Tracker, vehicle recovery specialists who work closely with the metropolitan police, report that 84% of stolen vehicles are taken using keys left in the ignition; never is the temptation greater to do so than at this time of year. With vehicles being left on the drive to warm through or de-ice the windows, opportunist thieves are on the lookout for just this practise. They are aware of popular makes and models and may already have a buyer in the wings before you have chance to raise the alarm.

Stuart Chapman, their Police relations manager, is quick to point out that many van insurance firms will not pay out if you are proved to be negligent, demonstrating this little duty of care. Not only could that aspect have a damning effect, but also you are liable for prosecution for leaving a car unattended with the engine running.

If this is a practise you cannot get out of the habit of doing, then Chapman recommends fitting a vehicle tracker. It may not grant you indemnity from prosecution but you stand a much greater prospect of retrieving your van once it has been stolen, at least avoiding you the cost of a replacement.  With its hidden transmitter, the thief may not even know you ahave a lock on him.

In a recent statement, he reminded us, “Fitting a Tracker unit could significantly increase the chance of a stolen car being recovered, however…
“…it may take a few minutes more, but a few simple security precautions can save a lot of heartache and expense if your car is stolen.”

In the likely event that your tools are missing, sadly, it is doubtful that your van insurance policy will cover you for those being replaced if your car is frost jacked, due to your lack of duty of care.

The other tool, and perhaps more likely to deter the opportunist thief, is an immobiliser which can only be disabled by optical recognition. The advanced version of this tool, quite new to the market but which seriously helps you attain cheap van insurance by fitting it due to the increased protection against theft, means you can leave the cab but, unless the system verifies that it is you driving by your ocular fingerprint, will remain engaged until your return.

So, remember, frost jacking is prevalent when attempts to stave off Jack Frost’s overnight legacy lead to vehicle theft. Either don’t do it or protect you, your livelihood and your no claims bonus by preparing for it.

Going back almost one year and the vehicle rental sector looked even bleaker than it does now. Many names disappeared from the market, either through mergers, being under the administration of loss adjusters or being wrapped up altogether.

The big fear for the industry now is that, as uncertainty about the economy continues, many large car and light vehicle rental companies are trying to buy their share of the market by leasing on a daily basis at ‘crazy prices’. Good news for the end user but sending shivers through the competition who, after suffering four years of trying every trick in the book to keep their heads above water, are having to consider profit first; this period will have probably included foregoing profit for market share at some point, in one form or another, by all of the big players but creditors will only invest for so long before wanting to see return for their dollars.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s chief exec John Lewis called 2010 tumultuous as it drew to a close, which was bore out by the lengths some vehicle rental organisations went through this year just to stay in business, going into 2012.

It is interesting to see how diverse the companies at the forefront of the industry have been with their strategies to survive the economic downturn of recent years.

Northgate, for example, has lost 8,000 of its 60,000 UK fleet; of the remaining 52,000 they have managed to keep 90% of those on the road, showing excellent utilisation of their rolling stock. Bob Mackenzie, Northgate chairman, confirmed they would continue with the same approach rather than try to compete at the crazy prizes on the cards for next year, citing ” hire rate improvement, efficient fleet management, further cost reductions and cash generation,” was their mid-term goal.

Hertz are wary of a price war, too, but in the same breath anticipate if they set their rate too high, other rental firms who have greater depth in the UK will take advantage. Their annual report acknowledged that, with a decreased market, their competition may well bring prices down to secure volume. Hertz, however, have worked hard on their brand recognition – priceless in such lean times.

Conversely, Enterprise Rent-a-car has increased its fleet size in the last 18 months by 25%. The privately owned company now haves a fleet of 50k+ vehicles, of which 16% are vans and has seen its recent investment justified by a 50% growth in its UK airport business over the past 12 months. Their business rental director, Rob Ingram, stands by their mission to be the best value provider, offering “the best possible service at the most competitive price.”

Perhaps taking in an overview of these strategies will help allay Leasedrive‘s Roddy Graham’s fears for 2012 that not all battles will be fought on price alone. We will wait and see.

There is some good news for industry; the BVRLA announce red tape reductions will help unnecessary hassle when it comes to commercial vehicle insurance and the need for drivers to provide proof when hiring a van; details of this move and more paperwork reduction to follow.

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.