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Unwanted extras in used van purchase

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

What do you expect to get as extras when you buy a used van? Obviously it all depends on the model and how much you are prepared to spend. Many manufacturers put together special offers to improve sales, especially when a new range is unveiled. On top of manufacturer’s discounts, showrooms will also sometimes offer extras in their sales pitch on new vehicles but deals on used vans are not so good, usually.

Not a commercial business

When San José psychologist Charles Preston bought his used Chrysler van he wasn’t looking for any deal in particular, certainly not commercial vehicle insurance as he wanted the van to help him feed the poor of the city, an action he paid for out of his own wages. He did get tinted windows, air conditioning and power steering in the van, and because it was the first time he had bought a second hand vehicle he was not particularly concerned about the door windows not rolling completely down. He certainly wasn’t looking for half a million pounds worth of cocaine to be included, but that is what he got!

Faulty brake led to discovery

The good Samaritan paid around £10,000 for his white van but spent over a year driving it around the poor parts of San José with dozens of packets of cocaine stashed all around the car. In fact it was packets of cocaine that was stopping the windows working correctly but it was not until Mr Preston became worried about a brake fault that the haul came to light.

Lucky escape

The garage fixed the brake problem and Mr Preston routinely mentioned his faulty windows, the mechanic offered to take a look and told him the insulation packs in the panel was wrongly placed. It was only when he took the packs completely out of the vehicle that the two men realised what they were holding. Mr Preston called the Police who found 14 packages of cocaine in the doors of the van and a further five behind the wheels. They told Mr Preston if he had been involved in a stop and search operation in those 15 months he would now be serving time in jail.

Van taken back

The cold realisation that criminals were probably still looking for the vehicle prompted Mr Preston to take the vehicle back to the sales people he originally bought it from. He is now looking to get van insurance cover on a new vehicle and it’s a safe bet he pays for a comprehensive check on the van before he takes it out of the garage.

Tags: Charles Preston, Chrysler Mini Van, commercial vehicle insurance, San Jose, van insurance cover
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Thousands of drivers yet to start training modules

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Lorry and van drivers have been warned this week that although the deadline to comply with EU training requirements is over two years away, they should start planning to take appropriate training now if they want to make their commercial vehicle insurance cover worthwhile.

Drivers must be compliant

September 2014 may seem a long way off but the Freight Transport Association (FTA) are already saying that if training schemes are not set up now, then hundreds of truckers may find themselves out of work in 2014 because they are not compliant with EU regulations. The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) requires van drivers, lorry drivers, and bus drivers etc. to have undertaken a recognised training programme of 35 hours over a 5 year span if they want to keep hold of their European driving licence.

Last minute may be too late

The training covers a multitude of modules that include; fuel efficient driving, health and safety regulations, first aid competence, and defensive driving tips. The training hours must tot up to 35 over the five year period but can all be done in 1 year, and this is what is worrying transport and training experts in the business. With only just over 60% of professional drivers currently forecast to have completed the training by the 2014 deadline they believe the majority of drivers are planning to do the mandatory courses in the last 12 months. It is certainly true that many drivers and companies who are already facing huge bills for fuel and van insurance cover will be reluctant to fork out more money for training courses but it may turn out to be a false economy.

Over a quarter of a million drivers yet to start

According to the FTA there is already a shortage of trainers and if the majority of the 300,000 professional drivers who are estimated to have yet to start any training leave it until the last 12 months there simply won’t be enough trainers or training programmes to cater for the sudden influx. There are many training organisations who do offer courses that comply with the DCPC qualification and drivers who want to ensure they have no worries about losing their licence should start enrolling now.

Tags: Drivers, Freight Transport Association, training, van insurance cover, vehicle insurance cover
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Time running out for non compliant van drivers

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

With just three months to go before the new compliance regulations come into place for the Low Emission Zone (LEZ), thousands of van drivers who ply their trade in the capital still have not ensured their vehicles are fit to pass the more exacting requirements.

Non compliance not an option

The new measures will bring over 70,000 vans and similar vehicles into the net of compliance and for those businesses already struggling with expensive commercial van insurance and high fuel charges their options are not exactly inviting. No-one can afford not to comply, the cost to enter the zone in a vehicle with high emission levels comes in somewhere between £100-£200, depending on the vehicle, and to risk driving in the zone illegally will attract a fine of £1000 a day. In business terms it is comply or die!

Drivers should check TfL website

It is vital for any driver who relies on his van for his livelihood to check now whether he needs to make changes to his vehicle. The regulations and requirements are all on a Transport for London (TfL) website, but are still not simple to understand and drivers are definitely being surprised when they find their vans need to be adjusted. Many will fall foul of the 10 year cut off rule imposed by the LEZ, which requires any vehicle registered after December 2001 to have a filter fitted. A filter will cost around £3000, which for some will leave them with a vehicle that they can’t afford to modify yet cannot even sell.

Deals for those who can afford them

Of course, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has negotiated deals with many major van manufacturers to benefit those who can afford to get van insurance cover on a new van but it is thought most businesses will be looking to modify rather than buy new in such austere times. And there is still a problem for those who have not got round to fitting a filter. Garages in the South East are reporting more and more van drivers bringing their vehicles in for modification, and though they are not swamped yet, they believe those who delay much longer will find there is a backlog and that their vehicles may not be converted in time.

Fine could run into millions for the city

Meanwhile TfL will be nervously monitoring the situation. They do not want London businesses to suffer because of the clean air requirements but are well aware that not only can they be fined by the European Commission but also by the Olympic movement who are bringing the Olympic Games to London in the summer of 2012, if the air quality does not meet the stipulated levels.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Low Emission Zone, van drivers, van insurance cover
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Courier auction site proving a hit

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

The rocketing price of fuel is now causing consternation for the majority of people in the UK. It seems that record high prices are being recorded every week and van drivers are now routinely paying almost £1.40 a litre anywhere on the mainland. With the price of commercial vehicle insurance also going up, small haulage firms and couriers are now under pressure to keep their vans busy and earning money all the time.

Matching up customer and courier

“Man with a van” companies and couriers in particular need to keep a full order book in the present situation and it seems more and more of them are turning to haulage auction sites such as Uship to make the most of their van delivery service.

Uship is a site designed primarily for van drivers that hopes to attract members of the public in their droves. Basically the site invites people who are looking to ship goods quickly and/or cheaply, to advertise on the site for a courier or haulier to give them a price for the job. This obviously can save the interested party time and money, the bid prices can be incredibly cheaper than quotes they would receive from established haulage firms and often the delivery time is superior as well.

Return trips worthwhile

For van drivers already under contract to deliver to a certain place in the country the prospect of driving back with an empty van or truck is really a wasted journey. Sites like Uship give the van driver the chance to look on the site and potentially pick up a job on the journey home. Obviously any job will be more lucrative than going back empty and therefore he can bid for the job on Uship.

The end result is usually a happy customer and a happy van driver. The customer has got the delivery on time, and cheaply, the van driver has covered his fuel costs and quite a bit more than can be put towards other business costs such as van insurance cover or servicing and maintenance.

Feedback

Uship operate a feedback system similar to that on eBay and in fact offer customers the chance to link their Uship account to their eBay account and organise cheap shipment of any goods they buy and sell on the auction site.

Van drivers could find Uship and similar sites a welcome tool in keeping a full order book and at the same time creating valuable contacts that will get them business in the future.

Tags: Courier auction, van delivery service, van insurance cover
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »