Fleet Insurance for Tradespeople: The Complete UK Guide
Key Takeaways
- →Fleet insurance for tradespeople is available from 2 vehicles. Savings versus separate van policies are modest at 2 vans but become significant from 3 upward, typically 15–30% per van.
- →Every trades fleet policy must be rated for carriage of own goods as the use class. Standard commercial or business use class 1 can leave you uncovered if tools or materials are in the vehicle at the time of a claim.
- →Standard fleet motor policies do not cover tools or equipment inside the vehicle. A tools-in-transit (TIT) extension must be added separately, and it comes with its own conditions including overnight security requirements.
- →Named driver suits stable teams. Any driver cover is better when you use seasonal labour, apprentices, or subcontractors, but typically adds 10–30% to the premium depending on the minimum age threshold you set.
- →Fleet insurance does not include public liability cover for your trade work. PL is a separate policy but can often be arranged through the same broker and bundled at renewal for administrative convenience.
- →Tradespeople working at restricted access sites, including airside at airports, nuclear premises, MOD sites, and underground, need explicit insurer approval. Standard fleet policies rarely extend there without a specific endorsement.
If you are running a trades business with two or more vans on the road, you are already operating a fleet, whether you think of it that way or not. The insurance decisions you make at two vans carry exactly the same weight as those made by businesses running twenty. An uninsured vehicle on a public road is a criminal offence. An incorrectly declared use class can void a claim at the worst possible moment. Tools left in an uninsured van overnight are simply gone.
Tradespeople, whether plumbers, electricians, builders, roofers, gas engineers, decorators, or groundworkers, make up the largest single group of small business fleet insurance customers in the UK. Most run two to eight vans as sole traders or small limited companies. Most have never spoken to a specialist fleet broker. And most are either overpaying on separate individual policies by 15–30%, or they are on a fleet policy that was set up incorrectly and will not actually pay out when something goes wrong.
This guide covers what a trades fleet policy actually needs to include, how to structure it correctly, what the cost drivers look like across different trade types, and the specific gaps that catch out tradespeople more than any other sector. Whether you run three vans for a plumbing business or ten vehicles for a multi-trade contractor, read it before you buy or renew.
💬 From the MMC Fleet Team
“The single most common mistake we see from tradespeople getting a fleet quote is putting ‘commercial use’ as the vehicle use type. That needs to be carriage of own goods. It sounds like a small detail, but we have seen claims declined at the investigation stage because of it. The second most common is assuming tools are covered. They are not, unless you have specifically asked for tools-in-transit on the policy. Always ask your broker to confirm both in writing.”
MMC Fleet Specialists, FCA-authorised (reg. 916241)
Key Fact: Use Class
All trade fleet vehicles must be rated for carriage of own goods. This covers driving between your business address and job sites with tools, equipment, and materials on board. It is not the same as standard commercial use or business use class 1, and the distinction matters at claim time. An insurer who finds the wrong use class was declared can decline the claim and potentially void the policy from inception.
What trades fleet insurance covers and what it does not
A trades fleet motor policy covers vehicle damage, road traffic liability, and third-party injury or property damage. It does not cover tools or equipment inside the vehicle, trailers unless declared, working operations on site, or any liability arising from the quality of your trade work. Each of those gaps needs a separate endorsement or its own standalone policy.
This boundary matters more for tradespeople than for most other fleet operators, because you carry expensive specialist equipment in your vehicles every day. The fleet motor insurer covers the metal box and what happens to it on the road. Your tools, your trade liability, the work itself, those all sit in different policies. When a tradesperson finds their van broken into and £4,000 of power tools gone, the call to the fleet motor insurer will result in a declined claim unless tools-in-transit cover was specifically added. The policy covers the glass and the broken lock, not the contents.
