Author: News Desk

Fleet management award in innovation for Zurich start-up

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For businesses that have set up to deliver excellence in product or service, transport is not necessarily an area in which they excel. Rather it is a necessary evil to get their goods in front of the customer. As much as they may not like it, to ignore the costs would be a grave oversight.

Obtaining cheap van insurance, the right vehicle for the job and even adequate drivers can see business owners outside their comfort zone; however, that has been the status quo for some time. That is, since the prominence of the fleet management service that is making great inroads for organisations that are prepared to pay for a specialist service that takes care of that aspect of their business for them.

Zurich Fleet Intelligence is one such firm, and have recently won an award, the Celent Innovation in Service accolade, no less, for their strides made in the sector in the two years since their inauguration. They have taken telematics – a rapidly expanding market in its own rite – and integrated into a product that has the potential to take an average fleet and make it excel, delivering cost savings through improved performance, less wear and tear, better fuel efficiency and improved driver skills. The business owner can then take a summarised report to their broker and demand the cheapest van insurance that their fleet commands as they have the evidence in black and white to justify it.

However, Nick List, proposition manager for the company, insists that cost savings are a bonus and Zurich’s priority is delivering driver safety in a fashion tailored towards their customer base. Speaking after the award, he emphasised that their product development comes through interaction with clients and finding ways to meet their demands through continual improvement.  A sound mission statement if ever there was one.

The system itself is quite natty, and it is obvious, with all the improvements that can be made through on board monitoring, why companies are more likely to avail themselves of cheap van insurance quotes after implementation.

In a similar way that the AA Drivetech helps young drivers and those with high points find cheap van insurance through improved driving in their ‘pay how you drive‘ policy, this easy to implement integrated solution measures, tracks and assesses both the van and the driver’s response behind the wheel.

Through GPS, this information is posted back to a server and displayed on screen and can be saved as a usable file. The gathered information can be used to cut down on fuel consumption via using differing routes and avoiding peak traffic flow and, where driver improvements are needed, arrange any specialist training to bring the whole fleet together to an exemplary standard.

Initial reports have suggested extremely swift ROI, which is one of the reasons the firm has come to prominence in such a short space of time.

To see what you could save for your improved van driving, compare van insurance online using our simple online form to save a packet in minutes.

Using the force to obtain cheaper van insurance

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If you mention Yorkshire and police in the same sentence, you cannot help but think of Heartbeat and a downy-cheeked Nick Berry in 1960’s helmet and elbow-lengthed gloves hot-footing it up to the moors, fresh out of Walford and away from Aunty Pauline’s clutches. You certainly do not think of multi-tasking police forces joining together to save millions of pounds on fleet management and van insurance.

But that’s the story coming out of Yorkshire and Humberside as North, South and West Yorkshire forces have joined up with their east coast neighbours to put their four heads of transport together to combine in one super-pool of fleet resources. Originally destined to be a cost saving exercise in an attempt to knock £10M off their public expenditure, the venture is proving to be so much more.

Of course there are the better deals from the carrot that a larger fleet can dangle to brokers, now offering the cheapest van insurance possible to secure that extra volume of business. But a larger pool of talent has availed the forces of greater possibilities for future savings as much of the maintenance and vehicle modification can be carried out in-house.

The money the forces are saving from utilising inhouse mechanics and even using their own qualified staff to teach junior police officers advanced training skills will be put to use in other areas across the collaborative forces. For the sectors that cannot be controlled by the police themselves, such as van insurance, the forces are sharing the burden of those costs and redistributing the savings the same way as they are funds from other areas.

Another aspect to arise from this scenario is that all four forces now have standard vehicles, meaning that skills specific to that model can be honed to the nth degree and spare parts can be ordered in bulk to alleviate the risk of ever struggling to find the components to keep the fleet roadworthy, another aspect that van insurance brokers take into account when assessing the discounts applicable to an applicant’s request for van cover.

The West Yorkshire Police Commissioning Department in Bradford has been chosen as the nerve centre due to its accessibility by all four constabularies; the train of though here is that, by concentrating their efforts from one central location, it will lead to quicker mean response times across all four counties.

If your organisation is a multi-branch operation and you would like to save a packet in minutes, compare your fleet van insurance quotes using our online form

Van insurance for young drivers – get it cheaper

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In the last article we looked at why there was little chance of young drivers easily finding cheap van insurance; in this article, we look to see what they can do about it.

