Why Compare Commercial Fleet Insurance?
Trade Vans And Cars Together
Trade vans plus a sales car rarely fit a single mainstream quote. Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who price trade fleets as one risk.
Cover That Follows The Job
Site work, client visits and depot runs sit under different use classes. Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who can match cover to how you work.
Tools And Stock In Mind
A van full of equipment is part of the risk, not an afterthought. Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who can build transit cover in.
Commercial Fleet Insurance At A Glance
- One policy covers a trade fleet of vans and cars on a single renewal date.
- Specialist brokers can arrange any-driver terms so staff move between vehicles on site.
- Tools and goods in transit can usually be built into the schedule rather than bought separately.
- Mixed business and occasional private use can be declared and covered.
- Get commercial fleet quotes from specialist brokers above.
How Fleet Cover Works
Use Class
Cover is set for business use, including site visits and carrying tools, not just commuting.
Mixed Vehicles
Trade vans, a sales car and a heavier vehicle can share one schedule. Smaller firms can start with small fleet insurance.
Driver Basis
Any-driver or named-driver terms depending on how staff share vans on a job.
Parent Cover
The wider fleet insurance range covers other business types, and a sole trader with one van may prefer standalone van insurance.
Setting Up Your Fleet Policy
Vehicle And Trade Schedule - List every van and car with registration, value and trade use. Clear detail helps specialist brokers match the fleet to the right markets.
Driver Details - Provide ages, licences and any convictions. Most commercial fleet policies set a minimum driver age of 21, often 25 for broad any-driver terms (ABI, as at 2026).
Transit Needs - Note typical tool and stock values carried. This shapes whether goods in transit sits inside the policy or as an add-on.
Cover Levels Explained
Pick the lowest cover level and one written-off trade van could stall jobs while you fund a replacement. Here's what each level could include.
| Feature | Comprehensive | Third Party, Fire & Theft | Third Party Only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental damage to trade vehicles | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Fire and theft of insured vehicles | Included | Included | Not included |
| Injury or damage to third parties | Included | Included | Included |
| Any-driver or named-driver basis | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Tools and goods in transit | Add-on | Add-on | Not included |
| Windscreen and glass cover | Often included | Sometimes | Not included |
| Replacement vehicle while off road | Optional | Optional | Not included |
| Breakdown and recovery | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
Please note that policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.
Cover Tip: A trade fleet with one vehicle on finance changes the cover question. If a leased crew van is written off, the motor settlement goes to the value, but the finance company may still want the outstanding balance, so check whether gap cover sits on the financed vehicles in the schedule and not just the owned ones before you accept comprehensive across the board.
What May Not Be Covered
A single exclusion can leave a stolen-tools loss sitting entirely on a trade business. Here's what a commercial fleet policy usually may not include.
Standard Exclusions
- Undeclared drivers - A claim may be declined where the driver sat outside the agreed basis or age terms.
- Wrong use class - Carrying goods for hire or reward on a business-use policy may not be covered.
- Unroadworthy vehicles - A claim is likely to be declined where a trade vehicle was not kept roadworthy.
Important Limitations
- Tools and stock - Equipment in a van is usually excluded from the motor section unless goods in transit is added.
- Lapsed database entry - Failing to keep the Motor Insurance Database current can cause problems at claim time.
Extras Worth Considering
Skip the wrong extra and a depot break-in could fall outside your motor cover. Here's what's worth considering.
May help cover stock and equipment carried in trade vans, which the motor section often excludes.
May be needed if a roadside failure could stop a job or strand a trade vehicle mid-shift.
May help keep work moving by providing a like-for-like van while one is off the road.
May be worth arranging separately, as motor cover does not extend to wider trade liability.
What Affects The Cost?
Underdeclare trade use or your driver list and a future claim could be cut for misrepresentation. Here's what shapes the price.
| Key Factor | Impact on Your Price |
|---|---|
| Vehicle mix and values | Higher-value vans and a wider mix typically raise the premium, though a fleet can spread risk. |
| Trade use class | Site work and carrying tools usually costs more than light commuting use. |
| Driver ages and convictions | Younger staff or motoring convictions on the team often push the price up. |
| Claims history | Three to five years of trade claims shape your terms. A clean record often eases renewal. |
| Goods in transit limits | Higher tool and stock cover usually adds to the premium but closes a common gap. |
| Driver basis chosen | Broad any-driver cover usually costs more than a named-driver list. |
The quotes you get will depend on your own details, the vehicles on the schedule and your trade claims record. For context, over 5 million vans were licensed in Great Britain at the end of 2023 (DfT, as at 2023) against an ABI average motor premium of around £560 (Q1 2026).