✓ What a Standard Trades Fleet Motor Policy Covers
-
✓
Vehicle damage. Accidental damage, fire and theft of the insured vehicles, subject to your chosen cover level (comprehensive, TPFT, or TPO). -
✓
Third-party liability. Damage or injury caused to other people, their vehicles, or their property while driving. This is the legal minimum required under the Road Traffic Act 1988. -
✓
Windscreen cover. Usually included as standard on comprehensive fleet policies, with a specified limit per claim. -
✓
Transit to and from job sites. Driving between your business address, materials suppliers, and customer sites is covered under carriage of own goods use class. -
✓
MID registration. Your insurer notifies the Motor Insurance Database of all insured vehicles. Police ANPR checks this in real time. A vehicle not on the MID appears as uninsured even when it is covered.
⛔ What a Standard Trades Fleet Motor Policy Does NOT Cover
-
✗
Tools and equipment inside the vehicle. A broken window with £5,000 of drills, saws, and test equipment stolen: the fleet policy pays for the glass, not the tools. A tools-in-transit extension is required. -
✗
Trade liability and workmanship. A burst pipe caused by poor installation, a wiring fault causing a fire, a roof job that leaks: none of these are fleet motor claims. They belong under public liability or professional indemnity. -
✗
Trailers, unless declared. A plumber towing a pipe trailer or a builder towing a plant trailer is not covered unless the trailer is specifically added to the fleet schedule. An undeclared trailer involved in an accident can complicate the claim significantly. -
✗
Hire and reward use. If a tradesperson accepts payment to carry someone else’s goods in their van, even occasionally, that moves the use class from carriage of own goods into hire and reward. A different policy class is required. -
✗
Employers’ liability for driving incidents. If an employee is injured while driving on the job, that falls under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, not the fleet motor policy. EL cover must be in place separately.
The wider insurance picture: what sits alongside your fleet policy
A fleet motor policy is one part of a trades business insurance stack, not the whole thing. Three other covers interact directly with it: goods in transit (if you carry customer-owned materials or goods), public liability (for your trade work on site), and employers’ liability (if you have staff). All three are distinct policies, but they are often arranged through the same broker and can be renewed together.
Carriage of own goods vs goods in transit. Most tradespeople carry their own tools and materials, which is covered under the carriage of own goods use class. If you occasionally carry materials purchased by a customer and being transported to their site, that is still generally carriage of own goods. But if you are being paid to move someone else’s stock, equipment, or materials as part of a service to them, that moves into goods in transit (GIT) territory and requires separate cover. The distinction matters because a standard fleet policy will not cover loss or damage to third-party goods in your vehicle even under the tools-in-transit endorsement.
Public liability and your fleet policy. Public liability insurance protects you if your trade work causes injury to a third party or damage to their property on site. It is entirely separate from your fleet motor policy and covers what happens when your tools are in someone’s home or on a customer’s premises, not what happens on the road. Many specialist brokers who write trades fleet policies can also arrange PL cover, and some offer combined fleet and trade liability packages that share a renewal date and a single insurer. This is worth asking about because managing fewer policies reduces the risk of a coverage gap between them.
🔍 Broker Insight: Bundling Fleet and Public Liability
Some specialist trades insurers offer a combined motor fleet and public liability product under a single policy number. This is particularly common for plumbing and electrical businesses with three to eight vehicles. The advantages are a single renewal conversation, coordinated excess levels, and no gap between what the fleet policy covers on the road and what the PL policy covers on site. It is not available through general comparison sites and usually requires a broker who works specifically with the trades sector.
Tools-in-transit cover: the one endorsement every tradesperson needs
Tools-in-transit (TIT) cover is not included in standard fleet motor policies. It must be added as a separate endorsement with its own premium, limit, and conditions. The most important condition is overnight security: most TIT endorsements will not pay a theft claim if tools were left in an unoccupied van overnight without approved physical security such as slam locks, deadlocks, or a secured internal vault.
Tool theft from trade vans is one of the most commonly reported insurance losses in the UK trades sector. Thieves know that a Transit or Sprinter parked outside a job site overnight contains thousands of pounds of equipment. Typical losses run from £1,500 for a smaller sole trader up to £8,000–£12,000 for a well-equipped multi-trade team. And because this is not a vehicle damage claim, it falls outside the standard fleet motor policy unless TIT cover was specifically added.