The AA, with their Drivetech initiative, plus other organisations who offer GPS drive monitor systems, have concerns for the number of young drivers on UK roads passing their test days before jumping behind the wheel of a van and the impact that scenario’s having on fleet van insurance quotes, as well as the potential ‘at risk’ status it puts them and other road users in.

Labelled the ‘pay how you drive‘ system, taking out this type of van insurance policy will stagger discounts as better driving milestones are accrued by the young driver (or driver who has a high insurance policy because of a high points tally). However, it can have the adverse affect of increasing the premium if the standard of driving deteriorates.

Good van insurance deals come in small packages

Start small. The physical size and engine capacity of your commercial vehicle will have a direct affect on your insurance quote. It is sometimes tempting, especially if you have the finance in place, to buy a brand new van that’s as big as your money can buy. When you’re starting out, don’t fall into that trap.

The theory is, the smaller the van, and its engine, the easier the vehicle will be to handle therefore the less likely a broker is to have to shell out for accident damage and repair. On this basis, they will offer you cheaper van insurance.

Likewise, the older the van the less value it will cost to replace. If your commercial vehicle has still got the production line paint wet when you take ownership, alarm bells will start to ring in your broker’s office. To get the cheapest van insurance possible, buy an older model with a smaller capacity and engine in as low an insurance group as possible to allow you to carry out your job, at least until you’ve started to build a no claims bonus history.

One aspect that many drivers overlook is a van’s security, the only real customisation you should be thinking of making. Articles that will score you points are steering (column) locks to deter the opportunist thief, immobilisers to stop the persistent one and a vehicle tracker to trace your vehicle in the event that it is stolen. All will qualify you for discounts that will pay for themselves, over time, even more so if you have a safe lock-up you can park your van in overnight.

And finally, if you do have some start up capital, increase your voluntary excess. The more you commit to paying in light of an incident, the lower your premium will be, the theory being you’re less likely to claim every time you have a small knock than if you’re only prepared to pay the minimum excess before expecting the broker to cover the rest.

Van insurance for young drivers – why so dear?

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Taking the plunge and setting out on the road of creating your own business can be a big, no, huge step for any young person with aspirations of making a go of it on their own. Especially against the current economic backdrop and headlines such as ‘95% of all new start-ups go under in the first year’. It’s a brave decision.

What most individuals fail to take into account is that every single aspect of making a go of your own business has many facets and it’s down to the owner of the business (that’s you) to sort them out. Some are obvious, some not so. Finding cheap van insurance is just one example that bears this point out exactly, and to give you a hand on your way, we’ll look to address just that over today’s two articles.

As often, before the budding entrepreneur realises it, they’ve not set enough capital aside, in arrears after six months of opening their doors so credit’s no longer an option and they’re destined to become just another failure statistic.

One such stumbling block for young tradesmen and drivers is van insurance and how to get the best deal if you’ve not had a chance to build up a safe driving history, thus availing yourself of the failsafe no claims bonus that many van drivers rely on year on year to deliver cheap van insurance.

The first van insurance quote for young drivers is a shock

The first time a young driver compares van insurance online they’d be forgiven for having the wind knocked out of their sails. The problem is not so much in their individual history, but those young drivers who have gone before them. Here’s a quick overview of why van insurance is so expensive for those aged 25 and under:

1. In their first twelve months of driving, twenty percent of young drivers are involved in an RTA (road traffic accident)
2. Twenty-five percent of all drivers who suffer fatal accidents on UK roads are under twenty five, a somewhat disproportionate figure as they only account for twelve and a half percent of drivers
3. Thirty five year old drivers are ten times less likely to be involved in an RTA than a male driver under the age of twenty one
4. Four in ten passengers who lost their life or were maimed in a car crash were in vehicles driven by young drivers, based on 2007 figures

These are very sad figures but, nonetheless, that is what young van drivers are up against and why they struggle to find a cheap van insurance quote when they set out on the road to being their own boss.

In the following article, we’ll look at those steps which can help reduce the impact that age has on a van insurance quote and/or other methods that cushion the blow.

DfT set to announce the plug-in grant LCV eligibility list

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Tradesmen and local businesses are eagerly awaiting the announcement expected in the near future detailing which of the electric vans will make it on the Department for Transport’s shortlist to be eligible for the subsidy they’ve extended from the domestic vehicle to now incorporate commercial vehicles, too.

