Fleet Insurance: What Is It and How to Get It
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If you're insuring more than one vehicle—whether for business or family—make sure you get quotes for motor fleet insurance to take advantage of significant potential benefits. We've prepared the most in-depth guide to motor fleet insurance in the UK; read our research to find out how much you can save, who needs fleet insurance and more.
Fleet Insurance Wiki
To learn how much you can save with motor fleet insurance for your vehicles, fill out a quote form. Provide some basic information about your vehicles and the drivers, then you'll receive quotes from various motor fleet insurance providers. You can request a call back to discuss any questions you have, and pick the best one for you.
What is Motor Fleet Insurance?
Motor fleet insurance is essentially defined as a single vehicle insurance policy that covers multiple vehicles. It's usually associated with business use, but not always. And you can insure different types of vehicles under one policy.
Depending on the insurance provider, you can find fleet insurance for as few as two cars, up to thousands of cars. Read more about the types of vehicles you can cover with fleet insurance below.
Just like regular vehicle insurance, you can buy fleet insurance with Third Party Only (TPO), Third Party Fire & Theft (TPFT) or Comprehensive cover. Read more below.
If you have fleet insurance for "named drivers", only employees whose name appears on the Certificate of Insurance can drive your company's vehicles. If you have an "any driver" policy then any employee who is properly licenced can drive a vehicle covered by your fleet insurance. Read more below.
What Kinds of Vehicles Can You Insure as a Fleet?
Motor fleet policies can cover a wide range of vehicles—if you can drive it on the road, you can find a motor fleet policy for it. That said, you'll find more insurance providers willing to insure more common vehicles like cars, vans, motorbikes, scooters and lorries as opposed to tippers and farm equipment.
Fleet insurance can either be purchased to cover one type of vehicle (e.g., vans) or you can buy a "multi-vehicle" fleet policy if you have a mix of different types of vehicles (e.g., a fleet of delivery motorbikes and cars).
- Cars
- Vans
- Trucks
- Buses
- Coaches
- Scooters
- Motorcycles
- Lorries
- Tippers
- Farm vehicles
- Agricultural vehicles
- Pickups
- Taxis
- And more
In short, a motor fleet policy can cover vehicles use for haulage, private hire, couriers and other business transportation purposes, as well as providing savings for family fleets as well:
- Building
- Business
- Bus Company
- Car Hire
- Car Rental
- Catering
- Chauffeuring
- Cleaning
- Coach Company
- Company
- Construction
- Contractor
- Courier
- Electrician
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Estate Agents
- Facilities Management
- Family Fleet
- Farming
- Food delivery
- Haulage
- HGV
- Hotel
- Leisure Facilities
- Limo
- Manufacturing
- Other
- Painting and Decorating
- Plumber
- Property Maintenance
- Property Services
- Recycling
- Removals
- Retail
- Roofer
- Sales
- Scaffolder
- Scrap Merchant
- Security Services
- Self-Drive Hire
- Skip Hire
- Sports Clubs
- Supplier Delivery
- Supply and Installation
- Surveyors
- Taxi
- Tradesmen
- Valeting
- Wholesale
Types of Fleet Insurance
Like car insurance, you can find fleet insurance offered across the three broad types of motor insurance: Third Party Only (TPO), Third Party Fire & Theft (TPFT) or Comprehensive. TPO is the most basic and only covers injury or damage to other people (not you, your vehicles or employees). Comprehensive is the most robust cover, which covers third parties and also covers all sorts of damage to or loss of your vehicles (e.g., due to fire, theft, accident). Here's what each of these three types broadly covers:
| Types of Motor Fleet Insurance | TPO (most basic) | TPFT | Comprehensive (most robust) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repairs or replacement if a vehicle is damaged in an accident | 
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| Repairs or replacement if a vehicle is stolen or damaged in a fire |
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| Injury to other people involved in an accident |
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| Damage to other people’s property |
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As with car insurance you'll find fewer insurance providers willing to sell TPO cover than comprehensive. For the widest choice opt for comprehensive cover—you might even find it's cheaper than TPFT or TPO. How can this be? Insurers price in a lower risk for vehicle owners who want comprehensive cover—perhaps drivers who care enough to pay for protection for their own vehicle(s) are safer drivers.
