In our S.I.L.V.E.R. series, we are looking at elements that you can affect in your search for cheap van insurance. Age, gender, even location of your business are static factors that have a bearing on the cost of your premium that you cannot change. however, there are security and pre-emptive measures that are looked favourably upon by brokers that are cost effective, simple to implement and can knock pounds off van insurance quotes.

Today, we are looking at the S, which, in our case, is for steering lock; whether that is a simple column lock or more advanced wheel lock, both are effective deterrents to any would-be van thief. These are additional devices to the steering lock, which was introduced in the late sixties as an integral part of the steering column. They can be disengaged by either ignition key or electronics and software, depending upon the age of the van. This component on its own has no affect on obtaining cheap van insurance quotes, as all makes and models have one type, or another.

steering locks good starting point when driving down the cost of your van insurance

If you are starting out in business and cannot afford to stretch to full immobiliser installation, then these are a good starting point if you’re searching for cheap van insurance for young drivers.

The steering column lock is a device which enshrouds the column in a casing which, by design, provides a barrier between thief and ignition switch. The steering wheel lock is simply a progression from that device, with an additional bar that slips through the steering wheel to prevent the wheel turning, even if the column lock is breached.

Neither could be described as an achievement in finesse and, at first, they can be cumbersome and take some getting used to to engage every time you get in and out of the car. The fact that they are bulky and extremely visible (often painted a luminous colour) can work to the van owner’s advantage. Just the sight of one through the windshield can be enough to put off the casual car thief.

Of course, the less often your van is attacked, the longer your no claims bonus will remain in tact, helping you achieve very cheap van insurance in the long term. For the investment, they will pay for themselves over time and they are a good starting point when it comes to proving to your broker that you are serious about driving down the cost of your commercial vehicle cover.

Today, we look into the I of our S.I.L.V.E.R. preparation guide for obtaining cheap van insurance, swiftly and simply, using the internet as your platform.

The I is for immobiliser. This is simply an addition to your van, that can range from a basic twist and lock type fitting to a fully integrated system which safeguards your van, even if you leave the motor running – so long as you activate it, of course!

The cheapest type of immobiliser is literally like a plug and play device; you can even mount it externally if it is a sports car you want to enhance the protection of. Probably more suited to a vehicle that you may want to immobilise say, on your drive over the weekend, as it doesn’t work with a running motor, this type of device is a one-turn key fitting, simple to install and even available from e-bay, so you have no excuse not to have one, as you do not even have to leave the house to order one!

Nonetheless, for the sake of a fiver, it is another weapon to arm yourself with in your quest for the cheapest possible van insurance.

A more advanced device, that will require a level of installation as it has its own power supply and wiring, is the ‘key out’ immobiliser. This does run with the keys out of the ignition, as the name suggests. The main advantage of this configuration is that, if you need to leave ancillary devices running and leave the van unattended just for a few minutes – perfect for conserving fuel, rather than stopping and starting the engine every five minutes if you’re on a multi-drop run – you can. With its own power supply, you are less likely to run the battery down, too.

Another winning addition to your safety profile in the battle with the broker for very cheap van insurance.

If, however, you really want to impress the van insurance people, you can opt for an immobiliser that has driver recognition built in. Not only can you leave the van ticking over, but the system will immobilise the engine the minute an unauthorised person attempts to even move the vehicle!

This is a more sophisticated get-up, but is absolutely top of the tree when it comes to fighting van theft, and your van insurance broker will recognise this. The ‘eye’ scans the driver – even if the keys are left in the ignition with the engine idling, if the software doesn’t like the look of the person behind the wheel, it will shut down the van immediately the moment the handbrake is disengaged. In addition, the brakes are vented so that the wheels, in effect, have an air-lock. Any attempt to re-start the engine and the van will make like Herbie, with flashing lights and honking horn, until the rightful owner returns to disengage the immobilising software.

Now, tell me, which insurance firm is not going to offer you cheap van cover on that basis?

When it’s that time of year again to search for cheap van insurance quotes, there are various aspects that brokers look for to enable them to give you the best deal. To put yourself in the best haggling position, you can refer to our back up as a quick overview to arm yourself, as you go into battle.

Over the course of this week, we are going to link to each of the S.I.L.V.E.R. components and take a look at them in more depth. We understand that each one has a value when it comes to negotiating cheap van insurance, but what practical purpose does each element offer you, the businessman or woman?

In no particular order, let’s start with Vehicle Tracking.

