Author: News Desk

Ocado Send Driverless Delivery Vans on Roads

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Online shopping has become very popular in the UK over recent years, and it has been van drivers right at the forefront of this revolution. Not anymore though.

One of the biggest online shopping companies is Ocado, and if they have their way, then delivery drivers are soon going to be a thing of the past, with many being handed their P45 and directions to the local job centre.

This is because Ocado have just launched a new driverless delivery van onto UK roads, and if everything goes well then it could soon be an army of vans setting off from their hubs every morning…no drivers required.

The driverless delivery van has been described as a cross between a tuk-tuk and milk float, and will have an electric charging pad that powers a top speed of 25mph, with a possible 18 miles on one battery charge.

If you ask me, I don’t think that supermarket delivery drivers have anything to worry about just yet, because these vehicles seem like they are designed to serve small areas, which means Ocado would need thousands of them on the roads to serve the entire nation.

Not only that, but right now the prototype can only carry 8 crates, which is not even enough to carry 1 large order of shopping.

So…supermarket delivery drivers of the UK, before you start considering a change of career, you might want to think again, because it’s going to be a few years until robots take the drivers seat.

Until that time, you are still very much needed by supermarkets such as Ocado, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Sainsburys, and although they are planning for a day when delivery drivers are no longer needed, at the moment everyone is still friends.

You might even want to tell your boss about the benefits of comparing van insurance so they can save a bit of money that way.

Van insurance companies do special deals for a fleet of vans, and I’m sure if all the supermarket delivery drivers in your team have good driving records then a lot of potential discounts could be found.

That goes for all van drivers and companies that use vans on a daily basis. You don’t have to be a large supermarket to be offered special discounts, and you don’t even have to be in a profession where robots are expected to take over.

Take your average white van man for example, who might be a builder, roofer, or “man with a van.” I’m sure that self driving vans will be useful in these professions in the future, but there will still be people doing the jobs, so to speak.

This is why a comparison website for van drivers will always be around. There for the average man and woman van drivers who want the best quality van insurance at very cheap prices.

How to Get Cheap Van Insurance – 2017 Edition

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We’ve been hearing a lot recently about how van drivers are causing havoc on the roads of the UK and getting their vans stolen while watching TV.

Is it really all doom and gloom? It doesn’t have to be, and in fact, if you get cheap van insurance then you might just save yourself a packet.

I’m sure that would put you in a better mood and less likely to go into a rage the next time a cyclist does something annoying.

Firstly, let me just say that insuring your van in 2017 is a requirement by law, and if you don’t get it then you are driving illegally.

This means when you get pulled over by the cops (and it will happen because they have the technology now to catch you) not only will they take your van away, but you will also get a fine and points on your licence.

So we know that you definitely need van insurance, but does that mean the cheapest van insurance is always the way to go? In my opinion, no, because while you might be able to find a really low quote, and there are plenty of those here at CHEAP VAN INSURANCE, it might not always be the best option for your own needs.

For example, if you just get third party van insurance cover, then you are only covered when you do damage to other vehicles on the road. If your own van gets written off or stolen, then you have to pay for it out of your own pocket, which isn’t always ideal.

That is why many van drivers opt for third party, fire and theft insurance, because if their van is damaged by fire or stolen, then at least they have some kind of coverage.

You must understand that although this does cover you for theft of a van, if your tools are stolen then you won’t receive a penny, and as we’ve been hearing a lot about recently, thieves are having a field day when getting into vans quickly and easily to steal tools. It’s all to do with these magic keys that are sold on the internet.

This means that if you do want to be covered for theft of tools then you need to opt for a fully comprehensive van insurance, although be aware that not every policy is the same.

Many times you will have to buy “goods in transit” cover as an extra to be covered for tool theft, so make sure you check that before handing over your cash to the insurance company.

Once you’ve chosen what type of cover to get, then how do you get cheap van insurance and not get left paying full price? Good question…here are a few ideas.

Ask about discounts

One way to get cheap van insurance in 2017 is to speak directly with insurance companies about any discounts that might be available

For example, a no-claims discount is something that is offered a lot, as well as special fleet discount insurance when you you want to cover more than 1 van.