Who can drive a vehicle in the fleet?
Both you and your employees can be insured to drive any of the vehicles covered by a motor fleet insurance policy. There are two ways to establish who exactly is eligible to drive fleet vehicles under your insurance policy: declaring specific "named drivers" (e.g., Will Smith) or getting cover for "any driver".
With a "named driver" policy you must declare each driver individually to your insurance provider. Named driver policies typically cost less and can work well if you have only a few drivers and low turnover. But it can be a hassle when you want to add a new driver to your insurance because you have to contact your provider and your premium may increase due to the added risk.
On the other hand, if you have a large and changing crew of drivers then an "any driver" policy can be easier to manage from an admin point of view, although you may pay a higher premium on your fleet insurance. Your policy may specify a certain number of drivers that you cannot exceed so check the terms carefully.
If you fill out a quote here (powered by our partner QuoteZone), you can request various named drivers or any driver options as needed. Here are the choices available to you:
- Insured Only
- Insured and Named Driver
- Insured and 2+ Named Drivers
- Any Driver Over 21
- Any Driver Over 25
- Any Driver Over 30
While potentially more pricey, the big benefit of an any driver policy is that any of your employees can just hop in a vehicle (so long as they're properly licenced)—you wouldn't need to contact your insurance provider to ask for permission or add them to the Certificate of Insurance.
Benefits of Motor Fleet Insurance
- Less admin: A motor fleet policy covers all your vehicles under ONE policy—that means one renewal date, one monthly or annual payment, one policy to manage. The more vehicles you have, the bigger of a deal this is.
- Peace of mind: If you own multiple vehicles and they're on separate policies, you're more likely to make a mistake and miss a renewal or payment. Having only one policy can give you peace of mind that all vehicles are appropriately insured at all times.
- Cheaper vehicle insurance: Most insurance providers will give you a discount on additional vehicles, so you are likely to pay a lower premium when insuring multiple vehicles on one motor fleet policy as opposed to insuring the vehicles separately.
In addition to insurance, you need to stay on top of taxes and MOT renewal dates for your fleet vehicles. There's a handy resource at gov.uk for those with larges fleets (at least 50 vehicles) to help fleet operators stay on top of these critical dates.
When NOT to Buy Fleet Insurance
In some cases you might find that individual policies work out cheaper than a fleet policy—only a portion of the UK insurance market sells fleet cover so looking at individual policies can open you up to a wider selection of cheaper offerings. It's always worth checking prices for BOTH fleet and individual cover, especially if:
- You're insuring just two or three vehicles
- You have a mix of popular vehicles like car and van
- One of the drivers has built up a significant no claims discount
Who Needs Motor Fleet Insurance?
Fleet insurance can benefit anyone insuring more than one vehicle. Most frequently this means businesses, but even private individuals can buy some fleet insurance products if they own a large number of vehicles.
Many types of businesses utilise fleet insurance, such as taxi or private hire companies, courier companies (e.g., scooters, motorbikes, cars, vans), shipping or haulage companies (e.g., a fleet of HGVs), restaurants (e.g., delivery scooters), companies that supply their employees with company cars, etc.
