.

Covea Go After White Van Men

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White van drivers have gotten a bad rep recently. If they are not ripping off car doors they are threatening cyclists. The Summer of Rage, it was called.

Now winter is here and most white van men are sitting in their vans with warm blankets and flasks of tea. A few hours of work here and there, but no time for all out rage…wait until the warmer weather for that.

Despite the reputation of the white van man being less than desirable a van insurance company by the name of “Covea” have decided to launch a new insurance product designed specifically for van owners who own the popular white vans.

It will be branded under the name “Your Van” and will also be made available to brokers so that everyone around the country has the opportunity to take a look at what they have got to offer.

“Contrary to what many people may say about the white van man our experience shows that commercial vehicle is a market with a solid performance,” said a spokesperson for Covea.

Perhaps they have been reading the blog right here at Cheap Van Insurance, where we often report on the exploits of the average white van driver as they rampage around the country (and get some work done as well of course).

Sure, there are a few stories that might not exactly paint white van drivers in a flattering light, but in my experience they are a good bunch who provide a valuable service to millions.

Where would you be without that Argos delivery this Christmas or what if that kitchen extension never got built? It is the white van owners of this nation who keep things on the straight and narrow, if they suddenly disappeared then it would be…CHAOS.

Not only that, but recent telematics data from a company called Quartix shows us that white van drivers are in fact, the safest drivers in the UK.

They might very well explode in fits of rage when put into the wrong situation, but when it comes to driving at the speed limit and keeping their hands at 10 and 2, well, they are the group that van insurers want as their customers.

That is why it’s no surprise that Covea are going after the white van man, but should the white van men even consider this particular company? In my opinion, no.

That’s not to say that Covea and their new product “Your Van” is not very good, it’s just that there is only one place that white van drivers should look for the best van insurance in the country…the site you are on right now.

Don’t Defrost Your Van Insurance This Winter

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It’s that time of year again, where morning temperatures are mostly in the minus and van drivers around the country are defrosting windscreens.

Police have recently taken to the airwaves in a bid to warn van drivers about the dangers of not defrosting windscreens correctly and leaving their van unattended

For example, did you know that if you are pulled over by Police this winter and you still have ice on your windscreen, then the Police officer will instantly slap a £60 fine on you? They are just doing their job.

Also, were you aware that if you leave the engine of your van running on the roadside while defrosting the windscreen, the Police officers have been instructed to give you a £20 fine? With all these fines, van drivers will be going without ham sandwiches and flasks of tea before too long.

Perhaps most alarming of all is the message from Police, that if your van is stolen why you were defrosting your windscreen, and you had just nipped into the house to “warm up for a bit,” then your van insurance company probably won’t pay out.

That’s right. Thousands of pounds worth of your property could disappear into the cold winter morning and there is not a thing you could do about it. Your van and power tools just gone, leaving you to start all over again…or go down the local job centre.

The message here is clear if you ask me…do not leave your keys in the ignition while defrosting the windscreen, especially if you plan to leave the van unattended, even for a few seconds.

Gangs of van thieves are everywhere right now, patrolling the morning streets of the UK just looking for that one opportunity. They are organised, quick, and fearless, and will think nothing of taking away everything you have worked hard for over the years.

This has led the Police to give out advice on what van drivers should be doing on those cold and freezing mornings.

Firstly, make sure you give yourself enough time to defrost your window. One of the main reasons why people get it wrong in the first place is because they are rushing.

Secondly, be prepared by using a windscreen shield overnight, and then in the morning, get rid of the ice with a basic scraper. Don’t turn on your engine and then leave the vehicle

Unfortunately, I think many van owners are going to ignore this message from Police, which means this winter could prove to be costly for many of our nations tradespeople and delivery drivers.

With that being said, you can make it not so expensive, and even a bit cheaper, by using a van insurance comparison website. Simply fill in the form and then get instant deals from around 40 companies.

Vans in The Village Not So Safe, Anymore

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Theft from vans is a daily occurrence in cities and towns around the UK, we know that for sure, but the quiet village? It’s not so quiet right now.

Instead, if you take a walk around any village in the UK at night and in the early hours of the morning, then if you listen closely you will hear the sound of ambitious van thieves going about their trade.

The most common target for these thieves is power tools, that are often left in the back of vans by tradespeople such as builders, roofers, electricians, carpenters, and welders.

Back in the good old days your typical UK village was a safe haven from the nightly crimewaves that were gripping cities and towns.

You could park up your van in a country lane, go to a local village pub with your mates, and then when you got back everything would still be there…power tools as well.

