What is courier van insurance?
Courier van insurance, sometimes known as ‘hire and reward insurance, is designed for drivers who make lots of deliveries as part of their work, typically dropping off other people’s goods for payment.
Courier van insurance covers the unique risks that come with doing multiple drop-offs in the same area.
Haulage van cover differs from courier van insurance mainly because it's intended for longer journeys, where only one or two stops will be involved.
Courier insurance policies often cover van use for light haulage work like furniture removal.
What level of courier van insurance should I get?
There are 3 levels of cover to choose from when buying courier van insurance:
What does courier van insurance cover?
What’s covered by your courier van insurance policy depends on the level of cover and the insurer you choose.
It can be well worth opting for a fully comprehensive policy. Along with covering damage to your van or other people’s property or vehicles due to an accident, some fully comprehensive courier van policies will include additional benefits.
For example, they may cover medical expenses, windscreen damage, loss of personal belongings and infotainment, or enable you to drive a courtesy van when yours is being repaired.
Here are some optional extras you can add on when you get a courier van insurance quote:
- Goods in transit cover protects your cargo against loss, theft and damage. Check that the level of cover provided is high enough to meet the value of the goods you carry.
- Public liability insurance protects your business against claims for compensation and legal costs that others may bring.
- Employer’s liability insurance covers against a member of your staff injuring themselves through work.
How can I get cheaper courier van insurance?
There are a number of ways to reduce the cost of courier van insurance without compromising on your level of cover.
Whether you choose third-party only or a fully comprehensive policy, you could still save money if you:
- Consider a black box policy
- Join a trade federation
- Use a dashcam while you drive
- Increase your voluntary excess
- Improve your van’s security
- Don’t auto-renew
Consider a black box. Providing you’re a careful driver, it might be worth choosing a black box courier van policy. Your insurer will then use a telematics device or app to monitor your driving and set your insurance prices. Depending on the data collected, the cost of your black box van insurance could then go down or up.
Join a trade federation as some insurers will offer discounts on courier van insurance for members of trade federations.
Use a dashcam while you drive as installing a dashcam means it should be easier to prove a claim where a third party is at fault. Some insurers will offer savings on courier van cover when you put a dashcam in.
Increase your voluntary excess to cut the cost of your courier van insurance. Although, this also means you could receive a lower payout in the event of a claim.
Improving your van's security can make it less prone to theft and help you get cheaper courier van insurance.
Don’t auto-renew! Compare quotes annually to find the cheapest courier van insurance.
Find other ways to reduce the cost of your van insurance.
Is hire and reward cover included in courier insurance?
Hire and reward insurance is a must if you are using your van to deliver other people’s goods in exchange for payment.
It’s usually included in courier insurance policies as standard.
Insurers design courier van insurance to meet the needs of drivers who are doing jobs like mail order and parcel delivery.
When you get a quote we’ll ask you what you use the van for.
If you need hire and reward cover included, select ‘Haulage use – delivering goods for hire and reward’.
We’ll also ask you on average how many deliveries you make each day.
What our van insurance expert says
Before you get a quote, be really clear about the cover you need, especially with things like your annual mileage. If you’re unsure about anything, check with your insurer. It might be something about how you use your van, or which extra policy features you might need. Whatever it is, they’ll be able to help you with it.
Dan McCulloch
Head of van insurance
"Confused.com is fantastic. Got so many insurance quotes which I later took out. Highly recommend."
Anthony - Confused.com customer (August 2022)
"Very easy and quick."
David - Confused.com customer (June 2022)
"Nice and easy to find insurance."
Mark - Confused.com customer (August 2022)
"Very easy to use."
Michelle - Confused.com customer (June 2022)
Need more help?
Can I get courier insurance for my car?
Yes. If you are using your own car to make deliveries it’s important to ensure you are insured for courier work. When applying for car insurance you always need to tell your insurer how you’ll be using the vehicle. Delivery drivers should select the courier or ‘carriage of goods for hire and reward’ option.
Can I get short-term van insurance?
Do I need goods in transit insurance?
Standard courier van insurance only covers your vehicle. To protect the cargo you are delivering you will also need goods in transit insurance. This is usually offered as an optional add-on to courier insurance.
Goods in transit insurance protects your cargo from loss, theft and damage. Just make sure your cover is sufficient for the value of the goods you are delivering.
How many vans can I cover with courier insurance?
I have comprehensive van insurance, can I drive other vans?
No. Most van insurance policies will be set up to only cover the driver. To drive another van you would normally need to ask its owner to add you to the policy as a named driver.
For vans covered by fleet insurance, there might be an option to enable different drivers to drive different vans, but this comes at an additional cost.
Is my courier insurance valid for delivering abroad?
What’s the difference between courier and haulage?
Will my car insurance no claims discount transfer to my courier insurance?
Types of van insurance
Commercial van insurance
protects your van and its cargo if you use your van for haulage or business use.
Temporary van insurance
gives you cheap, short-term cover from 1 to 28 days for social and business use.
Van insurance guides

Any driver van insurance
If you run a firm or have a lot of renovation or DIY jobs on the go, any driver van insurance could be the ticket. Here’s how it works.

Best vans for 2022
We take a look of some of the most popular vans on the UK market.

Van signwriting - is it worth it?
What are your options for putting graphics on your van, and is it really worth it?

Van insurance groups
What van insurance group is your van in? And how do van insurance groups impact the price of your insurance costs?

How to get your HGV licence
Read our guide to find out exactly what you need to become a professional heavy goods vehicle driver.

Best electric vans 2022
We take a look of some of the latest electric vans on the UK market.