In some instances, individuals and organisations may qualify for discounts of up to £8,000 to run in conjunction with the cheaper van insurance this type of van is expected to attract. And the cost savings go even further. Details in one recent report suggest that these vehicles will be exempt for company car tax, to boot.

As we reported earlier this week, last year’s rush to buy the green vehicle hardly got up to a canter with less than 1,000 punters opting to chance changing their habits and do their bit for the environment. However, it’s hoped that the discount, tax exemption, cheap van insurance and the fuel savings will be enough to tempt to the savvy business owner into finally making that change.  If those savings fail to sway the market, well, what else can be done?

Justine Greening is doing her best as Transport Secretary to get the industry sector on side promoting the range in anticipation of the DfT announcement. According to her calculations, fuel savings could amount to £100 for every 1,000 miles put on the clock compared to other fuel types for light commercial vehicles.

There is still reasonable doubt in the market place about topping up whilst out on the road, due to two issues concerning the battery. Details from manufacturers suggest that electric vans will push 100 miles on one charge, depending upon the load and how the van’s driven – if these are at the top end of the tolerances, the maximum on one charge could be limited to 60 miles, but that should still be plenty for the average round, especially enough for the city.

The other issue is that anyone buying the new electric van will never own the battery, if the planned lease/sale pattern is to filtrate the market as is foreseen. Yes, it’s great that the manufacturer retains ownership of it, both for worrying about the maintenance and the possibility of cheaper van insurance due to the fact that the broker may not need to insure that component against breakdown, but what if it conks out whilst you’re mid-run? It’s not as if you can call the AA to replace it. How quickly will the manufacturer get a replacement battery out to you?

Electric vans – and plug-in transport all round – is probably the future of motoring but with so many question marks still hanging over the range, it’s no wonder that businesses have had reservations about taking the plunge, thus far.

New van sales down for first time in two years

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Following a steady two-year rise from its low point at the beginning of the global recession, the registration for new van sales fell for the first in January, 2012. It was only the support of the sale of trucks that kept the commercial vehicle sector up, on the whole.

This indicates a clear shift in the underlying trend of the market, as used van sales held up in volume and price for the same period, as reported only last week, here on cheapvaninsurance.co.uk .

There are several contributory factors, but the main two are both to do with cost, based on the gloomy forecast for the year ahead. So far, all predictions for this year are that the economy is going to remain flat, with very little opportunity for growth and anyone who exits 2012 with their business in the same condition as they entered it will have done well. Predictions, using automotive sales as the barometer, from both economic studies and government bodies echo similar projections, with the faintest of hopes on the horizon that 2013 will kick-start the growth of the automotive sector and economy as whole.  Even little savings like attaining the cheapest van insurance wll come in handy this year.

As a result, tradesmen and organisations are very much holding back on expenditure wherever they can. This is evident in the fact that larger commercial vehicles (up to 3.5 ton) dropped considerably more than smaller vans whereas towards the end of last year, it had been the trend to opt for those with a greater payload. Tradesmen are possibly taking note that there will be fuel duty levied onto the prices later in the year, as well as the current base price of oil fluctuating almost every day, and this has influenced that decision. However, through retaining their existing commercial vehicle or buying used instead of buying brand new, they can achieve further cost savings in another two ways.

First, and most obviously, is the difference in outlay for a new van compared with buying at auction through the likes of Manheim or BCA. If their van’s good for another year, then extra expenditure on a thorough van service will save them considerably more than buying new.

The second way they’ll save is on van insurance. For starters, if they’ve had a year’s claim-free driving, they have a further discount to look forward to on their no claims bonus. Also, as a rule, used vans tend to command cheaper van insurance quotes than models in the same class that have just rolled off the production line. Quite simply down to the fact that if the van is written off, the list price of a van that has seen several years’ depreciation is remarkably less than one that’s hardly had its engine broke in.

And speaking of breaking in, new vans are often more of a target for thieves than a work-worn model, again something else for the van insurance broker to filter into the equation.

Where’s the circuit breaker in the crossover to EV’s?

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Today, both of our articles will look predominantly at the advantages of switching your current diesel, petrol or hybrid van over to an all-electric, battery-operated commercial vehicle. We’ll take in the benefits of (part) owning such a vehicle itself and any cheap van insurance offerings that could make the deal even sweeter.

