Who Needs Parcel Delivery Insurance?

Parcel Delivery Insurance is often also described as Courier Insurance or Delivery Driver Insurance. It is a specialist type of cover for people who make repeated deliveries of goods or parcels in return for payment. That can include self-employed couriers, multi-drop drivers, van-based parcel workers, and people using a car, scooter or motorbike for paid delivery work. If you use a vehicle in this way, standard private or everyday business motoring cover may not be enough, so it can help to look at insurance that reflects how courier driving is actually carried out.

Not quite the right insurance for your Courier or Delivery role?

We also compare other types of Delivery Driver Insurance, so you can look at cover that may fit a different role or working pattern.

Courier Insurance

Amazon Flex Delivery Insurance

Evri Delivery Driver Insurance

Pay As You Go Courier Insurance

Hire and Reward Insurance

Do I need Parcel Delivery Insurance?

If you use a car, van, scooter or motorbike to make deliveries, then yes, you will usually need some kind of delivery insurance cover. Courier and parcel drivers often do higher-mileage driving, frequent stops, time-sensitive drops, and work in busy residential or town-centre areas, so insurers may treat that risk differently from ordinary private use. If you are being paid to make deliveries in your car, for example, but only have standard private car insurance, that policy may not reflect that work and it may not include cover for parcels or goods carried in the vehicle.

Carriage of Goods for Hire or Reward

This is one of the key phrases to look out for when deciding whether an insurance policy may suit courier or delivery driver work. Carriage of Goods for Hire or Reward is different from categories such as Commuting or standard Business use that may already appear on a typical Car Insurance or Van Insurance policy. Whether deliveries are made in a car, van or motorbike, the wording is often central to whether the policy matches the job being done, so it is worth checking how the insurer defines the work, the vehicle use, and any limits or exclusions.

How to Choose Parcel Delivery Driver Insurance

As with any type of insurance, Courier or Delivery Driver policies can differ quite a lot. It can help to compare policy wording as well as price, especially around the type of deliveries covered, the vehicle use allowed, any exclusions, and whether goods in transit or extras are included or optional. Acceptance criteria and prices can also vary between insurers depending on the driver, vehicle, delivery type, mileage, location and claims history.

Like many types of motoring insurance, one of the first things to compare when looking at Courier & Delivery Driver Insurance is the level of cover you want:

• Third Party only: Covers damage done to other people or their property and only that. No cover for damage done to you or your vehicle.
• Third Party and Fire and Theft: This builds on the most basic cover by adding compensation for your vehicle if it is stolen or damaged by fire.
• Fully Comprehensive: The preferred level of cover for many, comprehensive insurance policies cover third party damage, fire and theft, but also compensate you for costs incurred if your vehicle is damaged in an accident (even if it is your fault).

What will UK Parcel Delivery Driver Insurance Cover?

Carriage of Good for Hire and Reward. This is one of the most important areas to check. It relates closely to Goods In Transit Insurance, which may cover the items being delivered if they are stolen, damaged or lost. The detail matters though, because limits, exclusions and conditions can vary. For example, some policies may take a different view if goods were not packaged properly in the first place, and some may set specific claims limits, unattended vehicle conditions, or requirements about how parcels are stored, so it is worth checking how the wording handles those situations.

What can I add on to improve my Policy?

Once you have decided on the level of insurance cover, and checked for Good in Transit Insurance, you may find that insurers offer a range of optional extras for Courier and Delivery Driver Insurance. As with some other business, work or trade insurance, this type of cover can work like a bundle of different protections brought together, depending on the provider and the policy chosen.

The types of additional cover people often compare for Delivery Insurance can include:

Public Liability Insurance.

• Public Liability Insurance: Gives you the financial support to compensate others if they or their property are damaged as a result of your work. You can find out more about this type of insurance on our Public Liability Insurance page
• Personal Possessions Cover: Chances are that you may have a few of your own things with you when you make deliveries. If you’d like them to be covered should something happen, add this cover to your policy.
• Breakdown & Courtesy Vehicle: If you are dependent on making deliveries for your income, then knowing that you will have support if your vehicle needs recovery following a breakdown, or having the option of a courtesy vehicle whilst yours is being repaired, could make a lot of sense.

More Quick & Easy Insurance Quotes

Insurance is rarely the most exciting part of the job, but being able to compare options clearly can make the process feel a bit more manageable. Take a look at these other areas of insurance if you want to compare related UK policies as well.

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