What's not covered
Each policy will have a long list of terms and exclusions that you can find in the Policy Wording, and while these will vary from company to company there are are some typical exclusions across the market. Here are some exclusions that are specific to most motor fleet policies:
Common Exclusions
- Drivers without a valid licence to drive the vehicle
- Drivers not employed by you
- Drivers not listed on the Certificate of Insurance
- Loss or damage caused to goods or samples carried in or on the vehicle (you can add on Goods In Transit cover for this if it's not included)
- The excess (which might be higher if any of your drivers are younger)
To illustrate how the excess can be higher for certain drivers, we looked through some sample policy wordings. For example, a sample fleet policy underwritten by Allianz shows that an extra excess of £250 is applicable for drivers under the age of 25 years, and an additional excess of £175 applies for 25 years or over who has not held a full driving licence for 12 months at the time of the damage or loss (although these extra excesses don't apply to windscreen-only claims).
What to Look Out For When Buying Fleet Insurance
If your drivers also use fleet vehicles for private use, say after work or at the weekend, make sure that your policy covers social, domestic and pleasure use as well. In addition, here are some features to look for in a high-quality policy:
Useful Features
- 24-hour helpline: Access to an all-hours helpline if you need assistance after an accident or another claim situation.
- Emergency Breakdown Service: 24-hour roadside assistance if one of your vehicles breaks down.
- Accident Recovery: Removal to a safe place/ repair shop if a vehicle is involved in an accident and cannot be driven safely away from the scene.
- Continental Cover: Full insurance protection when driving abroad in Europe.
- Uninsured Loss Recovery: Reimbursement of money you paid out following a car accident that was not your or your employee's fault, and which is not covered by your own fleet insurance.
- Windscreen Cover: Repair or replacement of chips and cracks in vehicle windscreens.
- Like-for-like vehicle replacement: To keep you on the road if one of your vehicles is in for repairs after being damaged in an accident, for example.
- New-for-old cover: A new replacement of the same manufacture and model if your vehicle is stolen and not recovered or written-off as a result of damage.
What's the Average Cost of Motor Fleet Insurance?
The savings you can achieve with fleet insurance can very quickly reach into the thousands of pounds, but clearly the cost and the savings depend on three primary factors: the number of vehicles, the cost to insure them individually and the % discount you receive for insuring as a fleet. For example, an owner could save £4,500 insuring a fleet of 10 vans that cost £1,500 to insure each, assuming a 30% fleet discount. See more examples below.
| Fleet Discount Savings | 3 vehicles @ £500 per vehicle | 5 vehicles @ £1,000 per vehicle | 10 vehicles @ £1,500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% Discount | £150 | £500 | £1,500 |
| 20% Discount | £300 | £1,000 | £3,000 |
| 30% Discount | £450 | £1,500 | £4,500 |
| 40% Discount | £600 | £2,000 | £6,000 |
How to save money on a motor fleet insurance policy
- Hiring good and mature drivers: It costs more to insure younger drivers or those with poor driving histories. Keep this in mind if you're looking to save money on fleet insurance. "Any driver" policies typically bucket drivers by ages: Over 21, Over 25 and Over 30 to demarcate different levels of risk.
- Encourage safe driving: Building up a motor vehicle no claims bonus can save 50% or more on insurance. Encourage your drivers to drive safely and without time pressure to help avoid accidents. Drivers who are "fleet rated" might get a discount.
- Named driver instead of any driver: Named driver policies are typically cheaper, although they may not be practical if you have a large fleet or a high driver turnover.
- Type of Cover: If your vehicles are old and not valuable you might decide that a lower level of cover is sufficient for your needs, but generally speaking it's best to get comprehensive cover. It if often not much more expensive than TPFT or TPO cover and some fleet insurance providers only offer comprehensive.
- Secure storage: Parking your fleet in a locked garage or storage facility should lower premiums as there's less risk of theft.
- Buy low insurance group rating vehicles: Some vehicles cost 2X, 3X or more to insure versus others.
- Compare prices to get multiple quotes every year: Head to a comparison site to make this easier—you can fill out a quote form here
- Increase the voluntary excess: A higher excess typically means a lower premium, but the discount you get might be insignificant compared to the extra excess you'll need to pay in a claim scenario.