There are plenty of different manufacturers on the market and cheapvaninsurance.co.uk does not align itself with any of them – this is not a sales page, purely an overview of what you should expect when you install Vehicle Tracking Software.

Corporate benefits of real-time vehicle tracking

The first reason why insurance brokers are more likely to offer cheap van insurance if you have Vehicle Tracking fitted is because the likelihood of discovering the vehicle after a theft increases dramatically. The wireless communication protocols used to transmit data from the vehicle back to the hub or mainframe where these digital signals are converted into human-friendly reports and graphics stretch the length and breadth of the UK.

No matter where your vehicle is on the mainland, the police will be able to trace its whereabouts. Insurance companies obviously like the idea of not having to fork out to replace a reported missing van but, when it comes to renewing your van insurance policy, there are far fewer fraudulent claims to take into consideration with Vehicle Tracking in place, protecting the price of your premium; in theory, anyway.

Another reason why you, the entrepreneur, should fit your fleet of commercial vehicles with GPRS/GSM/GPS technology is, purely and simply, the R.O.I. that is delivered straight back to your bottom line. Drivers are a lot less likely to be tempted into stray pastures if they know Big Brother is watching them, improving efficiency to such an extent that these devices may pay for themselves, in the long term.

And you do not have to have a fleet to harness this ‘real-time’ traceability. There are plug-and-play variations available for single-van operations, too.

The manufacturers have worked hard with tracking devices to reduce their impact on your server. Most come with a single, easy use password protected website (perfect to point your broker to when haggling for very cheap van insurance) with no complicated or dedicated software packages to install and maintain. The monthly fee is usually ‘what you see is what you get’, with no hidden costs nor maintenance issues that could lead to extortionate IT labour rates.

And the best of it is, all of the information can be turned into hard-copy reports for future budgets. History patterns of slow or idle traffic may help you to negotiate bespoke delivery times for customers outside of peak traffic hours to suit them and you, all wrapped up in a way it looks like you’re doing them a favour.

Around the clock (usually one-minute interval) updates allow you to relate to your customers if a delivery is held up in slow-moving traffic. Plus, there is always the ‘emergency collection’ – with tracking, you have immediate visibility to which driver is best suited to be diverted and make that pick-up, promoting you as a hero to your customer.

Vehicle tracking is an absolute must in today’s very real supply and demand market; you can see why insurance brokers are prepared to offer cheaper van insurance to those companies wise enough to go that extra mile and install it.

When times are tough, is third party always best?

In the current economic climate, whilst the bottom line is very much top priority, renewing your van insurance may well seem as unimportant to you as your mother-in-law’s birthday.

Both are tasks that can fill you with an unwarranted dread. If you forget the latter, you know you’re in for an earful from the wife. However, if you neglect to look for cheap van insurance quotes when that time of year rolls around, you’re risking more than ‘the cold shoulder’ for a few days, if you get caught short.

Annual van insurance is an inevitability that, as a business owner, you can not send a belated card to and hope it gets you back in the good books. If the worst were to happen, especially for sole traders, and your van is stolen with all of your work gear in the back, your livelihood has literally been swiped from under you nose.

In more properous times, it is great to be fully comp.; one has to be pragmatic, however: when cash is short and you are looking for cheap van insurance to tide you over, then third party, fire and theft is a feasible option. If nothing else, at least you are covered if an unscrupulous crook does away with your motor whilst you’re at your mother-in-laws 125th birthday party and they decide your vehicle has more potential than the broomsticks lined up along the garage wall.

Many business-minded people who have been fully comp for years, but are finding economics tough, look at taking out third party cover as an admission of failure, but that is just not so. Even if you go for the cheapest van insurance available, at least you’re covered to some extent.

It is worth considering the options and the false economy that this may action may disguise. This is going to sound like backwards logic but there is a method in the madness.

You know how much your van, or any commercial vehicle you own, is worth and what it would cost to replace. If you have enough money in the kitty to do so, but have one eye on cashflow, then it may be worth risking going with cheap van insurance, such as third party.

If, however, you have very little in the pot then you absolutely must take out fully comprehensive van insurance. If your business is reliant on a van for transport and you cannot replace it following an accident that your reduced van insurance does not cover, you may as well shut up shop and go home.

Make sense? Now, I’m not advocating that either is the right answer for you or your business, especially of you are a start-up or apprentice and you have not yet realised your full earning potential. It is always the temptation to go with cheap van insurance for young drivers, but that can be habit forming and is not always the best solution.

Whichever policy you decide upon, be sure that the very basics are covered in any event. Irrespective of cashflow, if you need van insurance, you need van insurance.