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Pickup truck insurance

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Compare insurance for your standard pick up, under 3.5 tonnes
Got a pick up or HGV over 3.5 tonnes? Use our specialist comparison service
Compare pick up truck insurance quotes and you could save up to £258*

Beat your renewal guarantee. Must be a like-for-like policy. Read full T&Cs.

*51% of van insurance customers could save £258.48. Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (January '21).

What’s on this page?

Do I need pick up insurance?
Using your pickup for social and commuting
Using your pickup for work

What do I need to get a pickup insurance quote?
How do I get cheap pickup insurance?

Do I need pick up insurance?

If you plan to drive your pick up truck on roads and in public places, you’ll need pick up insurance.

Because of their weight and range of uses, insurers class pick up trucks as vans rather than cars. This means you’ll need van insurance rather than car insurance to legally drive your pick up.

The policy that’s best for you will depend on a number of things, including the weight of the truck, what its usual cargo is and how it’s used day-to-day.

Generally, when classing its use, it’ll fall into one of two categories:

Commercial use, if you use it for your business or for haulage
Private use, if you use it socially or for commuting to work

If you’re unsure about the level of cover you need you can find out more about van insurance classes of use.

Using your pickup for social and commuting

If you use your pickup truck for social trips, or for commuting to and from work then a private use policy is more suitable. It works the same way as a ‘social use’, or ‘social and commuting’ car insurance policy does.

Many insurers won’t offer private insurance policies for pickup trucks over a certain size for example, the Toyota Hilux. This is because they’re automatically classed as Light Commercial Vehicles or LCVs, but this is worth checking.

Using your pickup for work

If you use your pickup truck in connection with your work, you’ll need to take out a commercial insurance policy. When getting a quote, we’ll ask how you use your van. You should choose the option that’s most relevant to how you use your van.

Rather than have specific policies for pickups, insurers will usually treat your pickup truck in the same way as a van of similar size, offering similar policies, prices and level of cover options.

Depending on the insurer, commercial policies can be extended to cover carrying hazardous goods, specialist tools and materials, or equipment and modifications like winches and snorkels.

If you use your pick up for haulage, you might also want to look into goods in transit or courier policies, as they may offer better protection for your specific needs.

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What do I need to get a pickup insurance quote

Having the following details to hand will make it easier to get a pickup insurance quote:

Personal details like your occupation
Your truck details, like the registration number and weight
Details of previous driving convictions, claims or incidents
Modifications to your pickup truck including things like decals or stickers, body modifications and performance upgrades
Estimated annual mileage. If you’re unsure check your last MOT

You’ll also need to let us know:

How you use your pickup, for example commuting to work
Details of any additional drivers you want on the policy
The type of cover you’re looking for
Start date of your policy
Your voluntary excess amount, which is paid on top of compulsory excess
How many years’ no-claims bonus (NCB) you have, if any

To make it easier, your current insurance documents should have a lot of this information for you.

How do I get cheap pickup insurance?

There are a number of ways you can get cheaper insurance for your pickup:

Choose a smaller, less powerful pickup truck
Add extra security
Don’t auto renew
Build up a no-claims bonus
Pay a higher voluntary excess
Consider a black box policy

Choose a smaller, less powerful pickup truck. Typically, pickups under 3.5 tons are cheaper to insure. If your pickup does weigh more than this, it’s classed as a HGV and you’ll need truck insurance.

Add extra security to your pickup truck like anti-theft devices and immobilisers to deter potential thieves.

Don’t auto renew. Sticking with your current insurer isn’t always the cheapest option. Compare pickup truck insurance quotes to make sure you’re getting the best deal. You could save up to £265¹.

Build up a no-claims bonus which could shave pounds off your insurance.

Pay a higher voluntary excess if you can, as it could bring your insurance cost down.

Consider a black box policy for your pickup. It uses a small telematics device installed to your truck or an app on your phone to monitor your driving. Your insurer may offer discounts if you prove to be a good driver.

¹*51% of van insurance customers could save £258.48. Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (January '21).

We guarantee to beat your renewal. Or give you the difference, plus £20*

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*Terms & conditions

What our van insurance expert says

It might seem obvious but adding extra security measures like alarms and trackers can make your pickup less prone to theft. As well as better security, the upshot of this is insurers then see it less of a risk and might offer you cheaper insurance.

Daniel McCulloch

Head of van insurance