- Pay your premium upfront instead of monthly: Unless your providers charges 0% APR on monthly payments, saving annually can save you up to 19% or more.
- Don't automatically renew: Insurance companies don't often reward loyalty so before you renew check prices for a brand new policy from your current insurer and from other options in this market. You may be able to use these quotes as leverage to negotiate a lower renewal price with your current provider.
- Buy ahead: Our research shows that vehicle insurance bought 3 weeks in advance of the policy start date is the cheapest. Buying last-minute is a sure way to pay a higher premium for the whole year.
Where can I get fleet insurance quotes?
Compare fleet insurance quotes here—after filling out a short form you'll receive quotes from up to three fleet insurance providers. You'll have the chance to talk on the phone if you have questions that you want to discuss. Then choose the cover that offers the best price and features for your needs.
FAQs
Keep in mind that younger drivers can be more costly to insure, but you're not allowed to ask about a person's age when you're hiring employees who will be driving company cars. Also, keep in mind that hiring drivers with a clean driving record will save you money on your motor fleet insurance compared to hiring riskier drivers with a history of accidents or claims.
You can get cover for young drivers on a motor fleet policy, but you're likely to pay a higher premium and a higher excess if you need to claim. Savings can typically be had if all your drivers are over the age of 25 or 30, depending on the provider.
Many factors go into calculating the cost of fleet insurance, such as the number and type of vehicles (e.g., cars, vans, scooters, HGVs, etc.); your industry (e.g., courier, private hire, haulage, etc.); the age, experience and number of drivers; claims history; and even where you operate in the UK.
Your fleet's confirmed claims experience report is an industry-standard form that will display your claims history over the past few years. It's used to by insurance providers to determine your risk level and the cost they'll charge you for fleet insurance. The confirmed claims experience report should include, for the past three years: the number and type of vehicles in the fleet, the number of claims and the total amount paid out in claims.
Fleet insurance can provide TPO, TPFT or Comprehensive cover for your company's vehicles. Coverage will depend on the level of cover you choose. Read more here.
There are many types of business insurance you might need. Some of the most common are:
- Public Liability Insurance: Covers legal fees and compensation if a third party (that is, a member of the public not an employee) is accidentally injured or their property damaged and they blame your business
- Employers' Liability Insurance: Covers employee injuries and illnesses due to work
- Good in Transit Insurance: Covers goods while in transport
To get a motor fleet insurance quote, you'll need to call a provider or fill out a brief form online, after which a few suitable companies will call you back to discuss your needs and work on a quote for you. It's relatively straightforward, but not as simple as getting a quick online quote for private car insurance. Get quotes from our comparison engine partner QuoteZone here.
It depends. If you are a "named driver" on a fleet policy then you can build up a no claims bonus—check with the insurer to be sure though. If you're a driver on an "any driver" policy then you can't build up a NCB.
Panel
The panel of motor fleet insurance providers you can access through us is powered by QuoteZone and includes a wide range of businesses from big names such as Be Wiser to new entrants to the market like Zego to smaller brokers. Click here to start the quote process, and the comparison engine will select up to three insurance providers from the panel to share your quote details with; they may call you to discuss your quote at which point you can ask any questions you have that we have not answered here.
- 1st Choice
- Abbott & Bramwell
- A-Plan
- Be Wiser
- Bollington Insurance
- Brady Insurance
- Broadsure Insurance
- Business Choice Direct
- Compare Insurance
- County Insurance
- CourierINS
- Coversure Insurance
- Gauntlet Group
- Insurance Revolution
- insureFLEET
- Konsileo
- Lifestyle Insurance Brokers
- Milestone
- Milestone Insurance
- Nene Valley Insurance
- New Era Insurance Services
- Nova Insurance
- Plan Insurance
- Pol-Plan Insurance
- Sky Insurance
- TaxiINS
- Yellow Jersey Cycle Insurance
- Zego