To date, manufacturers have got excited about the prospect of the green revolution they promised for UK roads; those in Westminster have been infected with this same state of euphoria. The end of 2011 saw the end of the first year that had seen any sort of yardstick slapped next to the market to measure how sales had taken off compared to initial projections.

Let’s put it this way: if electric van sales projection was the equivalent of a shuttle launch into orbit, the EV/ZE revolution in 2011 wouldn’t have cleared the Nevada desert, so disappointing were they. Renault, being the first manufacturer of electric vans to get a production line rolling, must be feeling their sphincters tighten only slightly at the prospect of their investment reaping similar rewards from EV sales as liberal democrat voters have done from being ‘in power’.

So, why have they not taken off? With sweeteners, smooth driving experience and no more freezing one’s chads off at a petrol station at 5.30am, as did Renault, one would have thought electric vans were the future of commercial transport.

We think, mayhaps, that the horse has been put a little bit before the cart, in the same way that the steam engine was invented with ne’er a mile o’ track in sight. The concept of electric vans is great, but where do you go to fill them up if you’re caught short on the road? In London (what a shock) they are rolling out more roadside plug-in top-up facilities, but any north of Watford? I’m sure Westminster think we still have a man come and put the gas lamps out in the morning and we still black-lead our fire grates, I really do.

The particulars required for a van insurance quote are pretty similar for the EV as for other types of fuel, but for reasons we’ll explain in the next article, we expect the offers to come down considerably, but only if the market takes off as manufacturers anticipate, and that BoJo wants us to believe it will.

You’ll still need to gather your typical snippets of information before you go online to look for a cheap van insurance quote, such as the van’s value, annual mileage (this is a key deciding factor, for me, why you’d go EV), your own date of birth and whether you’re taking out the van insurance privately or registering as a company vehicle. There are the standard security related questions, too: what devices, such as GPS trackers and immobilisers do you have fitted; do you have a safe overnight lock-up; what’s its postcode; they’re on the online form. Then finishing off asking if you want to ‘up’ your voluntary excess and whether you’ll be using the van for business, pleasure or a bit of both, all key determinates, vis-a-vis do you want cheap van insurance, or not?

Electric van insurance – be positive

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In our last article, we looked to see what was stopping the UK quiet van revolution, namely swapping to battery-ran engines, in light of the economic sense it makes and the sweeteners on offer to get you on the road with a plug-in van. Here, we list the EV positives for the neutral and a few negatives to help anyone who feels amp-utated from the scenario a little more at ohm. I know, Watt the…?

The benefits of (part) owning an electric van (EV/ZE)

If your regular delivery run only ever entails thirty of forty miles a day maximum, an electric van has to be a very real consideration for you. Mileage is, for sure, one of the determinate factors about delivering cheap van insurance in the first instance, but when you factor in that a single charge on most EVs rolling off the production line or being test-driven as prototypes are good for fifty or sixty, leave her charging overnight and you’ll never have to worry about where you can stop to top up with your fuel card again.

And whilst we’re discussing mileage, there is nothing on the market more fuel efficient. With averages working out at about £0.04/mile, depending upon your payload and how you drive, on a fifty-mile day you’ll have spent two quid – my electric heater costs half of that a day to run in my office.

There is a downside to that, though. With roadside plug-ins short on availability outside the capital, if you are called upon to make a run of any distance you’re stuck with hiring a vehicle for the task or calling in a courier. If you opt for the latter and take the hit on the chin, it will leave you free to concentrate on other aspects of your business, however.

One of the reasons that you’ll eventually get cheap van insurance quotes, if you can’t already, is because electric vans don’t have a top end that’s going to be breaking any speed laws on the motorway – brokers love that aspect. If you do have a collision, serious damage may well be dampened due to the reduced top end.

Poll-you-shun, all awound. Sometimes up, and sometimes down. But always around. Are you coming to my town? Classic poem by Rik, but you’ll be taking no poll-you-shun with you if you opt for the EV, not even noise pollution. In test drives, one of the factors most pilots have commented on is how silent it is. Additionally, zero emissions make this the most environmentally friendly form of commercial transport to date and van insurance brokers do like an efficient, green engine that is less likely to breakdown than it’s diesel-driven peers. You’ll even be below Euro III levels for travelling around the capital’s low emission zone, so could save a small fortune if your round takes you into Greater London.

