Last year, the images of tailbacks on the motorway, orange arc-sodium reflecting off pelting snow, set against the backdrop of pitch night, pairs of red tailights intermittently broken with flashing amber hazards, heading into the distance as far as the blizzard would allow start to ring true once more as we approach the shortest day.

In those circumstances, it doesn’t matter how good your car or van insurance policy is, when the snow has come from nowhere and traffic is at a standstill miles behind and in front of you, you’re going nowhere.  All you can do is phone your partner, let them know you’ll be spending the night on whichever of the three lanes of the motorway you’re marooned on, get the survival kit out of the back of the van and settle down for the night.

It is safe to say, UK winters can be unpredictable. You can set out to work in bright blue skies on a cool December morning; by the time you’re heading home, you can be trudging through 8 to 12 inches of snow.  Other than ensure you van insurance policy incorporates breakdown cover, providing you can be reached, the next best thing you can do is get yourself prepared with a winter survival pack.

There are many on the market, but one of the most comprehensive is the Winter Car Kit, available in intermediate and deluxe versions, available from survivalbox.com.  It is called the car kit but is aimed at the safety of the driver in inclement conditions, not the type of vehicle driven.

If you do get stuck on the motorway this winter, this could be one of the best £100 you’ll consider you’ve ever spent.  Here are the basic components in the intermediate pack (Deluxe extras in brackets), other than your basic food stuffs, blanket and a bottle of water, which you should be carrying as a matter of course:

• a choice or red, yellow or green ‘chemical’ light stick which will remain illuminated for up to  12 hours and an LED torch
• Hi-vis sleeveless jacket with reflective strip
• Foil blanket and sleeping bag (extra sleeping bag in Deluxe pack)
• 4 x 125ml long-life water & hi-energy food (2 x self-heating meals in Deluxe pack)
• Ice scraper (folding spade in Deluxe pack)
• Pack of card and heater pack
• Wind- and waterproof matches
• Extremely voluminous whistle (wind-up radio in Deluxe pack)
• First aid kit (multi-function pocket knife in Deluxe edition)

The inclusion of this kit, like taking the time and effort to pay to have your logo on the side of your van, may not physically improve your driving skills but will show your broker that you are serious about your role as a professional driver when you come to look for cheap van insurance next time around.

Mammy was once told that, for one of her smiles, the ‘coloured’ crooner would walk a million miles. Although the Black and White Minstrels have long since been outlawed as politically incorrect, it seems that the sentiment remains, only this time Mammy is returning the favour.

Results from a recent survey by Kwik Fit, the tyre fitters and auto-repair specialists, have recorded that the average parents rack up an impressive 491 miles on UK roads ferrying their offspring to and from various sporting activities in which they are involved as part of the school’s extra curricular program. For owners of domestic vehicles, such as your family saloon or 4×4, other than the expense of the fuel and additional wear on the tyres, there is little other issue. Indeed, it is all the more to sport the ‘Mum’s taxi’ badge in the rear windscreen.

However, it is a very different story for van and commercial vehicle owners who think nothing of picking up their son, and possibly a couple of his friends in the back if it is a larger van, and running them to the soccer game after school and then returning to pick them up again after they’ve finished their shift.

Van insurance policies, unlike standard car insurance, can be very specific in relation to what the vehicle is permitted to do under its cover policy. Vans, after all, are classed as a work vehicle. If you are working for a small-medium enterprise and have a very understanding boss, it may well be that transporting third party passengers is included in the policy. However, if you are a sole trader or work for a large organisation, where fleet tracking systems monitor all vehicle movements, the likelihood is that no such allowance has been incorporated within the van insurance premium.

In a previous article here on cheapvaninsurance.co.uk, we highlighted many of the uses that van drivers use their vehicles for that are not work-related and ferrying children was one of the more common admissions. It does make you wonder how many parents are running the risk of losing more than their jobs if they are involved in an incident whilst doing their children or the school a ‘favour’. For the moms and dads out there who feel obliged to do this or, as is often the case, once you’ve done it the first time, it is suddenly expected of you to do it time and again, using the ‘van insurance’ clause is one hell of a get out for you.

With the onset of winter, with patrols more wary than ever of suspicious driving activity, perhaps now is as good a time as any to ditch the school run if you are a commercial vehicle driver or, at the very least, try to find a cheap van insurance policy, even if it is just 28-day cover, to tide you over the festive season and help ensure it is a merry Christmas, after all.

It has been brought to my attention that the S.I.L.V.E.R. series of articles was never completed (thanks Steve in Dorset).  This was a short collection of articles highlighting small, step-by-step amendments you can add to your vehicle or incorporate in your daily running of your business to significantly help reduce the cost of your van insurance premium.

A range of adaptations that, over time, return a greater return on investment than the actual outlay itself has got to be the way forward for any business.  Especially with the still uncertain future of the UK economy, every penny we can put back towards our bottom line has got to be a spankingly good idea.

It’s been a while, so here’s a quick recap:

S – steering wheel lock.  For its minimal outlay, as well as being an effective method of protecting your van in your absence, just the sight of one of these contraptions can be a deterent to any casual or opportunist car thief.

I – immobiliser.  Does what it says on the tin.  Fit one of these, and your van is going nowhere.  From a basic twist & lock to a comprehensive installation that even allows you to leave the engine running, you can nip out to make a quick delivery safe in the knowledge that, unless it’s you, your commercial vehicle will be there when you get back.