These days, if you park your van down a country lane and go for a walk across the local farm, then by the time you get back your van will have been stripped bare, to the point where all you will be left with is the wellington boots on your feet.

Take villages in Cambridgeshire as a recent example, once safe and picturesque places to visit but now a prime target for those van criminals.

Between October 17th and 24th there was a reported six incidents of van crime in just two Cambridgeshire villages, where an estimated £8000 worth of power tools were stolen.

Police in the area are advising the public to be vigilant, and if they see anyone acting suspiciously then contact them immediately.

The problem is that these criminal gangs are so organised, and so well versed in what they do…that they are often in and out before anyone knows they were there.

Even if you do see something or catch them in the act on CCTV, the Police are typically so slow to respond that it isn’t even worth the bother. The van criminals are long gone before the cops show up…back to their base in the city where the loot can be offloaded.

“Just let your van insurance company take care of it,” a normal response might be from the Police, and ideally that is what would happen.

However, many tradespeople are deciding not to insure the contents of their van, which means when power tools go missing they have no cover. They have to be replaced out of their own pocket.

My advice to any van owner in the villages around the UK is to make sure you are fully covered for everything you keep in your van. This means power tools of course. Use a van insurance comparison website site to get the really cheap prices.

Working as a Van Courier? You Need to Know This…

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Next day deliveries have become very common recently and to fill that demand van couriers have stepped up to the plate.

They get the packages from a central depot and then spend their days and nights driving all around the UK, making sure consumers get the goods they have paid for.

Sometimes they have to “leave the package behind the gate” or “drop it off at Mr Smith’s next door,” but most of the time they put it into the hands of the person it was intended for.

Of course, as regular readers of this blog will be well aware of…self employed van couriers may very well soon be of a robotic nature, but for now the industry is very much human.

Especially as Christmas is only a few weeks away and those packages need delivering more than at any other time of the year. In fact, many people decide to become van couriers for a month or two to fill the demand for delivering packages at this time of year, but there is one thing that many of them are not aware of.

“A man or woman with a van required” is often the headline in a job advert for temporary van couriers, where they are expected to use their own van in a self employed manner.

However, what the job adverts mostly do not state is that anybody working as a van courier requires specialist courier insurance in order to have full coverage, both for their van and any packages that are riding along in the back.

Many couriers wrongfully believe that normal van insurance will be sufficient or that the company they are doing deliveries for will cover them if anything goes wrong. This is far from the truth.

The reality is that if you don’t sort out courier insurance for yourself then it’s you that is liable in the event of an accident or lost packages.

In other words, if you are transporting the latest LCD TV to Mrs Jones and someone crashes into the back of your van sending the TV crashing to the floor…then it is you that is going to pay Mrs Jones for the TV. It could be thousands of pounds, think about that for a minute.

Let’s not forget that Christmas is the season for thieves, and there is nothing they like better than a van full of packages. A team of thugs are in and out of your van faster than you can say “Dude, where are the packages?” and then they are gone.

In this kind of situation you could very well be responsible for a whole van full of packages, which might be worth many thousands of pounds.

That is why I advise everybody to get courier insurance immediately, and use a comparison website like this one to find cheap prices.

£5000 Worth of Tools Stolen…”NOT COVERED”

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Despite the fact that I warn van drivers on a regular basis about making sure they are insured for tool theft, it seems that many are not listening.

Take the story of a builder in Stoke, who recently had a staggering £5000 worth of power tools nicked from his van. Unfortunately, when he phoned his van insurance company to ask for a cheque they told him that was…”NOT COVERED.”

He was shocked at the revelation, and even a bit annoyed, but it didn’t change the fact they were not paying out and there was nothing he could do.

“I am 100 percent I locked the van,” said Scott Holford who had his tools stolen, “I remember the lights flashing and I could hear the mechanism lock.”

As I’ve reported about before, these van criminals don’t care if your van is locked or not, they have the means to get in to almost any van with ease. How? It’s those magic keys we have been hearing about, that can be purchased on the internet for £20 and give thieves a license to steal from every van owner in the UK.

The £5000 worth of tools had taken Scott 10 years to collect, but now, he has to start again from scratch. His staff and customers are also going to be affected.

“The customer I’m working for now doesn’t have a kitchen at the moment and the apprentice won’t be able to have a pay cheque this week.”

It just goes to show how van crime has consequences beyond the owners themselves, and that is why I recommend every tradesperson in the UK to make sure they have the correct insurance.

In other words, check you are completely covered for tool theft. Don’t leave it to chance, because as we keep hearing time and time again…there is a thief at a street near you waiting to strike and rob you of everything in your van.

Another way to protect yourself is to never leave any tools in your van overnight. Many tradespeople find they don’t have the time to do this after a long day which is fair enough, but if you can do it then by all means do.