Always tell the truth

I know there are some van drivers out there who might be tempted to lie a bit when trying to get cheap van insurance, and although it might work at first, if you ever need to make a claim then you might find yourself out of pocket.

A good example of this is van drivers who say they park their van in a garage overnight, even though it is parked on the street. You might get a cheaper quote by saying this, but if your van gets stolen then the insurance company will quickly rip up your policy and ignore your calls.

Use a comparison website

There are so many insurers out there in 2017, how do you know that your current provider is offering very cheap van insurance? The simple answer is…you don’t, and that is where a comparison website comes into the picture.

All you need to do is enter your details in the form once, and then all of that information is instantly sent to around 40 different companies. Getting cheap van insurance has never been so easy.

Summer of Rage, White Van Men Unleashed

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Is the so called “white van man” out of control? My opinion has always been no, but recent reports might just suggest otherwise.

In fact, you might just want to call this the “summer of rage” when it comes to van drivers on UK roads, which really isn’t the kind of thing we want to be hearing about.

Take one van driver in Southsea, who got caught on camera spitting at a motorist while involved in a heated argument in a car park. After that, he proceeded to rip the door off the car while a terrified woman was still inside. “Just move the car” he could be heard shouting, so obviously he wanted the car to get out of the way.

If you thought that would be the end of this particular summer of rage then think again, because there are more stories involving white van men around the UK.

Take the moment a camera caught a van driver knocking down a cyclist as an example, and then instead of going back to see if the cyclist was okay, the driver went into a rage and blamed him for the accident and for hitting his wing mirror.

Now you might be thinking that the cyclist could have been to blame and the van driver had every right to get hot under the collar…until the video footage clearly shows the van was on the wrong side of the road.

No wonder the van driver was angry, his van insurance was no doubt about to get a lot more expensive, but there really is no excuse for this kind of behaviour.

Unfortunately, the summer of rage just seems to be getting even more extreme, with reports just in of a white van man who unleashed a karate kick on a man who tried to stop him from leaving a work site.

Who knows exactly what went on here, but there really is no excuse for showing off your karate skills unless it’s in self defence

Anyway, the incident was caught on camera in West Yorkshire and it appears the man who was initially attacked then went on to punch the van before it sped off.

So it looks like members of the public are now fighting back against the van drivers in this summer of rage. Maybe everybody just needs to cool off a bit.

One way van drivers can do that is by visiting a van insurance comparison site and getting some cheap quotes.

Someone who might just have done that is one white van man who tried to give his number to a woman while driving at 70mph down the motorway.

He was probably so happy at getting cheap van insurance that he thought it was time to try a bit of speed dating, although it didn’t seem to work as the woman wasn’t interested.

New Van Bundle Product Launched by Company

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Regular readers of this blog will be only too aware of how van crime is a major problem in the UK right now. Enter a new van bundle product.

This is a product launched recently by a company called “Alps” and the bundle includes 3 different products…Auto Replace, Tools in Transit and Sole Trader Legal Expenses.

It’s known to the public as “Van Driver Plus” and will be sold at a discounted rate and offer flexible cover limits to suit your needs.

This seems to be a fully comprehensive insurance product to meet the requirements of tradespeople such as builders, roofers, delivery drivers, and the self employed in general.

Should you go directly to Alps and get a quote though? In my opinion no, for the simple reason that many traditional van insurance companies also cover you for the same kind of things if you request it, and these are many of the companies you can compare right here at Cheap Van Insurance in under 3 minutes.

For example, one of the features of joining Alps and their van bundle product is a GRV, also known as guaranteed replacement vehicle, which means if something happens to your van and it is off the road, then they give you a VW Caddy equivalent to use for up to 14 days.

Sounds good doesn’t it, especially when you need a van to continue making a living…but did you know that most of the van insurance companies out there also offer the same kind of deal if you want it? Yes they do, and that is why I advise you to start comparing quotes and speak to different van insurance providers.

