Insurance For An Independent Courier

You're a courier, working independently, and you need insurance. So, instead of contacting one company to find you the right policy at the right price, why not contact a panel of specialists to compete for your business?

By filling in one simple form you can get quotes from top insurers who specialise in finding the right insurance for independent couriers like yourself. Why not give it a try?

Companies you get quotes from may include these top insurance providers:

There are many different types of insurance available to couriers; some are legal necessities, some highly advisable and some that could be really useful, but under unusual circumstances. Which of them you decide to take is of course your decision, but one you will unfortunately have little choice about is:

Hire And Reward Insurance - Why Is It Essential?

You may be well aware of this but a lot of beginners, particularly those using their own cars or vans, don't know that a standard domestic or even business insurance policy is not enough to cover someone delivering goods, and being paid for it; and since they are so easy to spot (cameras are everywhere now!) police forces throughout the country have boosted their conviction rates as more and more people have taken part time jobs as couriers thanks to the boom in online sales.

However, to recap; because delivery drivers provide additional risks to insurers, compared to those who just use vehicles for social domestic, pleasure and commuting purposes, most of them forbid the carriage of goods that the driver is being paid to deliver. This means that anyone with a standard domestic policy who delivers goods, even part time, and gets paid for it is driving whilst uninsured, with all the repercussions (including impounding of their vehicle, penalty points and heavy fines) that may be the result, unless they have a suitable hire and reward (sometimes called courier insurance) policy.

And we haven't even mentioned what would happen if the driver was found responsible for an accident, and the insurer refused to pay a claim.

So, yes, hire and reward insurance really is essential.

Employers' Liability Insurance - An Essential Benefit For Employees

If you are a one-man or one-woman owner driver then you can safely skip this section. However if you have any employees, then unless these fall into certain rigid categories (business partners, close relations, etc) then you need to carry at least £5 Million of cover.

This is to protect your employees if they have an accident or fall ill as a result of their work. If you are negligent and an employee is injured as a result the insurer cannot refuse to pay them compensation. However, if you have not made reasonable efforts to avoid the risk of accidents, they may sue you to recover their costs.

So, yes, employers liability insurance is almost certainly essential if you employ anyone. However having a policy doesn't excuse you from taking reasonable steps to provide a safe working environment.

Goods In Transit Insurance - Do I Need It?

As you've probably guessed, goods in transit insurance covers any goods you are delivering, usually from the moment you pick them up until they reach their final destination. The cover inevitably has limits; the insurers will only pay out a certain sum per load, or per item, and there may be restrictions on the reason for a claim, too. Accidental damage is usually covered, but theft cover often comes with conditions such as extra locks or other security systems.

This type of cover is not legally necessary but people you deliver goods for may well insist on it. Plus if you do indeed lose or damage someone else's property, or persons unknown make off with it whilst you're parked on a motoray service station (a popular target area for thieves) you could find yourself well out of pocket.

On a brighter note, Goods in Transit cover is often bundled with hire and reward insurance, but if so the benefits can be pretty minimal, with a high excess you have to pay yourself, so it pays to check the small print carefully - as you should do with every insurance policy.

So, no, goods in transit insurance is not strictly essential, but unless the goods you deliver are of low value it might be a really good idea to have it.

Public Liability Insurance - One To Seriously Consider

Public liability insurance is there to pay towards any claims against you by people (apart from an employee) who claim - rightly or wrongly - that you have injured them, made them ill, or caused them a loss because of your negligence. Examples are someone slipping in liquids you have spilt making a delivery, someone tripping over a box you put down on a drive, a 'priceless' vase that you knocked off a table whilst carrying in a parcel. Claims for these sorts of happening are pretty common and for the relatively low cost of public liability insurance you may well consider it - and again many local authorities or larger companies that you deal with it may well insist on it.

So, again, public liability insurance is not legally necessary but there are those who believe that it should be.

Other Insurance Cover You Might Be Interested In

Health insurance, life insurance, professional indemnity cover, directors' liability insurance - they all have their merits and you may, or then again may not, feel that they are suitable for you.

Conclusion

Even if you don't employ any staff you will still, by law, have to have at least hire and reward insurance. People you work for may well expect you to have at least goods in transit cover too. The cost of insurance may well be less than you think, though, particularly if several types of cover are bundled into one overall policy, so why not get independent courier insurance quotes to compare now?