When it comes to the holidays in the UK, we always hear tales of driver shortages or demand that’s difficult to keep up with, with deliveries often taking longer than usual. With such demand often comes a call for seasonal staff and for some, this can be a great way to pick up a bit of extra money right when it’s needed most.
Whether you’re planning on only being a courier for the next few months or you’re looking to start up your very own courier career, now is the perfect time to start, but do you need to think about insurance? From vehicle insurance to liability, here, we’re answering your insurance questions.
Holiday Delivery Pressure
While nothing quite beats the feeling of walking through fairy light-lit streets with a hot chocolate for your Christmas shopping, in reality, things aren’t quite that simple. Christmas shopping, particularly close to the big day, can be tough. Between fighting through crowds, to searching high and low for that perfect gift, more and more of us have been ditching the high street and turning to the online world instead.
Lockdown alone was predicted to cause a 16.7% increase in online holiday-related sales, accounting for a total of 32.3% of the sales across the season. While brick-and-mortar stores still see more sales than online currently, they fell 19% last holiday season.
It’s easy to see through these statistics just why we’re seeing such an increase in courier demand. With retailers selling more online than in previous years, the need for drivers to deliver these goods is higher so for those seeking to join the courier career, finding jobs could be easier than ever before.
Do I Need Insurance?
While it isn’t a legal requirement to have every kind of courier insurance out there, the job can be riskier than you think and for that reason, it’s usually advisable to make sure you’re covered for every eventuality. Generally speaking, you’ll need insurance for your vehicle, insurance for the goods that you’re delivering and insurance for public liability. With these three covers, you’ll have financial protection in the case of accidents, damage, injury and more depending on the level of cover and what is needed or listed in your policy.
What Cover Do I Need?
When finding insurance for your courier business, you’ll need three types:
Van or Car Insurance – Whether you’ve got a van specifically for the job or you’re operating from your car, you need to make sure you have the right vehicle cover in place. A standard car insurance policy often won’t cover using the vehicle for a courier business and for that reason, you’ll often need a commercial policy. They work in similar ways, with Third Party Only, Third Party, Fire and Theft and Comprehensive policies available depending on the level of cover that you need.
Public Liability – Public Liability Insurance for Couriers is carefully designed to ensure that you and your business are protected in the event of an accident, injury or illness caused to a member of the public, or damage to their property. This could be anything from a member of the public tripping over a parcel left on the pavement as you shut your van, dropping parcels on customers feet, or even scratching or damaging cars or property while carrying large or awkward parcels to the door. Having the cover in place will ensure that you are protected in event of a claim, so you can avoid any potential financial losses or difficulty as a result of an accident.
Goods In Transit – If you’re transporting goods all day or even just all evening, having Goods In Transit cover is important to ensure that you and your customers are protected. This cover will protect you against any items being stolen or lost, or even damaged throughout the delivery process while the parcel is in your care. Dropping parcels, theft from your vehicle or even water damage can all be claimable offences, which is where Goods in Transit cover comes into play. We can help you find the right add-on cover to your Public Liability Insurance to ensure your goods and you are protected.
When becoming a courier, whether for the holiday season or as a longer-term business, there are plenty of things to consider to make the job as smooth and as safe as possible. Insurance is a useful protective barrier for you and your business, as well as for your customers, offering financial support and protection in the event of a claim for damage or loss of goods, as well as injury to the public.
For more information about what insurance cover you might need to work as a courier this holiday season, feel free to get in touch with Ashburnham Insurance for a quick and easy online quote.