Author: News Desk

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.

Insuring your van is getting more expensive, but you can save money by using a comparison website.

Nearly 400,000 Light Commercial Vehicles Registered in UK

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Light commercial vehicles, or LCV’s as they are also known, have always been popular, but at the end of 2016 a record number were registered.

375,687 was the exact figure according to official records, although as we approach the half way point of 2017 it wouldn’t surprise me if the figure was now nearly 400,000.

This is in stark contrast to 2009, when the official number of light commercial vehicles was 186,387. In just 7 years the number of LCV’s has pretty much doubled. It makes you wonder what that figure will be in another 7 years? A lot I’m sure.

It all has to do with the fact that companies of all sizes are now investing in LCV’S, as they are both practical and look professional, and in many cases are far more affordable to run than bigger vans.

Take van insurance for example, where insuring your light commercial vehicle is now potentially cheaper than ever…as long as you use a comparison website of course.

Insurance for LCV’s is not all that owners are willing to spend their money on though, as recent reports show that many companies now like to spend a few quid on customisations for their vehicles.

Things such as sliding doors, branding vinyl wraps, and customised mats are just some of customisations that companies order with the LCV.

They also go directly to the manufacturer to get specific customisations that improve productivity and keep their light commercial vehicles on the right side of the law.

To give you an example, a business owner recently ordered 100 Renault Master Panel Vans that came with rear doors that opened at exactly 270 degrees and had a limit to how fast the van could go…68mph!

So I don’t think any of these Renault Master Panel Vans are going to be getting pulled over by the Police for speeding anytime soon, although the company owner should still warn his drivers about the possibility of being stopped for talking on a mobile phone while driving.

I’m sure it must have cost quite a bit more to have these customisations on the Renault LCV’s, but if the company owner visited a van comparison website, such as this one, then I’m sure he could potentially make a lot of that money back through the cheap insurance quotes on offer.

Also, let’s not forget that if the company has 100 LCV’s then they qualify for specialised fleet insurance, where you are able to take advantage of discounts when insuring a large amount of vans on one policy and at the same time.

If you are in the same position, where you have many light commercial vehicles in your company and you want to save money on van insurance, then my advice is to start with comparing quotes right here. It only takes a few minutes, and you get instant access to quotes from around 40 insurance companies.

24% of Van Drivers Lie On Their Insurance Application

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A new study looking at the habits of van drivers found that nearly a quarter lie about various things on their van insurance application form.

I must admit, I’m shocked to find out that so many van drivers would actively lie when applying for van insurance, it was always my opinion that most, if not all, were an honest bunch who wanted to tell the truth.

Well, I suppose that approximately 75% do tell the truth, or they just didn’t admit to lying when asked about it in the study, but I would like to think that most van drivers are honest and tell the truth…especially when using a comparison website.

Let’s say that you fill in the form on this website, which should take you no more than about 3 minutes.

It’s very important that you tell the truth and nothing but the truth, because when we send off your details to around 40 van insurance companies they really need to know the facts about your situation so they are able to give you an accurate quote.

Do you know why you should always be completely honest when filling in any kind of van insurance form? Quite simply, because if you withhold details or bend the truth slightly, then when it comes take to make a claim you might not be able to.

That’s right, when you lie there is a risk you could invalidate your policy completely, to the point where your van insurance is not even worth the paper it is printed on.

You end up losing out twice, because you are essentially paying for a policy that isn’t even active and then if you need to make a claim for damage to your van or something like that you won’t get a penny.

Not only that, but most van drivers are not aware that it’s against the law to lie on your insurance application. Don’t believe me? Then you should refer to the Road Traffic Act, van insurance section, where it quite clearly states that it is an offence to withhold information when applying to an insurer for cover.

According to the study one of the main areas where van drivers bend the truth is about penalty points on their license. Most of the time they “forget” to mention they have 3 or 6 points in the hope that they will get a cheaper quote.

As you are no doubt aware, insurers look at your complete driving profile when coming up with a quote and if you have points on your license then it does typically make it a bit more expensive.