Another feature offered by Alps is their overnight cover for tools that are in transit. This actually appears to be something that many tradespeople could benefit from, as it allows you to keep tools in the van overnight, and as long as the van is parked on a well lit street and is in sight of your house, then you are covered.

As we all know, stealing tools from vans is something that criminals have taken a liking to over the past few years. It has something to do with these magic keys you must understand, which can be purchased on the internet for £20.

You might not be able to stop them entering your van and stealing all your tools, but at least you will be covered if they do.

So you should speak to Alps and see what they can do for you, but first use the comparison service right here at this website.

All New Volkswagen Vans to Include Autonomous Braking

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I’ve spoken before about self driving technology in vans, well, with a recent announcement it looks like Volkswagen are leading the way.

From right now, all Volkswagen vans, which includes Caddy, Crafter and Transporter vans, will be fitted with autonomous emergency braking systems, which are known in the industry as AEB.

If you ask me, this is a very significant move in the self driving revolution by Volkswagen, and I should think that most of the other major van manufacturers will now be following suit, or risk getting left behind.

One expert has even commented that this news is the most important since the announcement of the seat belt. It could very well be.

That same expert has predicted that AEB could save 100 lives and prevent over 100,000 accidents over the next decade. Let’s wait to see what happens.

What I do know is that if true and autonomous emergency braking in vans is the real deal, then eventually we should start to see van insurance prices getting cheaper.

At the end of the day, if there are less accidents then van insurance companies don’t have to pay out as much…which then leads to them passing on the savings to you, the customer. That is the theory anyway.

Of course, there are other factors that decide how much you pay for van insurance, such as van thefts and government interference.

Regular readers of this blog will be only too aware about how many vans are being broken into and stolen around the UK just recently. It has a lot to do with these “magic keys” that are being sold on the internet.

Hopefully once the self driving technology becomes really advanced they can work out a way to stop van thieves once and for all, but for now it looks like van crime is here to stay.

Back to Volkswagen and a spokesperson for the company said, “We’re really proud to be the first to fit AEB as standard to all our vans. This means safer vehicles on our roads.”

Volkswagen seem to be right at the forefront of technology as they also recently announced a partnership with a company called Nvidia, in a bid to make their self driving vans more intelligent.

A dedicated Artificial Intelligence team have been set-up at Volkswagen HQ, and I’m sure they are all hard at work to bring us the next piece of technology that is going to make driving easier and safer.

It might be a while though until vans become completely self driving and delivery drivers are replaced by robots, so for now, the vast majority of van drivers around the UK can get on with business as normal.

ALERT: Van Insurance Scam – Ghost Broking

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All van drivers are being warned about a new van insurance scam that has been sweeping the nation. It’s called ghost broking.

Car owners have mostly been targeted so far, although van drivers are expected to be hit by criminals so it’s important that you know about it.

Basically, what seems to be happening here is that these scammers are using details of innocent UK citizens to setup “ghost van insurance policies” and then selling them on to members of the public at reduced prices.

That means there are two potential ways you could end up getting scammed here, whether it is with the criminals using your details or if you buy a dodgy policy from a ghost broking van insurance site.

One van driver who wishes to remain nameless became a victim to ghost broking, and he had hundreds of letters sent to his house, each addressed to a different person and all with the usual van insurance documents inside.

That is why van owners are being told: if you start getting strange letters addressed to other people and inside there are insurance documents…don’t ignore it, tell the Police.

Not only that, but when shopping around for van insurance make sure you use a trusted site with a good reputation.

If you buy a policy from one of these ghost broking sites then you are breaking the law even if you don’t realise it.

Also, the van insurance policy will not be worth the paper it is printed on, and you won’t be able to make a claim if you need to. In other words, it’s a complete waste of time.

Instead, just stick with a site like this one, Cheap Van Insurance, where you can be 100% confident that every quote is legitimate and from recognised companies.

Anyone caught with a ghost broking policy could even have their van taken away by Police, as well as facing a potential fine of £300 and having to buy new insurance for the time you didn’t have any.

