Trades people are travelling ever further for business, with builders topping the chart – and that means higher van insurance rates
UK van drivers are spending more time on the road – which in turn means a hike in van insurance costs
But Direct Line for Business believes its DrivePlus Van telematics app can fight back thanks to the discounts available.
According to new research conducted by Direct Line, in 2013 tradespeople travelled on average 355 miles a month to get to jobs the length and breadth of the country – up by six per cent compared to 2012.
The survey concluded that those prepared to travel furthest to do a job were builders – a whopping 1125 miles a month. General handymen (540 miles) and plasterers (436 miles) followed in second and third place.
Electricians have seen the average length of their travel increase by 29 per cent, while plumbers travelled 15 per cent more and plasterers nine per cent. Only decorators and general handymen saw the distance they travelled decrease, both by four per cent.
Increasingly, insurers are offering discounts to drivers who are willing to have their driving habits monitored. Direct Line is offering up to 15% off premiums for users of its new app
Van drivers are also spending more time away from home – on average a working week (around five nights), per month, with builders again the most likely to miss out on home comforts, staying out on average nine nights per month.
According to Jasvinder Gakhal at Direct Line for Business the research shows the dedication of tradespeople across the UK to complete jobs, but a consequence of the increased mileage is higher van insurance costs for tradespeople.
However by using the telematics app drivers can access discounts on their insurance.
They can save up to 15 per cent by tracking 300 miles of driving using DrivePlus Van, which for the average driver will take less than a month. Once 300 miles are logged, users will be provided with a driving score out of 100 (with 100 being the safest) and a promotion code to redeem the discount via telephone or the DirectLine website.
“Telematics has been used for a number of years by fleet managers in order to track their vehicles and optimise productivity, and here at Direct Line for Business we’re bringing that technology to owners of single vans in an easy to use app,” Jasvinder adds.
“With capital still stretched for many small businesses, owners of commercial vans are understandably concerned about the cost and risks of operating their vehicle – Telematics encourages responsible driving and through our App this can earn drivers a significant discount on their van insurance.”
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