Motor Trade Insurance

• Securing motor trade cover for independent traders
• Tailored policies to suit your (or your motor trader clients’) business needs
• Over 500 verified reviews on Feefo from motor traders and mechanics

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Road Runner: The original motor trade insurance brokers

Road Runner was one of the first insurance brokers to specialise in independent and commercial motor trade businesses, and we’ve been providing a range of services and solutions for motor traders for more than 25 years.

With Road Runner, you can quickly find and compare motor trade insurance quotes and policies tailored to your business – whether it’s expert Road Risks, Liability, or Premises cover. From roadside rescue to workshop repairs and second-hand sales, our cover is tuned to your specific needs rather than a one-size-fits-all policy.

Take a look at our cover options to find out more.

What is motor trade insurance?

Motor trade insurance is specialist cover designed for anyone who works with vehicles as part of their vehicle-based business. This applies to a whole range of trades, from used car dealers to servicing centres, and from mobile mechanics to valeting and repair workshops.

If you’re in the market for this type of cover, it can be tempting to go for the cheapest motor trade insurance policy you can find. But while the cover may cost less money, ask yourself if this is a reliable, reputable, and long-established option.

At Road Runner, we’ll help secure the most suitable motor trade insurance policy that meets and never compromises on your vehicle business’ requirements. As well as being backed by AXA – an A-rated insurance underwriter, we put our 30 years’ experience to good use, delivering a policy and guidance that is tailored to the needs of your business.

A person wearing gloves and blue overalls replaces a brake pad on a vehicle's wheel assembly in a workshop setting.

Our core motor trade insurance products

Trades we cover

We know motor trade covers many types of motor and vehicle activities, skills, and enterprises. That’s why our policies are designed to meet your exact business and insurance requirements. Here’s a selection of the trades we cover:

A word from our sales manager:

Lee Dicks

Welcome to Road Runner. I’m Lee Dicks, Sales Manager. Our team is dedicated to providing you with reliable motor trade insurance tailored to your needs. We pride ourselves on offering a personalised experience.

Our expert advisors are always on-hand and ready to help motor traders and mechanics. Trust us to keep your business on the road with confidence. Please reach out with any questions on policies or cover.

Get motor trade insurance with Road Runner today

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03301 00 87 20
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About Road Runner’s motor trade insurance

What’s covered with motor trade insurance?

Your traders’ insurance policy could mean you’re covered for:

  • Damage to vehicles
  • Loss of the insured vehicle(s)
  • Liability insurance, including Employers’ Liability, Public Liability and Products Liability
  • Third-party legal liability
  • Contents insurance
  • In-vehicle equipment
  • Replacement lock
  • Windscreen and window damage
Mechanic uses a power tool to tighten the lug nuts on a car's wheel in a garage setting.
Mechanic toolbox

Insurance with Road Runner will cover:

  • Named drivers only
  • Vehicles owned by the Policyholder or the Policyholder’s spouse if they are a named driver. Where the Policyholder is a Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership, the vehicles must be owned by the Ltd Co or LLP
  • Customers’ vehicles while they are your responsibility – but you can only use them for motor trade use.

While your Road Risks insurance policy doesn’t define vehicles by a specific registration number, we still need you to tell us what vehicles you own – whether they’re for your own use or held for trade purposes. Don’t worry, as long as you’ve already told us the vehicles you work with, we don’t charge an additional premium per vehicle.

Why get motor trade insurance?

When a customer leaves their vehicle in your care, their insurance no longer covers the vehicle and so a specialist motor trade policy is required while you’re working on the car.

Having commercial motor trade cover means you and your business will be protected financially, whether from third-party claims or under other circumstances such as accidental damage of customer vehicles, or theft on your premises.

The type of policy you need will come down to how your business operates.

Certain types of policies will be a legal requirement depending on what type of motor trader you are. If you drive vehicles that aren’t your own, Road Risks motor trade car insurance is the minimum legal cover level needed – but one of our team can confirm what other basic covers are recommended – all at an agreed price.

Driving without insurance can have serious financial, legal, and reputational consequences. Similarly, if you employ staff, you’re legally required to have Employers’ Liability insurance.

Why choose Road Runner for your motor trade insurance?

Whether you operate a car repairs service, dealership or valeting service, having the correct insurance in place means your business has the protection it deserves. Road Runner drives the extra mile because we:

  • Are specialist motor trade insurance brokers with over two decades of experience – we’re not a fly-by-night operation
  • Have the backing of AXA (an A-rated insurer)
  • Offer a range of insurance products, including Road Risks, Premises, and Liability insurance
  • Provide cover for sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies across the motor trade
  • Have a dedicated team of motor trade insurance policy experts to help you get sorted
  • Operate an online vehicle management portal, where you can check policy documents and add vehicle details 24/7
  • We see brokers come into the market, offer really cheap policies and then go out the market after a year so this could be a really good angle to on.

How much is trade insurance?

Our team takes pride in getting to know you and your business, so we can build you a flexible and competitive policy focused on your exact coverage needs. If you’re looking specifically for cheap motor trade insurance at a lower price point, we can advise you on only our most essential cover.

Whether you’re a full-time motor trader or part-time vehicle repairer, our cover is designed to support you – whichever part of the trade you work in. If you’d like to get your new coverage certificate today, simply get in touch.

“Have been insured with Road Runner for 20+ years, highly recommend”
Paul, on Facebook

Motor trade insurance for brokers

We offer a wholesale motor traders’ insurance solution for brokers who’re looking to place insurance policies for motor traders. Cover is tailored to your customers’ needs, with the same friendly team available to help you, and advise on policy benefits and prices.

Road Runner for brokers

As a Road Runner insurance sub-broker, once you’ve applied for and been accepted as an agency and had an account/portal set up, you can update vehicles on behalf of your client, and view client policy and cover documents, as well as get a cover quote for a client’s Road Risks/Liability cover.

Road Runner Plus for brokers

We also offer Road Runner Plus – our additional sub-broker online platform and solution for your SME clients looking for a combined cover policy. With this you can request new and renewal quotes for clients, arrange and bind cover, and view clients’ policy documents. You can also expect someone from the Road Runner Plus team to get back to you within 24 business hours when you submit a quote request.

Let's get you covered

Your Road Runner team

At Road Runner, we’re proud to present a specialist team who’ll not just provide you with insurance policy options, but get to know you and your motor trade business. So, let’s introduce:

Motor trade insurance FAQs

If you’re thinking about buying traders’ insurance, you might have more questions. We’ve answered some of our most common queries below.

Do I need 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.

Can I protect my motor trade no claims bonus?

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.

Can I pay for motor trade insurance in instalments?

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.

What levels of cover are included?

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.

How to get trade insurance

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.

How does trade vehicle insurance work?

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.

What isn’t included with trades insurance?

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
Can I drive any car on a motor trade insurance policy?

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.

Who can get a motor trade policy?

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.

Who can drive on a motor trade policy?

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.

Can I drive my own car on a trader's policy?

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

How can I save money on my trades insurance?

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
Do I need motor trade insurance if I just fix cars at home?

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.

Are there any limits on what vehicles can be covered?

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)
How do I show my insurer that I am a legitimate motor trader?

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.

Where can I find your motor trade insurance policy documents?

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

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