Listen, I know that van insurance is really expensive right now and some van owners are looking to save some money, but purchasing fake policies is definitely NOT the way to go.

You are much better off buying a real policy through a van insurance comparison website, and then at least you have peace of mind.

So always look for the “Cheap Van Insurance” logo when comparing quotes, and if you can’t see it then you are on the wrong site…and potentially on a ghost broking site. Click away and come back here.

CCTV Catches Van Thieves, Still “Isn’t Enough”

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Van theft is a problem that affects trades people around the UK, but even when you catch them in the act via CCTV it still “isn’t enough” for Police.

Take Chris Webb for example, an electrician who was innocently sat at home watching TV with his family…completely unaware that just metres away on his driveway van thieves were striking, and in minutes his van would be gone.

Unfortunately, Chris was unaware of what happened, until he went out the next morning to get in his van, only to find an empty space.

It was a £10,000 Ford Transit Sport that had vanished into the night, but to make matters even worse, £5000 worth of Bosch power tools also went in the theft, which means Chris is now £15,000 out of pocket.

You might be wondering how these criminals can break in to vans so quickly and quietly? As I’ve talked about before, it’s these “magic keys” that are becoming popular among thieves, that unlock a lot of Ford vans and can be purchased online for around £20. Ford say they are doing something about it, but many people remain unconvinced.

What about the Police, are they doing something about Chris Webb’s stolen van? Well, despite the fact he has the thieves caught on CCTV with a lot of clear footage it appears they are not really that bothered.

According to Chris, he phoned the Police immediately once he realised the van had been stolen but it took then 2 days to even ring back.

When he eventually did get to speak with an officer Chris mentioned about the CCTV footage which he was told to send over to the station. However, since that time nothing has been done and a spokesperson for the Police has said they cannot view the material and want it to be sent again.

I’m sure the Police do their best in situations like this, but it is frustrating when they don’t seem to be doing enough especially when the victim has clear CCTV footage.

The £10,000 Ford Transit Sport van should be covered by his insurance. Unfortunately, his power tools were not on the insurance, which means he has started to buy replacement tools at a cost of £1500 so far.

This is why I always advise van drivers, make sure your tools are not kept in the van overnight, or you could also insure your tools at extra cost, especially if you keep £5000 or more of power tools in the van.

One of the reasons why van insurance is getting more expensive is because van theft is a real problem. Everybody needs to be doing their part to stop it…van manufactures, van drivers, the insurance companies, and the Police. Together we can beat the criminals.

Van Driver Takes on a Lamborghini…And Wins!

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Typically you will find van drivers going about their everyday business and obeying the speed limits…not racing a Lamborghini. Well, it happened.

The moment a wannabe Lewis Hamilton (in a van) decided to go up against the £150,000 Lamborghini sports car was actually caught on video by a passer-by with his mobile phone in Altrincham, Manchester.

It appears the transit van went up against the luxury sports car through 3 sets of traffic lights, before finally coming out as victorious. I’m sure this is a video the Lamborghini owner doesn’t want to be seen.

However, it has quickly become a hit on the internet, with thousands of views and hundreds of comments so far about the incident.

What seems to have happened is that at first, the sports car took the lead with an initial burst of power and acceleration you would expect from such a machine.

The traffic lights put a limit on how far the car could go though, which no doubt frustrated the driver because he couldn’t get out of second gear and also got stuck in a bit of traffic.

The van driver had no such problems. He kept his cool and used all of his van drivers knowledge about road driving and dealing with traffic lights to come out as the winner.

So that is 1 – 0 to the van driver, although I don’t think that would be the case if they took to a race track or had a clear stretch of road. I reckon the Lamborghini might just get ahead if they had those kind of conditions.

Let’s just hope that this particular van driver had the appropriate van insurance and that he didn’t break any speed limits or laws of the road.

I’m sure a Police officer wouldn’t be too impressed if he saw a van and Lamborghini racing down the street, even if it was only from traffic light to traffic light without any real dangerous manoeuvrers

For any one thinking about getting into transit van racing just be aware that van insurance companies don’t like this kind of activity either, and if something happens while you are racing then don’t be surprised if you can’t make a claim.

