Motor Trade Insurance

If you’re responsible for your own or your customers’ vehicles, it’s important that you get some Motor Trade Road Risks insurance cover. Even if you’re not full-time, you can still find some of the best motor trade insurance in the UK with Road Runner – and at a fair price.

And when a customer leaves their vehicle in your care, you certainly need comprehensive cover. Their individual motor policy will no longer cover the vehicle, leaving you responsible and vulnerable. To keep you and your business protected, you need to have your own cover in place, which reflects how you trade.

Yes, with Road Runner motor trade insurance, you can still protect any no claims discount or bonus you’ve accrued with us. Just make sure you ask us when you either buy or renew your policy, since it can’t be added during the policy period.

You can pay for your motor trade vehicle insurance policy by splitting it into either six or 10 instalments, or you can choose to pay in full if you’d prefer. If you’d like to learn more, check out our how to pay page.

We offer Third Party only, Third Party Fire & Theft, or Comprehensive. Don’t assume Comprehensive will cost a lot more – you may be surprised at how much cover you can afford.

But with both Road Runner and Road Runner Plus, it’s more about securing the right type of cover than the level.

A standard policy covers the following:

• Damage to vehicles
• Windscreen and window damage
• In-vehicle equipment
• Replacement locks
• Loss of use for customers’ vehicles
• Third-party legal liability

Talk to our specialist team today on 03301 00 87 20 to ensure you secure the best cover and policy for your motor trader business.

You can either request a motor trade insurance online quote here, or call 03301 00 87 20 between 9am and 5pm Mon-Fri.

If you’re a broker, log into your portal, and if you’re looking to become a broker, you can apply for an agency here.

Trade vehicle insurance works to provide specific cover and policies for those operating in this sector. While private car cover is all about one vehicle with one named driver, the policies associated with trade insurance protects you with comprehensive cover while you are working on or driving a customer vehicle – alongside protecting your working premises.

We recommend Road Risks insurance, Public and Employers’ Liability, and Premises insurance, but there are options and add-ons for every motor trade business.

While Road Runner’s policies cover many aspects, it’s important that you know what isn’t part of the package. Key exclusions are cover for…

• Personal employee vehicles
• Loss or damage caused by the incorrect fuel
• Loss or damage caused by theft or attempted theft if the vehicle has been left unlocked
• Any vehicle being driven by a person not permitted by your Certificate of Motor Insurance

First let’s deal with the ‘No’s’. Your personal cars and those of your employees aren’t protected under a motor trade insurance policy. However, if you’re operating a used car salesroom, or physically working on customer cars, we can craft your policy to provide driver cover.

At Road Runner we can offer motor trade insurance cover for those aged 23 and above, so if you are looking to include drivers below the age of 25, look no further.

Those that can get a motor trade policy include:

1. Licenced drivers aged 23 to 69 years old
2. Those actively operating a motor trade business for profit or income
3. Drivers who haven’t been disqualified from driving nor been convicted of driving without insurance
4. Drivers with no criminal convictions, or spent time in a correctional facility under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, or who have any criminal convictions pending
5. You, any partners, directors, employees or drivers who’ve never had a policy cancelled, declined, been refused renewal, nor had any special terms or premium imposed.

We also offer motor trade cover for specific areas within the industry, including:

Vehicle sales

Whether it’s your career or just a part-time side-business, buying and selling vehicles means you need Road Risks cover. If you work onsite, we offer combined cover to protect your premises too.

Vehicle recovery

If you’re a breakdown and recovery operator, you’ll need a policy that covers both your own vehicles and any third-party vehicles that you work on. We offer insurance that’s tailored to the needs of vehicle recovery operators. Plus, we’ll happily insure trade plates to make sure that your private and commercial vehicles are dealt with entirely separately.

Mobile mechanics

We know you’ll want to protect your own tools and machinery, as well as other contents in your premises. Since you work on customer vehicles, Public Liability protection is important too.

Accessory and parts fitters

From fitting an exhaust to changing a tyre, you need insurance that covers you to carry out work on customers’ vehicles. Liability insurance covers both the work you do and the parts you fit.

Those able to drive with the cover of a motor trade policy are named drivers only, vehicles owned by the policyholder or the policyholder’s spouse/partner if they’re a named driver, and where the policyholder is a Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership the vehicles must be owned by the Ltd Co or LLP.

Also covered are customers’ vehicles while they’re the responsibility of the motor trader/mechanic – but the motor trade staff can only use them for motor trade use – not personal use.

No. You’ll need to ensure you have personal motor insurance cover for your own vehicle.

In order to counter the price or expense of cover, we’d suggest following our money-saving tips:

1. Shop around for the most reasonable quote – the same way you would for your home or personal motor vehicle insurance
2. Make sure you’re agreeing to the cover you need and not any extra bits that you don’t
3. Only need cover for standard vehicles? Then swerve ‘any vehicle’ policies that may charge more for covering specialist vehicles, for example: HGVs, high-performance, or classic cars
4. If it’s within your price range, think about a higher voluntary excess payment
5. Increase security measures, including safe overnight storage of vehicles, equipment, and tools
6. Make sure there are risk assessment and risk management programmes available, accessible and familiar to your drivers
7. Only employ experienced drivers with clean driving records
8. To incentivise safe driving, think about making your drivers responsible for paying their own excesses
9. Pay annually rather than monthly
10. Avoid modifications to vehicles
11. Try to build up a no claims bonus

Yes. Road Runner’s policies are a great fit if you’re working from home. This is still a motor trade business, so it needs specific policies and cover to meet the needs of your work.

Traders’ insurance covers most vehicles, but a Road Runner policy encompasses everything from motorbikes to motorhomes, and commercial vehicles to kit cars, as well as standard cars. Our cover list includes:

• Standard cars and light commercial vehicles
• Motorbikes, trikes, scooters or mopeds
• Sports and high-performance vehicles
• Commercial vehicles (up to 7.5 tons, or a recovery vehicle up to 17.5 ton)
• Motorhomes, caravanettes and campers
• Classic, vintage and veteran cars
• Foreign vehicles and grey imports
• Kit cars
• Q plates
• Modified vehicles
• Agricultural plant and machinery
• People carriers and minibuses (with up to 17 seats)

While there’s no standard document to prove to an insurer you’re a legitimate trader, Road Runner can help advise you on what documentation and evidence to produce. Make sure you have invoices, plus purchase and sales receipts up to date and categorised, which will help us build up your motor trader profile when engaging with possible insurers.

You can find our policy wording and other handy documents here.