There is a further trap worth knowing about. If tools are stolen and you report it to your fleet insurer, even though the claim will be declined, that disclosure can still register as a claim notification in your policy history. Some insurers treat it as a claims incident that affects your renewal premium, even when nothing was paid out. The practical lesson: report the theft to the police and get a crime reference number, but speak to your broker before notifying the fleet insurer. Your broker can advise how to handle the disclosure correctly so it does not unfairly damage your claims record.
⚠️ Overnight Security Conditions on TIT Policies
Most tools-in-transit endorsements exclude overnight theft from an unoccupied vehicle unless the van has slam locks or deadlocks fitted by an approved installer, a security-rated steel vault or partition (Thatcham-rated where specified), and no tools visible through windows. Parking on-street at a job site overnight without these protections in place typically means a TIT claim will be declined. Check your policy conditions with your broker before assuming you are covered, not after a theft has occurred.
What to check when adding tools-in-transit cover to your van fleet insurance policy:
| TIT policy feature | What to confirm | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Per-van tool limit | Is the limit enough to replace your full toolset if the van is stripped? | £2,000–£10,000 per van |
| Single item limit | High-value items (laser levels, cable locators, pipe cameras) may exceed the per-item cap | £250–£1,500 per item |
| Overnight condition | What physical security is required for overnight claims to be valid? | Slam locks, deadlocks, or secure vault |
| Unattended during day | Are tools covered if the van is unattended on-site during working hours? | Varies significantly by insurer |
| Loading and unloading | Is theft during loading or unloading covered? | Usually yes if within sight |
| Excess per claim | What do you pay before the insurer covers the rest? | £150–£500 |
| Owned vs hired tools | Does the policy cover hired-in tools or only equipment you own? | Owned standard; hired-in needs declaration |
💼 Real Example: The Uncovered Tool Claim
An electrical contractor with four Transit vans had a comprehensive fleet motor policy but had not added tools-in-transit cover. A van was broken into overnight outside a job site and £6,400 of testing equipment and power tools were stolen. The fleet insurer confirmed cover for the broken van window and door repair (approximately £380) but declined the tools claim in full. The contractor had to replace the tools from business reserves. Adding TIT cover at the next renewal cost £340 per year across the whole fleet.
Which fleet setup do you need? Scenarios by business type
The right fleet structure depends on your vehicle count, driver pool, and how your business operates day to day. The table below covers the most common trades scenarios, with the recommended policy structure and the key extensions to prioritise in each case.
| Scenario | Business profile | Recommended structure | Key extensions to add |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: Sole trader + apprentice | 2 vans. Owner-driver plus one apprentice. Both vans the same model. Work is domestic plumbing or electrical. | Named driver fleet or 2 separate policies (compare both at renewal). Fleet edge is marginal at 2 vans unless an existing broker relationship produces a scheme rate. | Tools-in-transit. Check minimum age: many fleet policies will not cover a driver under 21 without specialist placement. Carriage of own goods use class on both vans. |
| B: Small building firm | 4 panel vans + 1 tipper or pickup. Mixed driver team, some seasonal. Site work across multiple locations. | Fleet policy, any driver 25+. Mixed fleet (vans plus tipper or pickup) on a single schedule. Strong cost-saving case versus 5 separate policies. | Tools-in-transit on all vans. Towing endorsement on the pickup if it tows a plant trailer. Carriage of own goods on all. Employers’ liability arranged separately. Breakdown cover worth adding at fleet level. |
| C: Electrical contractor | 8 vans, any driver. Mix of domestic and commercial site work. High-value test equipment in most vans. | Fleet policy, any driver 25+. At 8 vehicles the premium saving versus individual policies is substantial, typically £3,000–£5,000 per year. Named drivers would require continuous MTA admin as staff change. | Tools-in-transit with per-van limit reflecting actual test equipment values (consider £5,000–£8,000 per van for a well-equipped commercial electrician). NICEIC or NAPIT registration to be disclosed. If working on commercial sites or industrial premises, confirm those are covered under the use class. |