Not only that, but if you decide to install telematics in a bid to get cheaper van insurance, then your driving style will be monitored, and if you come across as a bit of wannabe racing driver in the data, then you could just find yourself with even more expensive insurance.

New Figures Suggest Van Insurance “Way More” Than Inflation

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During the 12 months of 2016 van insurance had a rise of 11.7% according to new official figures, which is “way more” than inflation commented one expert.

I have to agree, and it’s just like I’ve been saying for a long time now…van insurance is just too expensive for the average white van man so to speak, but because many people need vans for their work they don’t really have any choice.

In other words, you have to pay it, and the van insurance companies know this which is why they have no problem adding another nought to your policy whenever they feel like it.

The new figures also said that an average van insurance policy is now priced at £1591 for the year, which is pretty much double what you pay for car insurance, despite the fact that many small commercial vehicles are not much bigger than a normal car.

Like I’ve talked about before though, it’s the under 25’s that really get hit in the wallet, and as the new figures suggest, this age bracket has an average premium of £4700 a year.

Yes you read that right, and that is why I always advise young drivers who want to insure a van – “use a comparison website,” because you might be able to save a few quid, although you will still probably pay quite a bit.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that under 25’s only witnessed a rise of 3.6% in their van insurance costs during the 12 months of 2016, although that is still more than inflation.

Despite all of this, sales of vans around the UK are stronger than ever before, with the new figures suggesting that there will be more sold this year than ever before. This really is a good time to be a van manufacturer it seems, and with the self driving revolution just around the corner things are going to get even better.

One way that many van drivers save money on their insurance is to opt for “carriage of own goods” cover, as this does save a bit of money. If you are a trades person such as builder, roofer, plumber or carpenter then you might want to give it a try.

Also, don’t forget to use a van insurance comparison website, where all you have to do is submit a straight forward form and you then instantly get access to around 40 quotes from different insurers.

The one tip I will give you is to stay away from those comparison websites that have fancy gimmicks or give you a free gift.

You are much better off going with a site that is no-nonsense and designed for the average van driver, like this one, so the quote you are offered is the price you pay should you decide to go with it.

Delivery Drivers Tell All in Anonymous Survey

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Every day vans are driving around the country making important deliveries, but what about the delivery drivers themselves? A new survey tells us more.

No names were taken when conducting the survey, which means the drivers could relax and open up about what really goes on when they deliver goods and packages to homes in the UK.

One driver told the survey that it often never occurs to customers who have just moved in to tell them where white goods such as cookers and washing machines are going in the house, expecting him to instantly know where to put such items.

“We’ll turn up and they’ve just moved in, with boxes everywhere, and they’re expecting us to navigate this huge oven down to the basement kitchen.”

Another driver, who will remain nameless, mentioned how a woman screamed and swore at him because an expensive brand name stove wouldn’t go around the bend of her very narrow stairs. Apparently, she just couldn’t comprehend how the stove could not be taken to the kitchen, and ended up blaming the delivery drivers.

Of course, a simple 2 minute job with a tape measure would have told her that a designer stove was not getting around the stairs. Not surprisingly the delivery driver had to take the stove away and the woman was refunded.

That same driver also told a funny story about how he once delivered a washing machine to a student house, only to be asked “so can we, like, use it now?” He had to explain that it needed to be plumbed in first.

What almost all delivery drivers agree on in the survey is they just can’t stand the guy who stands around like a gaffer ordering them about and giving instructions while trying to deliver white goods and other large items.

“Mind the walls” and “bend your knees, up a bit,” these people will say, but at the end of the day delivery drivers know their job and are better off left alone to do it after getting some simple instructions.

“I’m often tempted to drop their new fridge on their feet,” said one driver when asked about the home owners who try to order him about.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, with the majority of delivery drivers agreeing that many customers are very nice, and the best ones are those who offer a cup of tea.

If there is one thing that all delivery drivers like it’s a good cup of tea…and cheap van insurance as well.

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