Get The Right Fleet Van Insurance Protection.

Commercial vehicles are often one of a business’ most valuable assets. 2011 data collected by MIB Data Solutions found that small and medium sized companies are still opting to buy commercial cars and vans outright with 88 per cent of fleet managers surveyed said that they chose to buy new cars and vans rather than enter into a leasing scheme.

So, if your business owns a fleet of commercial vans –many insurers consider two or more vans to be a ‘fleet’ – then ensuring your valuable assets are properly protected could be crucial to the profitability of your business.

Protecting against theft.

Figures from the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service in 2011 found that the Ford Transit van remains the most stolen vehicle in Britain, ahead of any other car or commercial vehicle.

Head of AVCIS, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper, said: “Vehicles appearing in the list may surprise motorists. Although high-end cars are stolen to order by criminals, those driving more affordable vehicles should not be complacent. Whatever vehicle you drive, security should always be a priority.”

Even over a decade ago a police report estimated that the total annual cost to businesses of light goods vehicle theft was £152 million with around one in every fifty vehicles stolen. Could your business cope if your van or vans were stolen?

Protecting against accidents.

In the same way that sickness amongst your staff can result in a reduction in productivity, your commercial vehicles being off the road after an accident can also hit your earnings.

Making sure you are protected against your vans being in an accident could therefore be crucial. And, you may want to consider ‘replacement vehicle’ cover in order that your insurance provides you with a replacement van on a temporary basis whilst your vehicle is being repaired.

Protecting against loss of contents.

It’s not necessarily just the value of your vehicles that you have to take into account but the value of your contents. A 2007 AA study found that the average value of a commercial van’s contents was £1,382 and a Direct Line survey in 2009 found that 16 per cent of vans had been broken into in the preceding three years.

So, when you buy your fleet van insurance you may want to consider taking out insurance for the contents of your van. This could include both:

• Contents cover
• ‘goods in transit’ cover – if your vans are carrying stock or making deliveries

As Simon Henrick from Direct Line for Business says: “The loss of your tools or stock can have a severe impact on your business and not having those covered makes it far more costly than it needs to be.”