| D: Roofing contractor | 5 high-sided vans, seasonal workforce, any driver 21+. Long-distance contracts, rural overnight parking common. | Fleet policy, specialist broker recommended. Roofing is rated above average by most fleet underwriters. Any driver from 21 will load the premium further. A broker with a roofing sector scheme will produce better results than a general fleet comparison. | Tools-in-transit with Thatcham-rated overnight security required. Confirm rural overnight parking is accepted. Load security endorsement for ladders and roofing materials. Consider telematics to evidence driver behaviour and reduce premium loading. |
| E: Gas and utilities contractor | 3–6 specialist vans with gas cylinder restraints. Work includes gas main repairs or commercial HVAC. | Fleet policy via specialist broker only. ADR-classified materials transport must be declared. Some standard fleet insurers will not quote this sector at all. Lloyd’s market access through a specialist broker is often required. | ADR compliance documentation required. Gas Safe registration to be disclosed. Explicit insurer acceptance of gas cylinder transport quantities. Goods in transit endorsement if transporting materials on behalf of utility clients rather than own stock. |
Fleet insurance by trade type: what underwriters look at differently
Underwriters rate trades fleet risks differently by sector. Plumbing and electrical fleets with clean licence histories tend to attract standard market rates. Roofing, groundworks, and demolition firms face premium loading because the work itself signals higher-risk operations, heavier vehicles, and more demanding physical demands on drivers. Gas Safe registered businesses and those working at industrial or restricted-access sites face additional disclosure requirements before terms can be agreed.
The underwriter’s question is always the same: what does this business actually do, and what risk does that create? A domestic plumber with three Transit Connects, two named drivers both over 30, clean licences, and three years without a claim is close to a model fleet risk. A roofing contractor with five high-sided vans, any driver cover from 21, one claim in the last 18 months, and vehicles regularly parked at rural sites overnight sits at the opposite end of the scale. Both need van fleet insurance. Both will pay very different premiums.
| Trade type | Typical vehicle mix | Key underwriting flags | Premium indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers and heating engineers | Transit Connect, Transit Custom, Sprinter. Often with racking and pipe carriers. | Gas Safe registration, emergency callout patterns (late night driving). Pipe carrier attachments need declaring if over the van roof line. | Standard rates |
| Electricians | Smaller vans (Transit Connect, Vivaro). High tool values relative to vehicle value. | Test equipment values. Commercial and industrial site work versus domestic. NICEIC or NAPIT registration to be disclosed. | Standard rates |
| Builders and general contractors | Mixed: panel vans, pickups, 3.5t tippers. Sometimes a supervisor car alongside. | Mixed fleet complexity. Pickup towing trailers needs declaration. Load security on materials. Tippers load the premium above standard panel vans. | Moderate loading |
| Roofers | High-sided panel vans, flatbeds, long wheelbase for ladders and materials. | High annual mileage, rural overnight parking, ladder and materials load security. Seasonal staff patterns mean any driver is often necessary. Fatigue risk on long contracts. | Above average loading |
| Groundworkers and civil engineers | Pickups, crew cabs, 3.5t tippers. Sometimes plant vehicles on the same fleet schedule. | Tipper operations, heavy load risk, unlit rural site parking. Plant vehicles over 3.5t need an operator licence. Third party working risk exclusion applies to plant on site. | Above average loading |
| Gas and utilities contractors | Specialist vans with gas cylinder restraints and hazmat storage compliance. | Gas cylinder transport is a declared hazardous material. ADR compliance required. Some insurers have blanket exclusions for gas distribution work. | Specialist market required |
| Decorators and plasterers | Smaller vans and panel vans. Lower tool values than most other trades. | Generally lower risk profile. Scaffolding erection is a grey area: if the decorator also erects their own scaffolding, that needs explicit use class coverage. | Standard or below average rates |
🔍 Broker Insight: Gas Cylinders and Hazardous Materials
If your vans regularly carry LPG cylinders, acetylene, or other hazardous materials classified under the ADR regulations, you must disclose this at policy inception. Standard fleet motor policies typically include a hazardous goods exclusion that can apply to gas cylinder transport above certain quantities. Gas Safe registered plumbers carrying one or two domestic cylinders as part of normal trade operations are generally accepted, but high-volume gas cylinder transport or work on gas distribution infrastructure requires explicit insurer approval and often specialist market placement.
