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Transport Exchange Courier Awards and Party 2009

November 23, 2009 By

Saturday evening we spent a lot of time with Ken Roast from Courier Works, Steve Lee from Concierge Couriers and Pat, Susan and the rest of the Patterson family from Pepperpot Couriers.

We were at the Hilton in Coventry and attached are two videos, warts, bums n legs and all… so you get to see what goes on when 250 courier companies around the UK meet up, have dinner and then vote on the best of the business, in our opinions.

Congrats to to all the winners and thanks to Mark Paterson for helping with the videoing – he also managed to win £400 worth of insurance from One Business as well.

Thanks to Alison and Zemina for all their effort in organising this, it gets better every year :-)

And Pat… I am level 72 on the farm and I may throw a sheep at you ;-)

Sarah

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Have you put your winter tyres on yet?

November 22, 2009 By

In some EU countries it’s a legal and safety requirement to drive with winter tyres on. Have you put yours on yet?

Winter Tires for Audi S4 Avant
Image by Gone-Walkabout via Flickr

In Germany and Switzerland, as well as other EU countires you can be fined heavily for not driving with the correct tyres.

What’s a winter tyre?

Winter tyres have different tread patterns to summer of regular tyres which enable them to cope with weathered road surfaces more efficiently and safely. Some have metal studs as well as different treads.

If in doubt, when delivering to a European destination, ask your customer if they know whether they have a requirement for winter tyres. It’s better to ask than cop a fine for a simple thing such as putting the correct tyres on your vehicle.

When does winter start?

In Germany winter starts at the first snowfall, and that point you are legally required to drive with your ‘snow’ or winter tyres. In France winter tyres are not mandatory except in the mountain regions.

Be careful and check the driving requirements, if you are driving without the correct tyres for the season and have an accident you could find your insurance is invalidated.

Kevin

The Complete Courier Guide tells you things that other guides don’t know…

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Couriers: What happens if I drive without van insurance?

November 13, 2009 By

Driving without insurance is a very dangerous thing to do if you become a courier. Quite simply you are deemed a ‘professional’ driver and you will have no excuse (not that there are any) for driving with your vehicle uninsured.

If you are caught, and the chances are pretty high that you will be, then you can be fined, banned, points on your license, van crushed or sent to prison – sometimes a combination of these is issued.

Lets look at each part, and it’s impact upon the courier and their business.

Fined: You are out of pocket financially by several hundred pound and it would have been cheaper to get the insurance, you will probably continue your business and this time have van insurance. You have had a lucky escape. Really. You have.

Banned: If you are an owner driver -  you are toast, seriously you cannot drive legally, you cannot operate you business as it requires you to drive. If you have not had an accident, then ok, you will need a new career. If you have had an accident and have been found driving your van without insurance then you will be in serious trouble. The victim can claim against you for damages, and you could lose your house.

Points on the drivers license: Your van insurance is now twice the price it could have been, as you have points. It costs you more financially and you are stuck for upto 4 years with the points on your license.

Van Crushed: No van, no job if you are an owner driver. If you have several vans, you have lost a big chunk of your business. If you have just one van, you have lost it all.

Sent to prison: Loss of liberty, can’t run your business. Business will probably fold. Harder to start up when released as you have a criminal conviction. Harder and more expensive to get insurance for any vans that you get.

In this article we just talk about the impact of the courier, we have yet to write about the corporate manslaughter ramifications if someone was killed whilst driving without insurance.

Shop around, get quotes but most importantly, don’t drive without your van insurance.

Sarah
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Couriers and Insurance

October 4, 2009 By

Any type of vehicle can be used to deliver cargo, freight or precious items. Most commonly you will see small vans. What happens if someone causes you to have an accident? or you hit another vehicle? How will your business operate if your main tool for work is out of action?

Couriers and Insurance
Image by wireheadinc via Flickr

When starting a courier business insurance can seem like a big expenditure. People know exactly what they are getting when they buy a van, but insurance can be a bit fuzzier. For example, do you really need insurance at all to be a courier?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes, it’s essential for a courier business to have insurance. What type of insurance is down to the business owner. Insurance for couriers comes in several types-

Goods in Transit Insurance covers the potential damage of goods on the vehicle whilst in transit. Goods in Transit doesn’t cover all goods, check what your policy covers.

Light Haulage Insurance offers similar cover to courier insurance and goods in transit but for a limited amount of drops per day, often 3.

Hire and Reward Insurance covers you for the carrying of other parties goods.

At the very least you need hire and reward insurance. It may not give you as much ‘cover’ as the other options but to be without insurance is a situation that may cost you business. Customer are reluctant to let their goods be transported and delivered without insurance no matter how safe you think you are!

It’s quite common for glass, fine arts, ceramic, antiques to be uninsured under the ‘goods in transit’ or courier  insurance policies. These need to be specified as add ons to your policy. Make sure you find out what is excluded and whether it is financially beneficial to have these added on before you buy your insurance policy.

If you decide to trade without insurance, stop for a moment and think… How will you pay if your clients goods are damaged in an accident? How will you continue with your business?

Sarah Arrow

The Complete Courier guide  is an essential guide for self employed couriers looking to start their own courier business.

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Does a courier need insurance?

September 29, 2009 By

Any type of vehicle can be used to deliver cargo, freight or precious items.  Most commonly you will see small vans. What happens if someone causes you to have an accident? or you hit another vehicle? How will your business operate if your main tool for work is out of action?

When starting a courier business insurance can seem like a big expenditure. People know exactly what they are getting when they buy a van, but insurance can be a bit fuzzier. For example, do you really need insurance at all to be a courier?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes, it’s essential for a courier business to have insurance. What type of insurance is down to the business owner. Insurance for couriers comes in several types-

Goods in Transit Insurance covers the potential damage of goods on the vehicle whilst in transit. Goods in Transit doesn’t cover all goods, check what your policy covers.

Light Haulage Insurance offers similar cover to courier insurance and goods in transit but for a limited amount of drops per day, often 3.

Hire and Reward Insurance covers you for the carrying of other parties goods.

At the very least you need hire and reward insurance. It may not give you as much ‘cover’ as the other options but to be without insurance is a situation that may cost you business. Customer are reluctant to let their goods be transported and delivered without insurance no matter how safe you think you are!

It’s quite common for glass, fine arts, ceramic, antiques to be uninsured under the ‘goods in transit’ or courier  insurance policies. These need to be specied as add ons to your policy. Make sure you find out what is excluded and whether it is financially beneficial to have these added on before you buy your insurance policy.

If you decide to trade without insurance, stop for a moment and think… How will you pay if your clients goods are damaged in an accident? How will you continue with your business?

Sarah
The Complete Courier guide is an essential guide for self employed couriers looking to start their own courier business.

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