It seems that nearly a quarter of van drivers think they are being clever by lying about penalty points, because they do get a cheaper quote initially, but of course, if they need to make a claim then any insurer will look more closely at the details provided, and if it doesn’t match up then forget about any kind of payout.

The message here is clear if you ask me. Don’t lie on your van insurance application. Just tell the truth, even if it means you pay a bit extra.

5 Van Insurance Companies Join Forces = 1 Super Company!

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In a deal that has been the talk of the van insurance world, it has just been announced that 5 companies are to join forces.

Autonet, Towergate, Chase Templeton, Ryan Direct, and Price Forbes are the van insurance companies who have come together, in a move that many industry insiders are calling “monumental.”

It is thought that this super company will now focus all of their attention on offering van insurance for the “man on the street” or the “white van man” as some people might say.

There has also been talk that during top secret meetings and calls, the 5 companies referred to the deal as “Project Kairos,” which is a Greek work that simply means…the right moment.

Let’s hope that it is the right moment for these van insurance companies and their newly formed super company, although they are certainly entering a competitive market where things are not easy.

This is good for the consumer though, where they now have many different insurance companies all vying for their business.

If you are the “man on the street” or “white van man” and you want van insurance at a fair price, then what better place to start than right here? Sure, you could go directly to this newly formed company for a quote, or even to one of the other well known insurers, but it’s much better idea to start at a van insurance comparison website.

The reason? Because you get a much better sense of what is out there, as you are able to instantly compare quotes and deals from over 100 insurance companies.

Yes, you very well might get a better quote elsewhere by going directly to a company, but you don’t know until you compare online first. It gives you a better idea of the market and what is out there.

Back to the newly formed van insurance super company, and if reports are to be trusted then it’s understood that they will now attempt to raise £800 million worth of capital.

This will involve US private equity groups apparently, although it does make you wonder what they need all this cash for…maybe to make some TV adverts? Hopefully not.

The new company is temporarily named Kris, although if you ask me, they might want to get back to the drawing board on that one. I’m sure some of that £800 million can go towards hiring someone to come up with a decent name.

They currently have 5000 staff across the 5 companies who will now all come under the one company, and estimated revenue for this year will be around £500 million.

You might very well find the cheapest van insurance with Kris, but you should start here first where you can compare over 100 companies.

Driving at 31mph Could Mean Very Expensive Van Insurance

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As the Police are getting tougher on motorists who speed on the roads, van drivers are being warned about the potential expense of being pulled over.

This comes after reports of a van driver who was stopped by the cops for speeding at 31mph in a 20mph zone, and after a good telling off they decided to slap 6 points onto his license. Not exactly something you want to happen is it, but Police now have orders to be tougher on anyone caught speeding.

If 6 points on your license isn’t enough punishment, van drivers are being made aware of the potential expense it could mean for their wallet…when it comes to van insurance that is.

The amount of points you have on your license is taken into consideration by the van insurance companies when you send in your application, and when they see a recent 6 points, and for speeding as well…then don’t be surprised if you find yourself paying hundreds of pounds more than you expect.

One site even did a calculation on exactly how much 6 points on your license could add to your insurance, and they came up with a number of £328, which on average, could very well be put on to a van insurance quote.

Let’s face it, van insurance is expensive enough right now as it is, do you really want to be paying more? Of course not, and that is why you should always watch your speed and keep it within the limits. Even going a few miles per hour above the speed limit can result in a fine and points. Don’t take the chance.

You might want to consider telematics insurance for your van, where all of the driving data is recorded and then sent off to the insurance company.

If you stay within the speed limits and drive safely, then not only will you keep out of trouble with the law, but your van insurer will also see what a good driver you are and hopefully reward you with a cheaper policy, not a more expensive one.

Another good way to make sure you get cheap van insurance is to visit a comparison website, where in only 3 minutes you can put in some basic details about yourself and your van, and then instantly get access to over 100 quotes.

Also, don’t forget that you can get a quote at anytime even if your renewal date is a few months away.

What a lot of drivers do is to start comparing quotes around 2 months before their renewal comes up, then if they find a really cheap deal they can simply pay a small cancellation fee with their current provider to end the coverage early and begin with the cheap van insurance right away.

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