Van Insurance
Best Van Insurance
In order to find the cheapest van insurance, it’s important to understand the type of coverage that’s available for your specific situation. For individuals seeking private van insurance for non-commercial use as well as those seeking business van insurance policies, there are 3 primary types of coverage available for vans:
- Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive coverage offers coverage for collisions and malicious damage caused to your vehicle.
- Third Party, Fire and Theft – This type of coverage provides liability protection for the 3 types of damages listed: damage to 3rd party vehicles and persons, damage due to fire, lightning, or explosion, as well as damages suffered from theft or attempted theft.
- Third Party Liability Only – With third party liability coverage only, you are only covered for damage done to 3rd party vehicles and persons. In some jurisdictions, this type of insurance is the only type of insurance coverage you are legally obliged to purchase, though most jurisdictions mandate collision coverage as well.
Depending on your jurisdiction, your policy may only require some of these types of coverage, check with your local ministry of transportation or your insurance company to determine the minimum legally mandated coverage if you’re seeking the cheapest insurance.
Cheap Quotes
With so many insurers offering van insurance, the market is highly competitive amongst brokers and providers, meaning you can get cheap van insurance quotes if you’re willing to go out there and compare. With the rise of the internet affecting every aspect of how we live our lives and do business, it is vital that you do a comparison search online, or get multiple quotes. This allows you to take advantage of the competitive marketplace and get the cheapest van insurance.
Your van insurance quote should always request the exact coverage you need. Many van insurance companies will try to upsell you on additional policies and protection. If you don’t need it, do not get it. On the other hand, ensure that you fully understand the policy you are receiving and make an informed determination of whether the coverage is adequate for your needs, or you may end up paying much more down the line.
Deductible
Another important aspect of your policy and quote is your deductible. A deductible is an amount of damage, usually ranging from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars, that the van owner agrees to pay on a claim regardless of their coverage. Some policies will have mandatory deductibles. This mandatory deductible amount may change depending on certain factors, like whether you’re driving a van that insurers have deemed high risk, or you have young drivers on your insurance policy.
Van owners can obtain cheaper van insurance premiums by opting-into a higher deductible, but this means they will bear higher costs if any damage happens to their vehicle. It is up to the owner to weigh the risks and rewards of a higher deductible when they request an online insurance quote.
Comparison
If your financial resources are limited, you may be tempted to simply take the cheapest quote you’re given. However, it’s important that you do not make your van insurance decision solely on a cheap quote. Be sure to compare policies carefully, as inadequate coverage can cost you down the road many times what you would have paid in insurance premiums.
Additionally, be sure to examine the terms and conditions in your policy carefully. There will be various financial limits to your coverage, different deductible amounts, and your policy may or may not include coverage for glass damage or courtesy vehicles. It is important to read the fine print to fully understand the value of what you’re getting for your van insurance quote and not simply make your decision based on the lowest quote.
Commercial
Generally speaking if you are going to regularly use your van for commercial purposes, you need to inform your insurance provider. Private rates and business rates may differ greatly. Insurance companies will generally give you three options when insuring your van:
- Pleasure – For those who do not utilise their van for commercial purposes.
- Carriage of own goods – For those who perform commercial services and utilise the vehicle in order to carry their own goods, including tools, equipment, products for delivery etc.
- Haulage – This option is for those who utilise their van to perform commercial services that require carrying 3rd party goods. This applies primarily to Couriers or movers, and is known by some colloquially as “courier van insurance”.
Choosing the right option for your company is extremely important for proper liability coverage. If you use your van primarily for company purposes but fail to inform your insurance company, you may not be able to collect on your claim should an accident occur. Additionally for commercial van users who utilise their van to transport products, most providers will check to ensure that the materials you are transporting are neither toxic nor hazardous. Most insurance companies will offer commercial van insurance, so be sure to get a quote from multiple providers in order to find the best commercial van insurance.
Temporary
Not everyone requires a full year of insurance. Maybe you need temporary insurance for an old van you need for a few days of the year to help with moving, or maybe you just want to go camping for a couple weeks each year. Traditionally, van insurance was only available on a yearly or 6 month basis. However, insurance companies now understand that there is a growing number of motorists demanding short term policies that are flexible down to the day. Those seeking camper van insurance for example, may only use their vans for a few days or weeks out of the year.
By having the option of temporary insurance, van owners who only need to utilise their vans for a few days or a few weeks at a time can cut back on unnecessary costs associated with being locked into annual or bi-annual insurance plans.