Compare Trades Fleet Insurance
Get specialist quotes for your trade fleet
Quotes from UK fleet insurers who understand carriage of own goods, tools-in-transit, and trade-specific risk. FCA-authorised (reg. 916241).
Restricted access and hazardous sites: when you need more than a standard policy
Standard fleet motor policies are written for general road use. If your work regularly takes you onto restricted-access or high-security sites, you need to confirm with your insurer that coverage extends to those locations. Many policies include wording that limits or excludes coverage while on non-public land, or that requires specific approval for certain site categories.
This is not a niche issue. Electricians, plumbers, and mechanical engineers regularly work on sites that the standard fleet underwriter has not priced for. An electrical contractor running a new substation may need vehicles airside at an airport. A heating engineer may work on an MOD base. A civil engineering team may operate on a nuclear licensed site. In each of these cases, the standard fleet policy may not respond without a specific endorsement, and the insurer may need to seek Lloyd’s market capacity to provide it.
| Site type | Who works there | Standard fleet covers? | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airside at airports | Electricians, HVAC engineers, ground contractors | Usually excluded | Declare airside access requirement at inception. Insurer needs specific endorsement. Some require airport authority confirmation of your permit to operate. |
| MOD and military sites | Security contractors, maintenance engineers, civils | Needs declaration | Disclose at inception. Most mainstream fleet insurers accept MOD site access with a declaration. Security-cleared vehicles may have specific requirements. |
| Nuclear licensed sites | Civils contractors, electricians, mechanical engineers | Specialist market only | Standard fleet insurers will not quote. Specialist broker with Lloyd’s nuclear sector capacity required. Expect longer placement timeline and higher minimum premiums. |
| Power stations and grid infrastructure | Electrical contractors, civils, specialist engineers | Needs declaration | Declare at inception. Many mainstream fleet insurers will accept with a site endorsement. The nature of work (high voltage proximity) may trigger additional questions about the use class and public liability interaction. |
| Underground works and tunnels | Civil engineers, utility contractors, rail contactors | Usually excluded | Specialist broker required. Fleet motor policy covers vehicles on public roads. Underground or tunnel operations typically require a CAR or specialist contractor policy to coordinate with the fleet cover. |
| Live rail environment | Rail maintenance contractors, signalling engineers | Specialist market only | Network Rail has specific insurance requirements for contractors. Standard fleet policy will not meet them. Specialist rail contractor broker needed. See our construction fleet guide for related context. |
⛔ Failure to Disclose Restricted Site Access
If a vehicle on your fleet is involved in an incident while on a restricted-access site that was not disclosed to the insurer, the claim can be declined on the grounds of material non-disclosure. Under the Insurance Act 2015, you have a duty of fair presentation, which means disclosing any fact that a prudent insurer would consider relevant to the risk. Working regularly at airports, nuclear sites, or MOD facilities is absolutely a material fact. Disclose it at inception, not after an incident has occurred.
Named driver vs any driver: the trades-sector decision
Named driver fleet policies are cheaper but only practical for stable teams with low staff turnover. Any driver cover is the right choice for businesses using seasonal labour, apprentices, or subcontractors, but adds 10–30% to the premium. For most trades businesses with three to five vans and a changing workforce, any driver cover with a minimum age of 25 gives you the best balance of cost and operational flexibility.
The trades sector has some of the most variable driver pools of any fleet category. A building firm might have a permanent core of three or four tradespeople, supplemented by seasonal labourers in summer and a couple of apprentices throughout the year. An electrical contractor may regularly use self-employed subcontractors who bring their own vans, but also needs to move vehicles around the yard or between sites using staff who are not primarily van drivers. Named driver policies become administratively burdensome in these situations: every staff change requires a mid-term adjustment, and any driver moving a van without being listed is immediately uninsured.