One complaint from builders and other tradespeople is that van insurance is expensive enough right now, and that adding additional tool cover is just too much for their wallet.

I agree some of the prices being quoted are silly at the moment but you can make things significantly less expensive by using a van insurance comparison website.

Many van drivers are saving a few hundred quid, and then they can use that extra cash to get cover for their tools.

The Truth About Admiral Van Insurance

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A press release about Admiral van insurance has just landed on my desk, and after reading through I decided to write a blog post about them.

“Great reasons to choose Admiral van insurance” was the title at the top of the page, and the writer of this particular piece went on to highlight the key features of becoming a customer over there at Admiral.

As many of you may very well be aware, Admiral are one of the companies that partner the nations favourite van insurance comparison site…Cheap Van Insurance, and if you fill in the quick 3 minute form then you instantly get quotes from around 40 companies…with Admiral being one of them.

There is no doubt that Admiral are a legitimate and well trusted van insurance company, I can vouch for that.

They offer insurance for all types of vans, including small, transit and larger commercial vehicles that weigh up to 3.5 tonnes.

Not only that, but 14 million customers have at one time or another called Admiral their van insurer, while at the same time they offer policies to suit your needs, whether it be third party, fire and theft, or comprehensive.

With all that being said do I recommend that you go directly to the Admiral van insurance website and sign up as a customer? Absolutely not!

Instead, you should do what every smart van driver in the UK does…compare quotes right here at the comparison website that delivers results, not just hype and failed promises. We don’t do any fancy advertising…just a straight forward approach designed for UK van owners.

Cheap Van Insurance is the name and discount prices is the game. You don’t need any other comparison website. Most of them are rubbish anyway.

The great thing about comparing right here is that Admiral could very well give you the best quote for your own unique situation. If that happens then great, you can go directly through to their site from here with the click of a button.

However, it could just be that another van insurance company are the right match for you and your business requirements.

Let’s not forget that there are many different considerations to take into account when comparing van insurance. For example, if you want fleet management insurance then another company might offer you the best quote or most flexible options. The only way to truly find out is to fill in the form right now.

It doesn’t matter if you have a Ford, Renault, VW or Vauxhall. You can get quotes right now for any make or model.

This is the site where van drivers in all professions come to get their quotes, and usually save a packet. So if you are looking for a brand new quote or you want to switch companies then you are most definitely in the right place.

Postie Out, Robots In…

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The days of seeing a Royal Mail van pull up outside your house and a postie in shorts jump out the back may be coming to an end.

That is if the US Postal Service have anything to do with it anyway, as it’s just been announced they have very specific plans for the future of delivering mail and packages. “Postie out, robots in,” is the memo.

In other words, they want to get rid of the humble postie, who over the years has remained dedicated to delivering your mail in all weather conditions…rain, wind, snow, or sunshine, all while wearing a pair of shorts.

Instead, the US Postal Service want robots turning up at the doors of households. Sure, they will be efficient, but will they have any personality? My opinion is no, they will be too…robotic.

A robotic personality maybe, but it certainly appears that robots are the future of delivery. Remember how I reported recently about supermarkets in the UK wanting self driving vans with robots controlling them? Or how about the 4 hour delivery van that only requires a robot? The writing is on the wall it seems.

Or maybe not…we are talking about the “US Postal Service” here, perhaps they wont follow suit in the UK? Unfortunately I believe they will, just like everything else. McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, American Football…the UK ends up getting everything from America and this includes robot posties in vans.

Right now there are 228,000 US Postal vans on the roads of America, and if everything goes to plan the vast majority of these vans will be self driving and featuring robots by the year 2025.

I would expect the UK to jump on board with the same kind of plan as soon as the technology is proven, and once this happens we may never see another postie in shorts turning up at doorsteps again.

Instead it will be the robot with a delivery. Focused? Yes. Time for a chat? No. Robotic by name and robotic by nature.

Will all van drivers be robots in this futuristic Britain? Not at all, because while there are some jobs that can be done by a robot there are others that will always need a human on board.

Take your average roofer as an example. Like posties they also wear shorts in all weather conditions, but unlike posties I don’t think they are going to be replaced by robots anytime soon.

I just can’t imagine letting a robot loose on your roof to change the roof tiles or point up the ridge tiles, that would be a disaster waiting to happen.

Better to keep roofers very much human then, just like the majority of tradespeople such as builders, electricians, plumbers and carpenters.

Skilled workers who get the job done, wear shorts, visit a comparison site for van insurance and sometimes get involved in bouts of rage. The “white van man” so to speak.

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