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What insurance do I need to be a courier?

With many companies growing an online presence, the courier industry has boomed due to more and more people ordering online and businesses looking to couriers to help them with their distribution. So, if you're reading this with the idea of entering the industry, this could be the place to learn about courier van insurance.

We understand getting the right cover for your business can be tricky and sometimes confusing, as you don't want to be paying for things you don't need. But you also don't want to miss out on what you legally need. We've put together this guide on how to get your business covered.

There are 3 covers you'll need to get yourself ready to be a courier:

- Insurance for your vehicle

- Cover for the goods you are transporting

- Insurance for public liability (to cover injury claims by the public)

Courier van insurance

The first thing you need is insurance for the vehicle you use for deliveries.

Courier van insurance allows you to drive your vehicle specifically for courier use: picking up and delivering parcels, packages, newspapers, and letters. It takes account of the fact that, as a courier, you are on the road for longer than most drivers, so you have increased risk of being involved in an accident.

If you don’t declare that you work as a courier and take out a standard commercial van policy, your insurer is unlikely to pay out if you have an accident. This could end up costing you a lot more than having the right cover in the first place.

Goods in transit insurance

If you work as a courier, you should have insurance for the items you are delivering

Goods in transit cover protects the value of the goods you transport should they be lost, damaged or stolen. Cover is typically available for up to £25,000 per load on any one claim. However, that can be changed depending on what it is you are delivering.

This type of insurance isn't mandatory, however many businesses make sure to have the cover in place. If the goods you are delivering are damaged or stolen, you may be held responsible for it, so we highly recommend it to our courier clients.

Public liability insurance

Couriers are dealing with the public day in, day out. Accidents can happen. If you cause damage or injury to a person or their property, they could claim compensation from you.

Public liability insurance protects you against accidents involving members of the public. You can claim back the costs of legal defence, and your insurer can pay compensation in the event of a successful claim against you.

Once you have all 3 of these covers in place, you'll be in the right place to start delivering to customers.

Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact one of our team.

Steven.gillespie@ascendbrokingold.co.uk  |  Office: 01245 449067

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