Ian Beevis

Motoring convictions cover a wide range of offences, from a single speeding endorsement to a drink driving ban. Each one carries a different code, and that code shapes how insurers assess risk.

Speeding codes like SP30 are the most common, and the insurance impact is usually manageable. At the other end of the scale, drink and drug driving codes can stay on a licence for 11 years. The age of the conviction matters almost as much as the offence itself.

Drivers with multiple codes face higher loadings because the combination signals a pattern, not just a one-off event. But even a single serious conviction can narrow the field of insurers willing to quote.

Rehabilitation periods vary by offence. Understanding when your conviction becomes spent, and how insurers treat convictions at different stages, could make a real difference to what you pay at renewal.

Hire-and-reward sits apart. Running paid delivery shifts on a standard social, domestic, and pleasure policy is typically one of the biggest mistakes couriers make. Without hire-and-reward cover, paid delivery work is effectively uninsured, which can lead to a £300 fixed penalty, 6 licence points, possible vehicle seizure, and more serious court penalties in some cases.

Comprehensive hire-and-reward van cover is typically more expensive than social-only van insurance, because delivery work generally carries a higher claims risk. That is the premium gap you pay to carry goods legally.

If you courier full-time, an annual policy normally makes sense. If you courier some shifts only, daily cover for those shifts may often be the more competitive call.

"Van drivers who get a vehicle seized often need it back the same day - whether it is a private van or a small business runaround. Buy the 30-day release policy, print the certificate, take it to the pound with your V5C, licence and proof of address, and most van drivers are home within 24 hours. If your van is registered to a business, bring a signed letter of authority from the registered keeper as well."

Carriage of own goods is the use type that catches tradespeople out most often. Plumbers, electricians, and builders often assume social van insurance is enough when they are driving to a job with tools or materials in the back, but business use such as carriage of own goods usually requires the correct class of use. Using the wrong class of use could mean a claim is declined and the policy does not respond as expected.

The temporary option suits occasional workers and sole traders who don't need cover year-round. It's particularly useful when you're borrowing a colleague's or family member's van for a specific contract - running it on your own short-term policy means the owner's No Claims Bonus (NCB) is typically not at risk if something goes wrong.

If the job involves collecting or delivering items on behalf of a client for payment, that is usually hire and reward, which is a different class of use from carriage of own goods. One detail that catches tradespeople out: even with the correct class of use, the tools and stock in the back of the van are usually not insured by the motor policy itself - that is a separate goods-in-transit decision.

"Drivers who get a car seized want it back the same day - and that is achievable. Buy a 30-day release policy, print the certificate, take it to the pound with your V5C, licence and proof of address, and most car drivers are home within 24 hours. The single biggest delay at the pound is turning up one document short - so check the list twice before you set off."