And the deciding factor, with regards to cost, is the government subsidy. You have about three years left to claim up to £5k off the list price by way of a grant for opting to go green. If they can get the top-up stations in place, that will be money well saved.

Tempted? See what cheap van insurance deal you can get on an EV using our online form.

Downsizing can save on your van insurance quote

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For a lot of business owners and tradesmen whose van is just a means to an end, the annual search for cheap van insurance is nothing more than a pain in the ‘arris. However, if you know what you definitely want your van insurance quote to incorporate and what you don’t, you can eliminate the factors included that you don’t need and build in those that you do.

If you have specific needs, by adding them to your base policy you may find that your initial cheap van insurance quote actually increases. However, it is better to pay a little more up front and know that you’re covered for every eventuality that may affect the nature in which you use your van for business than make a claim on a cheap van insurance policy only to find that it was so cheap because it doesn’t cover the aspects that would prove value to your business and livelihood.

A little extra effort in the planning stage will reap dividends when you go online to compare van insurance quotes and make the rewards all the more greater, adding a cushion to the blow of forking out for your policy. In today’s articles, we hope to provide the stuffing for that pillow.

If you have a large van, expect to pay a higher premium than a colleague or competitor who makes do with a smaller commercial vehicle. If the large van is right for your business, do not be tempted to swap it just to save a few pounds here and there on fuel and van insurance – the whole point of having the vehicle is to aid you in your work, not be a hindrance – you almost do not want to recognise that the van is there, just another efficient tool to help you carry out your business to the best of your ability.

If, after thinking about it, a smaller van would suit your purpose, there are some significant cost-savings to be made, as mentioned; it may well be that your business has downsized (whose hasn’t?) or you bought the 3.5 tonner when you first set out in business ‘just in case’, but now you’ve had time to evaluate, you may only need a payload of half a ton with tools and components that don’t need 2m of space. In this case, a panel van may be more than adequate.

See how much downsizing your van would save you on your van insurance quote using our online form.  In the next article, benefits of logos.

Make a show on your van with your logo

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Another aspect about owning a smaller commercial vehicle, and this is something that many sole traders overlook, is the ability to customise it with your brand and logo. A city van owned by a florist, for example, would cost a lot less to be kitted out in the shop’s livery than a Ford Transit. And van insurance brokers like the fact that you have gone to the trouble to emblazon your wheels with your organisation’s legend, for two reasons.

Having a logo shows that you are serious about your business and are therefore possibly a long-term customer rather than a fly-by-night outfit. It also means that you are a lot less likely to be reckless on the road as you will know how much it would cost to get the van re-sprayed in the event of an accident. Both reasons ensure that you will get a cheaper van insurance quote by getting logo-ed.

If you can get it into your head when you compare van insurance quotes online that your task is to provide your broker with all of the aspects in your day-to-day business driving that will help him reduce your premium, your half way to obtaining the cheapest deal available to you. The other half of the equation is identifying those aspects that you may otherwise overlook.

Your van insurance broker likes his greens

For example, does your business only operate within the local vicinity? There are two greens that come into the equation when you’re dealing with insurance for vans and that’s your Green Card and the green of your carbon footprint, and both have connotations when it comes to your mileage.

If your business is local and has a limited mileage every day, that means you are exposing your van to less threat than a driver whose delivery route incorporates multiple deliveries over longer distances on a daily basis; your broker will take that into consideration.

There is a lot to be said for going green when it comes to considering switching to an all-electric powered van. A lot of aspects about EV/ZE (French) vans appeal to your insurance broker that lends itself to you obtaining that elusive cheap van insurance quote. In an article tomorrow, we will consider all of the aspects (mostly positives) of switching to a plug-in engine.

The other green aspect, now that Europe is so close, is the Green Card that permits a van driver to travel the Continent’s roads. Many van insurance policies now automatically include the certificate in the base van insurance policy. You are advised to check, if you are absolutely positive you will not take your van outside the UK, that there is not a supplementary charge on the van insurance quote that makes it more expensive than it should be. Beware, though; without it, if you do change your mind and hop across on the ferry, any incident could be extremely costly, a lot more so than in the UK, so call your van insurance company and get it added on before you travel.

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