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Pickup truck insurance

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What insurance do I need for my pick up truck?

Even if you use your pickup as you would a car, its size means it’ll still be classed as a van for insurance purposes. This means you'll need van insurance to cover it.

There are 2 main types of van insurance to choose from:

  • Private van insurance, which you’ll need if you use your pick up for social driving
  • Commercial van insurance, which you’ll need if you use your pick up for work
  • There are a few points to be aware of too:

    If your pick up doesn’t have an open cargo area at the back, it might be classed as a 4x4, so you might need 4x4 insurance to cover it.

    If it weighs more than 3.5 tonnes (3,500kg) it may even be classed as an HGV and you’ll need HGV insurance for it.

What do insurers class as a pick up truck?

Insurers class a pick up truck as a light-duty truck with an open cargo area behind the cab. The sides of the cargo area are usually low, with a tailgate at the back.

For a truck to be classed as a pick up, it must also have an unladen weight, known as its ‘kerb weight’, of no more than 2,040kg.

There are 2 main kinds of pickup truck:

  • Single-cab pickups have 2 doors and 2 seats in the cab
  • Double-cab pickups have 4 doors and 5 seats in the cab

Popular models of pick up trucks include:

  • Toyota Hilux
  • Ford Ranger
  • Volkswagen Amarok
  • Isuzu D-Max
  • SsangYong Musso

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*51% of van insurance customers could save £533.47 Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (March '23).
**Single annual policy. Shell Go+ account required. Only one £10 fuel reward can be used per transaction and each can only be used on fuel purchases of £10 or over. HelloFresh 18+ subscription service. Geographical exclusions apply. T&Cs apply

What type of pick up insurance do I need?

The type of pick up insurance you need depends on how you plan on using your truck. This is known as its class of use.

There are 4 main classes of use to choose from:

  • Social only
  • Social and commuting
  • Business
  • Haulage

Social only is a type of private van insurance that covers you for your daily driving, whether that’s popping to the shops or going to see family or friends.

Social and commuting insurance covers you for commuting to a single place of work. If you drive your van to a bus or train station as part of your commute, this still counts as commuting. If you drive to multiple places of work, you likely need a type of business van insurance.

Business van insurance covers you if you use your van for business and need to transport things like tools or other work equipment.

Haulage covers you for the carriage of goods for hire and reward. You'll likely need this cover if you're a courier, delivery driver or are making long range deliveries.

How much is insurance for a pick up?

As pick ups need to be insured under a van policy, here are the average cost of van insurance, to give you an idea of what you're likely to pay. 1.

Social only

£426.77

Social & commuting

£466.71

Commercial

£492.77

Haulage

£1603.88

1Confused.com data. Median purchased premium price of all sales between Nov '22 and Feb '23

What you pay for your insurance is based on a range of factors that include:

  • How much your pick up is worth
  • How you plan to use it
  • How many miles you plan to drive
  • Your driving history and no claims bonus

But there are a few ways to save on van insurance, like:

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

*Must be a like-for-like policy. T&Cs apply.

We compare up to 52 van insurance companies to save you money

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Will my insurance cover what I’m carrying in my pickup?

If you’re carrying things in your pickup and are using it for work, there are 2 types of insurance cover available for you:

  • If you carry other people’s goods you might need goods-in-transit insurance to protect them. Goods in transit cover doesn't protect your van itself, so you'll need to take it out alongside a van insurance policy.
  • If you’re carrying your own work equipment, known as carriage of own goods, a standard commercial van insurance policy should cover the contents of your pickup. This is often ideal for:
  • Tradespeople
  • Builders
  • Florists

If you aren't using your pick up for work, something like personal effects cover could help cover certain personal items you're carrying in your van. This is usually an optional extra you can bolt on to your van insurance. Look out for it when you get  a quote.

Can I get cover if my pick up truck is modified?

Yes, you can cover a modified pickup truck. But might cost you more to do so.

Just like with modified van insurance, any modifications you make that could raise your risk of a being in an accident are likely to lead to higher insurance costs. These can include:

  • Engine enhancements or anything that increases your pickup’s performance
     
  • Cosmetic modifications that make your pickup more of a target for thieves

This can be the case even if the modifications you make help you with your job. For example, equipment for a dog-grooming or catering business you install in the back.

But not all modifications raise your insurance costs. Things that increase your pickup’s safety or security often don't affect what you pay. These include things like:

  • Extra alarms
  • Installing additional locks

What do I need to get a pickup insurance quote

Comparing quotes is easy. We'll just need a few details to get started:

  • Your personal details, such as your occupation, age and address
  • Your truck’s details, like its weight, the number of miles it’s done an any mods it has
  • Your estimated annual mileage
  • Any driving convictions you have
  • How you’re going to use your truck, and the type of cover you want

This may seem like a lot of information to get, but your current insurance documents (as well as the pickup’s V5C logbook issued by the DVLA) should include most of it.

We’ll do the rest to compare quotes and find you the right cover at the right price.

Ready to compare pickup insurance?

Over 3.5 tonnes? - Get a HGV quote

What our van insurance expert says

You might use your pick up like a car, but you'll still need van insurance to cover it. This isn't anything to worry about, though. Van insurance works much like car insurance. Click get a quote and we'll walk you through every step of the process. You'll be comparing our best prices in minutes.