How to Qualify for Fleet Insurance

Fleet insurance is an essential for businesses that use multiple vehicles. Whether you have a small business with just a few vehicles, or you’re a national company with hundreds of vehicles, understanding the requirements for fleet insurance can help to protect your business, reduce costs and streamline operations.

Can anyone get fleet insurance?

Any business that has at least two vehicles are usually suitable for fleet insurance, regardless of the type of business.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be a big haulage company or own a huge number of vehicles to benefit from fleet insurance. In fact, many different businesses across the UK are already reaping the rewards of motor fleet insurance, even if they have the minimum number of vehicles.

Legal requirements for fleet insurance

In the UK, there are a few legal requirements for fleet insurance that you should be aware of before you take out an insurance policy:

• Minimum Coverage – All fleets are required legally to have a minimum of third party insurance cover for each of their vehicles. This means that if a driver of one of your fleet vehicles causes damage or injures someone, the insurance will cover it. However, the repair costs for the fleet’s own vehicle will not be covered.
• Road Traffic Law Compliance- The vehicles in your fleet must comply with all local road traffic laws. This includes having valid MOT certificates, properly displaying vehicle registrations and ensuring drivers have valid licences. Fleet insurers usually require compliance with these regulations as part of the policy terms.
• Health and Safety Regulations – Organisations must adhere to driver health and safety regulations. This means ensuring your vehicles are well maintained and in a safe, working condition. It also includes making sure your drivers are all properly trained. If you are not compliant with health and safety regulations, it can result in penalties and even affect your insurance coverage.
• Employer’s Liability Insurance – If your business employs drivers, you are also required to have employers liability insurance. This will cover any compensation costs if an employee is injured at work.

What are the main fleet insurance requirements?

When you’re applying for a fleet insurance policy, it’s normal to have questions on whether or not your business is suitable. Listed below are some common questions that we see from businesses of all sizes in relation to fleet insurance policy requirements.

Can drivers under 25 be on a fleet insurance policy?

Different insurance providers will have different rules when it comes to the minimum age restrictions for their fleet policies.

Some providers may allow drivers to be a minimum of 21 years old, whereas others may have a minimum age of 25 years old. Some providers may also have restrictions on how long a driver has had their licence, with young drivers only being added to the policy if they have held a licence for at least 12 months.

What types of vehicles are covered under a fleet policy?

Fleet insurance policies usually cover a wide range of different vehicles, including cars, vans, motorbikes and heavy goods vehicles. 

However, it is important you check the terms of policy as some insurance providers may exclude vehicles such as forklifts and excavators. You may need a specific construction and agricultural plant fleet insurance policy for these types of fleets.

You will also be able to find specific cover for different types of businesses, including:

• Taxi fleets
• Courier fleets
• Coach and bus fleets