Any driver fleet insurance resolves this by covering any licensed driver with permission from the business to use the vehicle. The premium loading is real, typically 10–15% above named driver for a 25+ age limit and 20–30% above for a 21+ threshold. But for most trades businesses, not having to call the broker every time a member of staff changes more than justifies that cost. For a full breakdown of how the two structures compare, see our named driver vs any driver guide.
⚠️ Apprentices and Under-25 Drivers
If your business employs apprentices who may need to drive fleet vehicles, check the policy minimum age before assuming they are covered. Many any driver policies set a floor at 25. Drivers aged 21–24 can be insured under a 21+ any driver policy, but at a significantly higher excess per claim, typically £500–£1,000 on top of the standard fleet excess. Drivers under 21 are effectively uninsurable on most standard fleet policies and will need specialist placement. Raise this explicitly with your broker if you regularly have young apprentices behind the wheel.
Fleet insurance costs for trades businesses: what to expect
A clean 3-van trades fleet with experienced named drivers typically costs £1,800–£2,400 per year. Any driver cover, younger age thresholds, or a prior claim adds 15–40% to that base. The saving versus three separate commercial van policies runs to £600–£1,200 annually once the fleet reaches three vehicles, and scales from there.
The figures below cover common trades fleet configurations on comprehensive cover, UK operation, carriage of own goods, with tools-in-transit shown as an additional line. For full pricing analysis across all fleet types and sizes, see our fleet insurance cost guide.
| Business profile | Fleet policy (est.) | Separate van policies (est.) | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole trader plumber, 2 Transit Customs, named drivers, both 35+, clean records | £1,050–£1,300 | £1,100–£1,550 | Marginal, compare both |
| Electrical contractor, 3 Vivaro vans, any driver 25+, mixed licence histories | £1,900–£2,400 | £2,500–£3,400 | £600–£1,000 |
| Building firm, 4 mixed vans + 1 pickup, any driver 25+, one minor claim in 3 years | £3,200–£4,500 | £4,200–£6,200 | £1,000–£1,700 |
| Roofing contractor, 5 high-sided vans, any driver 21+, seasonal staff pattern | £5,500–£8,000 | £7,500–£11,000 | £2,000–£3,000 |
| Multi-trade contractor, 8 mixed fleet (vans + crew cabs), named drivers, clean fleet | £6,500–£9,500 | £10,000–£14,500 | £3,500–£5,000 |
All figures are annual, comprehensive cover, carriage of own goods use class, excluding tools-in-transit and breakdown extensions. Add £200–£600 per year for a fleet-wide TIT endorsement depending on tool values and fleet size. Actual premiums depend on claims history, vehicle age, driver profiles, and market conditions at time of quote.
Five Things That Move Your Trades Fleet Premium
1. Claims history
Three clean years produces the most competitive fleet pricing. One serious at-fault claim within 24 months of renewal can add 25–40% to the premium across the whole policy, not just the vehicle involved.
2. Driver age profile
A fleet of drivers aged 28–55 with clean licences attracts materially lower rates than a fleet with any driver cover and an apprentice workforce. Minimum age restriction is one of the most controllable premium levers available to a trades business.
3. Vehicle type and age
Older high-mileage vans cost less to insure comprehensively because their replacement value is lower. New high-specification vans carry a higher insured value and a higher premium. A homogeneous fleet (all the same model) tends to be rated more favourably than a mixed-specification one.
4. Overnight parking
Vehicles parked in a locked compound overnight are rated more favourably than those left on-street or at unlit job sites. If your team regularly takes vans home, confirm whether on-street residential parking is accepted and at what premium.
5. Telematics and risk evidence
Dashcams and GPS trackers reduce premium loading two ways: they deter theft and they provide evidence in fault disputes. Some insurers offer explicit telematics discounts for trades fleets. Read more in our fleet telematics guide.
6. How you go to market
Trades fleet underwriting is not a commodity. A specialist broker with trades fleet schemes consistently produces better rates than a general comparison site. The difference at renewal can be 10–20% on the total premium, and the policy will be structured correctly from the start.
