Start Up Couriers Should Ensure They Are Effectively Insured
Many experienced courier drivers will appreciate that being effectively insured is
an important part of the job, however a large number of start up couriers or those that are new to the courier insurance may not be aware that they have the wrong insurance cover and could be liable for any accidents of damage.
There is an expansive range of insurance policies available to drivers and this can often be confusing to the most experienced of drivers, never mind those who are new. Couriers need insurance for a whole host of eventualities and its important to have a good understand of what your average courier insurance policy is likely to cover you for and what other insurance may be sensible to take out.
The biggest misbelief is that haulage or truck insurance is suitable for couriers. Whilst lorry or truck drivers transport goods for hire or reward they do not generally have a large number of multiple stop offs. The driving routes and implications to haulage drivers are often drastically different to those of couriers and that is why they need to have different policies. If you have take out a haulage insurance policy it is recommended that you clarify if you are correctly covered for offering courier services with multiple drop offs.
There are also other insurance packages and policies which complement courier insurance. This includes goods in transit insurance that should be highly considered, as it will cover you for all parcels or stock that a courier would deliver. Many insurers who specialise in courier insurance will often provide combined policies for goods in transit and courier to ensure you are adequately covered for all types of risk. Other insurance that may be worth considering is public liability insurance, employer liability insurance, or fast response motor brake down cover.
If you wish to deliver parcels abroad it is important to check that you wille covered for your place of visit. Whilst the majority of policies just cover you for the UK some may include European travel as standard. Adding this to your policy at a later date can prove expensive and if you know that you may need to visit the European mainland for deliveries it is usually cheaper to have this sorted when you first purchase your policy.
If you are just starting up a courier business or are a new courier than shop around as many specialised insurance brokers will offer courier insurance at discounted rates for new couriers, or offer a number of added extras which may come in hand in the future.