subject: New Initiative To Help Commercial Vehicles Save Money On Running Costs Launched [print this page] The Van Best Practice programme has been launched to help commercial vehicle operators reduce operating costs and improve safety. The programme which has the backing of many different industry bodies including the Road Haulage Association and Freight Transportation Association.
The guides include simple tips such as making sure tyres are in good order and inflated to the correct pressure to make vans safer and run more efficiently.
Commercial vehicles are those which have a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. Vehicles above this weight will need to have haulage or heavy goods vehicle insurance. The combination of the new guides and the reports that van drivers are amongst the safest drivers on the UK roads is great news for the commercial business industry.
Making savings on vehicle running costs is a proactive and positive way to help businesses save money. This is considered to be far more realistic and achievable than trying to cut costs by reducing the amount of insurance cover on commercial vehicles.
Insurance companies are offering some very generous discounts for commercial vehicles which have not made any claims within the last three years. With further discounts being offered if drivers have attended approved advanced driver courses as they are considered to be less of a risk to insurers.
The usual safety and security of keeping commercial vehicles safely stored when not being used is another way commercial businesses can make savings on their insurance premiums. Many insurers also now request that commercial vehicles are fitted with tracking devices in order that they can be kept track of and increase the possibility of recovery should the vehicle be stolen.
Training days which emphasise the importance of staying safe for the driver, the vehicle and its contents will also help to reduce the number of claims made. These include ensuring the vehicle is locked at all times and the keys are never left in the ignition even for the shortest amount of time without the driver being present. This may sound obvious but there are a surprising number of vehicles stolen by opportunist thieves purely because the keys are left unwittingly in the ignition by the driver.
Removing valuable goods, tools and equipment is another sensible approach to take to deter opportunist thieves, along with the basic principles of making sure valuable items such as mobile phones and Sat Navs are not left on passenger seats or within sight on the dashboard.
When looking for commercial vehicle insurance probably the best place to start is the internet as all the leading insurance companies either have their own websites or are included on price comparison sites. The important thing to remember is to use insurers which specialise in commercial vehicle insurance to ensure you have both appropriate and adequate insurance to cover your business needs. Trying to cut corners by lowering the amount of cover in an attempt to save money is an unwise move.