Price Insight: Trades that quietly start subcontracting deliveries often jump from business use to hire and reward without re-rating, then face a cut claim. Telling a specialist broker before you take that work usually costs less than discovering it at claim time. Delivery-heavy trades can also compare courier fleet insurance.
Ways To Cut Your Premium
Renew on autopilot and a trade fleet can quietly pay hundreds more per van than a fresh comparison. Here's how to cut that back.
Map Drivers To Vans
Keeping newer drivers off the high-value vans often reduces an any-driver loading on a trade fleet.
Set Realistic Transit Limits
Insuring tools to the value actually carried, not a round number, avoids paying for cover you do not use.
Raise The Voluntary Excess
A higher voluntary excess can lower the premium, but keep it to a level the business could absorb per vehicle.
Consolidate Renewals
Moving every trade vehicle onto one date avoids duplicate policies and gives brokers a clearer risk.
Keep Claims Tidy
Accurate trade-use and claims data prevents loadings that come from cautious assumptions.
Saving Tip: Declare your real goods in transit value rather than rounding up to a safe number. A roofing firm insuring £15,000 of tools when it carries £6,000 is paying a transit premium on £9,000 of cover it never uses across every van on the schedule.
How To Compare Quotes
A trade fleet needs a full van, car and driver schedule before an accurate premium can be calculated. Get started above when it's ready.
Build The Schedule
List every van and car with registration, value and trade use, plus all drivers and licences.
Set The Use Class
Confirm business use, site work and whether any deliveries are for hire or reward.
Note Transit Needs
Record typical tool and stock values so goods in transit can be priced correctly.
Compare Specialist Brokers
Use the form above so Clean Green Cars can introduce you to specialist brokers for trade fleets.
Check The Cover
Confirm the driver basis, transit limit and excess before you accept terms.
What Our Expert Says
Trade fleets get stung in one predictable place. The kit in the back.
A common pattern is a firm insuring five vans well, then losing £8,000 of tools to a depot break-in and discovering goods in transit was never added. The motor section pays for the van, not what was inside it. There's also the use-class trap: cover bought for business use but quietly used for hire and reward when the firm starts subcontracting deliveries, which a specialist broker would have flagged and re-rated. Keeping the Motor Insurance Database current is a legal duty under Continuous Insurance Enforcement, and trade fleets churn vehicles fast enough to slip.
Insure the work, not just the wheels. That gap is where trades lose money.
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
Common Questions
Is One Commercial Fleet Policy Cheaper Than Separate Cover?
Often. One policy across five trade vans can beat five separate van policies, against an ABI average motor premium of £560 (Q1 2026), though drivers and claims still set the price.
Can I Mix Vans And Cars On A Trade Fleet Policy?
Yes. Trade vans, a sales car and a heavier vehicle can share one policy. With over 5 million vans licensed in 2023 (DfT, as at 2023), specialist brokers price these blends routinely.
Does Fleet Cover Include Tools And Goods In Transit?
Not automatically. The motor policy covers the van, not the kit inside. Goods in transit cover is usually added so a four-figure stolen-tools loss is not declined (ABI, as at 2026).
What Is Any-Driver Commercial Fleet Cover?
Any-driver terms let any qualifying employee drive any fleet vehicle, usually with a minimum driver age of 21 or 25 (ABI, as at 2026). A named-driver list costs less.
Can Vehicles Be Used Privately Too?
Usually yes. Mixed business and private use can be declared on a commercial fleet policy. Keeping the Motor Insurance Database accurate matters, as it is a legal duty under Continuous Insurance Enforcement.
How Do Convictions Or Young Drivers Affect Cost?
They typically raise the premium. A driver with a conviction or under 25 on a high-value van usually loads the price more than an experienced driver (ABI, as at 2026).
How Many Vehicles Make A Commercial Fleet?
No legal minimum exists, but most insurers treat five or more vehicles as a fleet. With 341,455 new LCVs registered in 2023 (SMMT), specialist brokers arrange trade fleet cover from as few as two vans.
What Happens After I Submit My Details?
Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who cover trade fleets of vans and cars. They contact you with quotes to compare, with no obligation to buy.
Search & Compare Quotes From UK Commercial Fleet Insurance Providers
Useful Resources
- GOV.UK Vehicle Insurance - The official rules for driving insured on UK roads.
- ABI Motor Insurance Guidance - Consumer guidance on motor insurance cover, claims and choosing a policy.
- askMID - Check if a vehicle appears on the Motor Insurance Database.
- Motor Insurers' Bureau - Information about the Motor Insurance Database and uninsured driving rules.
