When you have a fleet of trucks that you need to insure then you want to get the best policy possible.

The type of cover you need will depend on the type of trucks you need to insure. For example if you have skip lorries then you’ll need to get a skip lorry insurance policy.

One thing that’s for certain is that when insuring multiple trucks, by far the best way of doing it is by getting a fleet truck insurance policy. Fleet truck insurance is beneficial for a couple of key reasons. Firstly it’s much simple to insure all your trucks on one policy than getting separate policies for each. Secondly – fleet insurance nearly always works out cheaper than getting individual policies.

Cover options

Below are some of the main cover options you can get with a truck insurance policy –

• Third party – Third party insurance works the same way with trucks as it does with cars. With third party cover, your vehicles will be road legal but will only be covered if another party is to blame for the collision. If one of your drivers is to blame for a collision then your truck will not be covered.
• Comprehensive – Comprehensive insurance will cover your vehicles for all types of collisions, including those that your drivers are liable for. Fire and theft is usually included as part of a comprehensive policy.
• Public liability – Public liability insurance is always recommended when you own a fleet of trucks. If a member of public were to be injured or killed due to negligence on behalf of one of your drivers then a liability claim would very likely follow. You need to be prepared for such a scenario and having public liability cover is the best way to do this.
• Breakdown assistance – Breakdown assistance is a must when you have a fleet of trucks. Even if you already have it then it’s still worth enquiring how much it would cost to have it included in your policy.

How to get fleet truck insurance

By far the best way to get truck fleet insurance is by using an online comparison service, such as Clean Green Compare Lorry Insurance. Such sites enable you to easily get quotes from a panel of truck insurance providers by filling in one simple form.

Black cabs are everywhere in London and if you live there then you might have considered becoming a black cab driver.

If you have considered this career move then below is a guide to help you get started, including the things you’ll need as well as the pros and cons of the job.

What you need

• A taxi drivers licence – In order to work as a black cab driver, you’ll need to get the right type of taxi drivers licence. In this case you’ll want to apply for public hire taxi drivers licence since black cabs can be hailed from the street and display a ‘taxi’ sign. Private hire licences are for mini cab and Uber drivers.
• A vehicle – Of course you’ll need a vehicle in order to work. You can either rent or own your cab depending on your preference and financial situation.
• Taxi insurance – You’ll also need to get the right type of taxi insurance. There are two main types of taxi insurance – public hire and private hire taxi insurance. As a black cab driver you’ll want to get public hire insurance.

Pros

• You meet new people all the time – If you’re a sociable person and love meeting new people then working as a taxi driver could be the perfect job for you. You’ll meet new people all the time and from all walks of life.
• You’re not stuck behind a desk – Another big pro of working as a black cab driver is that you’re not stuck behind a desk for 8 hours a day. That being said you are sat down for the majority of the time so it wouldn’t necessarily be considered an active job although you get a lot more stimulation that simply working at a computer.

Cons

• Can be a stressful job – It probably goes without saying that driving for a living in London can be quite stressful at times. Despite the dedicated bus and taxi lanes, there’s still plenty to contend with so you have to have your wits about you at all times.
• The costs can mount up – The costs of working as a taxi driver can be quite high when you take into account maintenance costs, fuel and taxi insurance.

Types of cover

• Family fleet insurance – If you have a family with multiple vehicles and you want to insure them together then you can do this by getting a family fleet insurance policy. This can be a very good way for younger family members to make insurance more affordable.
• Commercial fleet insurance – The most common type of fleet insurance is commercial fleet cover. There are countless businesses who use fleet insurance to cover their vehicles, including taxi firms, trucking firms, supermarkets etc.

Cover options

• Road risks – Every fleet policy should include cover for road risks. In order to make the vehicles in your fleet legal, there must be third party only cover in place at a minimum. If you want to get more protection for your own vehicles then you can also get a third party policy that includes fire and theft cover, or a fully comprehensive policy.
• Liability claims – Liability claims are something that every business should be prepared for. Taking steps to reduce the likelihood of a claim occurring is a good idea but you still need to have cover in place just in case a claim went against you.
• Breakdowns – It’s always a good idea to get breakdown cover when you’re insuring multiple vehicles, especially when they’re part of your business. The majority of fleet insurance providers will give you the option to have breakdown assistance added to your policy.

Saving money

• Hire low risk drivers – When you’re getting fleet insurance to cover commercial vehicles, one of the best ways to keep costs down is by hiring drivers who are low risk. Typically low risk drivers are those who are over 30, have a lot of driving experience with the type of vehicles you’re insuring and who do not have any driving or criminal convictions.
• Pay annually – If you’re able to afford to pay for your policy on an annual basis rather than monthly then you’re usually able to make a significant saving on the total cost of the policy.
• Get quotes online – Getting quotes online is very easy to do and can help save you a lot of money on fleet insurance.

If you have a criminal conviction then you are likely worried about how it’s going to affect the rest of your life. There is no point in pretending that a criminal conviction won’t change certain aspects of your life because it mostly likely will but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the necessary adjustments.

When it comes to criminal convictions, one of the most important things to be aware of is whether your conviction is spent or unspent.

Spent vs unspent convictions explained

The purpose of spent and unspent convictions is to give people who have been convicted of less serious crimes a chance to rehabilitate completely and not have to be burdened by declaring their conviction to insurance providers and employers for the rest of their life.

When a conviction is ‘spent’ you no longer have to declare it. The amount of of time before a conviction is spent will depend on the severity of the punishment you received. Some convictions, for example those that come with extended prison sentences, will never be spent. Check this guide for a detailed explanation of the ROA and spent and unspent convictions.

Finding work

One of the biggest worries that people with a conviction have is being able to find employment again. This is certainly not an unfounded concern since most employers will do background checks and be able to see if you have any criminal convictions. Generally the best policy when it comes to employers is to be as honest as possible and explain the circumstances around your conviction and how you’ve moved on since. This isn’t guaranteed to work of course since some employers will be put off by the notion of hiring somebody with a criminal conviction but there are those who will be prepared to give you a chance, particularly if your conviction was for a less serious crime.

Getting car insurance

When it comes to getting car insurance when you have a conviction, the best idea is to seek out quotes from specialist convicted drivers insurance providers. The good news is that getting quotes is incredibly quick and easy, especially when you use a site such as Conviction Insure. Getting a lot of quotes is one of the best ways to save money and the good thing about getting cover from a specialist provider is that they’ll take your unique circumstances into account and be able to offer you a policy at a fair price.