L – lock away your van securely.  It sounds obvious but, the more secure your lock-up, the more chance you stand of attaining cheap van insurance.

V – Vehicle tracking.  If you fit a tracker to your van, it can be traced anywhere in the UK.  It may not stop someone having it away with your motor if you’ve ignored the above three steps, but van insurance providers will look favourably on you, as the likelihood of getting it back once stolen is greatly improved.

So, lastly we have the E & R, evaluation and reciprocation, which really do go hand in hand with all of the above measures to deliver you and your business the cheapest possible van insurance deal you’ll find.

Evaluation: van insurers are, after all, in the business to make money.  Don’t let them get their bonus out of you.  There are many ancillary products which you can add to the basic policy – disqualify any that do not apply to your business when you are constructing your van insurance quote.  It is important that you know exactly what you do need before you start to compile your renewal policy; there is a fully comprehensive, six step guide on our site, if you need clarification.

Reciprocation: van insurers will work with you to reduce your premium if you can prove that you are doing everything possible to tick all of their boxes.  As well as the steps outlined above, check out why we think van insurance matters even at the conception stage of your business.  Furthermore, how once your business grows, you can use this to great effect to drive not only your fleet insurance down, but your field sales and privately owned vehicles, too.

We strive to bring you the best guides and most up to date news; drop us a line with any topic you would like us to cover or how we can improve our service, in general; we’d love to hear from you.

Winter is, without a doubt, the most treacherous time of the year for van drivers up and down the length of the UK. If there is any time of the year that van drivers are likely to dent an impeccable van insurance policy, this side of Christmas and the New Year is it.

And we’re not just talking about sleet, snow, ice and fog – big enough threats to a no claims bonus in their own rite. No, this is something altogether more deadly than a bout of inclement wintry showers and definitely more avoidable, yet no less deadly.

Drink driving remains the scourge of UK roads and, for the businessman who relies on his wheels to carry out his job, the single most likely cause to increase costs if and when a lost license is returned. One of the standard questions on any application form when searching for online van insurance quotes is ‘do you have any prior disqualifications?‘. Whether it was a moment of madness that cost you your license or not will have no bearing on the outcome. Your first van insurance premium, when returning from a drink-drive ban, will be a headache worse than the one after you were caught behind the wheel above the legal limit.

your license, your job, your livelihood

As a domestic driver, being drunk whilst in charge of a motor vehicle can bring shame on the household and, for a while, lose you certain losses of privileges. But, other than a hefty fine, the household income may be largely unaffected. For the sole trader or the driver as part of a fleet for a larger organisation, the affect can have deeper ramifications.

Usually, the big corporation will not appreciate the slight on their reputation; even if you are offered a position elsewhere in the company, it may be on lower pay and you will always have that stigma hanging over your head.

For the self-employed commercial vehicle driver, especially if your sole trade is along the lines of a taxi driver or courier service, you may as well shut up shop and call it a day if you’re found guilty of driving under the influence.

There are many costs to consider. As well as writing off the prospect of ever finding a cheap van insurance policy again, will you be able to fund your vehicle if it is paid for through a loan? It will, in effect, become a non-productive burden on your capital, as will any road-tax, MOT or van insurance that you will have paid for, but is now useless as a tool to adding profit to your bottom line.

The message is simple. Enjoy Christmas, of course, but as soon as you reach into your pocket to buy that first drink (there will inevitably be a festive ‘one for the road’), take out your keys and leave them with someone who will not let you have them back until you are in a fit condition to get behind the wheel, again.

The office of fair trading, having digested much of the information that they have collated following calls from all courts that domestic and commercial vehicle insurance policies have unjustly risen in the last 12-18 months, insist that there is more to investigate before making a decision.

The Association of British Insurers has prepared their defence, citing fraudulent or staged accidents, no-win/no-fee personal injury claims and the rising role played by comparison websites prior to the car and van insurance premium rises as the justification.

The OFT have been looking into the depth of relationships with third party associations in the processing of claims and what components constitute a standard van insurance policy and which are bolt-ons that perhaps ought to be compulsory, not ancillary products.

The first aspect that will be investigated as a result of the initial proceedings is indeed the special relationship between vehicle insurance brokers and beneficiaries of them awarding a claim. These are the nominated mechanics who may carry out repairs deigned necessary or rental companies to whom van drivers are directed when they make a successful claim against their van insurance policy and are granted the use of a courtesy car for the duration of said repairs.

The issue, as we understand it here at cheapvaninsurance.co.uk, is whether some or all of any potential or realised costs are being passed on the driver seeking cover at the point of the van insurance renewal.

The subsequent investigation will take the format of a market study designed to get to the bottom of why, when inflation has fluctuated between 3% and 5%, vehicle insurance premiums have risen by 12% between 2009/10 and 9% year to date in 2011.

A spokesperson for the Office of Fair Trading, Sonya Branch, has spelt out, in no uncertain terms what the study is aiming to achieve. She is on record as stating, “By carrying out a market study, we aim to clarify whether a market investigation with reference to the Competition Commission is appropriate.”

With any mention of the Competition Commission one immediately looks to signs of impropriety. Should this be proved, how far will its tendrils spread down the supply chain? The last thing the consumer wants is for the investigation to throw circumstances into the mix that may keep the price of van insurance down, only to find costs rise elsewhere in the chain that means they are no better off.

We will find out soon enough, as the results will be made public in Spring 2012.