How to structure a trades fleet policy correctly from day one
The most common policy structuring errors for trades fleets are the wrong use class, missing tools-in-transit cover, undeclared trailers, and an incorrect driver pool definition. Each is fixable at inception with a few extra questions to your broker. Each, if not caught until a claim, can result in a declined or reduced settlement.
Getting the policy right is partly about the premium and partly about being certain it will actually respond when something goes wrong. Work through the checklist below with your broker at inception, and review it at every renewal when your fleet, team, or work type has changed. Our guide to fleet insurance documents covers the paperwork side in full.
Trades Fleet Policy Setup Checklist
-
✓
Confirm use class is carriage of own goods on every vehicle, not standard commercial use or business class 1 -
✓
Add tools-in-transit endorsement with a per-van limit that reflects the actual replacement cost of your toolset, not a guessed figure -
✓
Declare all trailers, roof racks, pipe carriers, ladder clamps, or tow bars if your vehicles regularly carry these -
✓
Set the named driver list or any driver age threshold to reflect your actual driver pool, including apprentices, seasonal staff, and subcontractors who regularly use your vehicles -
✓
Disclose any Gas Safe registration, ADR-classified materials transport, or work on gas distribution, nuclear, airside, or MOD sites -
✓
Confirm where vehicles are kept overnight and whether any vans will regularly be parked at job sites or taken home by employees -
✓
Check whether van racking, signwriting, or livery is a modification that needs declaring to the insurer. See our van fleet insurance guide for details on what typically counts. -
✓
Add breakdown cover as a fleet-wide endorsement. A single day off the road without a van costs a tradesperson a full day’s billable work, and fleet breakdown cover is almost always cheaper than standalone recovery membership per vehicle
⚖️ Legal Requirement: Employers’ Liability Insurance
Under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, every business employing one or more people must hold employers’ liability (EL) insurance with a minimum of £5 million cover. This applies even if the employee is an apprentice, a family member, or a part-time seasonal labourer. EL is not part of your fleet motor policy and must be arranged separately. Failure to hold it carries a fine of up to £2,500 per day. The HSE publishes clear guidance on which employment arrangements require it.
Making the switch: moving from individual van policies to fleet cover
Most trades businesses switch to fleet cover when they reach three or more vans, at renewal rather than mid-term. Switching mid-term is possible, as individual policies can be cancelled on a pro-rata basis with a fleet policy starting the same day, but the cost-effectiveness depends on how much premium remains on the individual policies. Renewal is the natural transition point for most businesses.
The practical process is straightforward. You need a loss run from your current insurer showing the claims history for the last three to five years, a vehicle schedule with registration, make, model, year, and insured value for each van, and your driver details or confirmation of any driver cover requirements. Our guide to switching fleet insurance covers the full process, including overlapping cover dates and how to avoid gaps between policies.
One transition issue that catches out smaller trades businesses: if your vans are with different insurers and come up for renewal at different times of year, there is a period where some vans are on a fleet policy and others are still on individual renewals. Getting everything onto a single renewal date means either cancelling some policies mid-term or waiting for all to lapse. Both approaches are workable, and a specialist broker can sequence the transition cleanly so there are no coverage gaps. For sole trader eligibility specifically, see our fleet insurance for sole traders guide.
💡 Pro Tip: Use Your Loss Run to Your Advantage
A five-year loss run showing zero or minimal claims is one of the most powerful documents you can bring to a fleet insurance negotiation. Request it from your current insurer before approaching new providers, even if you have never switched before. Insurers cannot always access full claims data from other providers, and presenting a clean loss run yourself gives you control of the conversation. If you have had claims, present them with context: date, cause, amount, and what changed operationally as a result. A business that can explain its claims history is fundable; one that leaves the insurer to guess is not.
Frequently asked questions
Compare Trades Fleet Insurance
Fleet cover for plumbers, electricians, builders, roofers and all UK trades
Specialist quotes with carriage of own goods, tools-in-transit, and any driver options from UK fleet insurers who understand the trades sector. FCA-authorised (reg. 916241).
