Delivering without hire and reward insurance

dannygn123

I work for a company that does grocery/snack deliveries from a dark warehouse. I have been paying for a 30 day policy for hire and reward insurance which I am supposed to have. I have been renewing it each month for around £170. I have been doing it for four months and next month they are quoting me over £300. I can't pay that and I know that some of the other drivers are delivering just on their normal insurance. Sdp insurance would cost me £450 annually. It is a new company and we are not busy I'm only doing 2 or 3 deliveries most days and just taking one or two bags of groceries all within a 2 mile radius. I don't understand why hire and reward is so expensive. cheapest annual I have found is £1600.

What sort of trouble could I get in if I was caught without hire and reward insurance? I am hardly out delivering and I could just say the shopping is mine if I were to be stopped. I understand it's technically illegal but it's not like I'm doing multi drop so just don't see how anyone would find out

facade

If you are caught out you would have no insurance, which is a fine, 6 points and a nasty offence code to declare that insurers really don't like.

It would be cheaper than £1600 to get a cargo carrying e-bike and a waterproof suit for a few deliveries in a 2 mile radius, no insurance legally required.

oh_really

dannygn123 said:

I work for a company that does grocery/snack deliveries from a dark warehouse. I have been paying for a 30 day policy for hire and reward insurance 

Why is the company not providing a vehicle, it is their work you are conducting, or is there more to this?

dannygn123

oh_really said:

dannygn123 said:

I work for a company that does grocery/snack deliveries from a dark warehouse. I have been paying for a 30 day policy for hire and reward insurance 

Why is the company not providing a vehicle, it is their work you are conducting, or is there more to this?

The company do provide their own vehicles they have e mopeds that drivers can use but I am a bit reluctant to drive around London on one so I choose to use my own car

ontheroad1970

You definitely don't want to get done for no insurance.  The simple stuff:  Your insurance will go up massively, and you won't be able to rent a car from any mainstream rental company until the endorsement is off your licence.  

Hard-core - You have an accident, run a child off their bike.  You seriously injure them or worse.  Massive compensation payout in millions.  Your insurance company will pay because they have to, but they will recover it from you.  Bankruptcy will not save you from that one, either.  

AdrianC

dannygn123 said:

I don't understand why hire and reward is so expensive

Simple.

Because insurers think that you're a huge risk of costing them money in claims.~

All it would take is one insurer who didn't think that... They could charge a lot less, and take a huge market share. Quids in!
But why don't they? Simple. Because it's not just a whim that you will, it's based on sound actuarial statistics.

So, with that in mind, think about your colleagues who are driving without any valid insurance.
What are the consequences?
Well, if it's just a stop, then a prosecution for no insurance.
But if it's after a collision, then the bill for the claim on top of the prosecution.
And, of course, you'll be uninsurable afterwards.

How much is your licence worth to you?

If the right insurance makes the deliveries not financially viable, then you need to find another job.

oh_really

Would courier insurance be suitable and less expensive?

dannygn123

AdrianC said:

dannygn123 said:

I don't understand why hire and reward is so expensive

Simple.

Because insurers think that you're a huge risk of costing them money in claims.~

All it would take is one insurer who didn't think that... They could charge a lot less, and take a huge market share. Quids in!
But why don't they? Simple. Because it's not just a whim that you will, it's based on sound actuarial statistics.

So, with that in mind, think about your colleagues who are driving without any valid insurance.
What are the consequences?
Well, if it's just a stop, then a prosecution for no insurance.
But if it's after a collision, then the bill for the claim on top of the prosecution.
And, of course, you'll be uninsurable afterwards.

How much is your licence worth to you?

If the right insurance makes the deliveries not financially viable, then you need to find another job.

True completely understand but if I had an accident how would it ever come to light that I was delivering if nobody asked

Grumpy_chap

dannygn123 said:

I work for a company that does grocery/snack deliveries from a dark warehouse.
I'm only doing 2 or 3 deliveries most days and just taking one or two bags of groceries all within a 2 mile radius. 

Totally "outside the box" suggestion - could you do the deliveries on a push-bike?

AdrianC

dannygn123 said:

AdrianC said:

dannygn123 said:

I don't understand why hire and reward is so expensive

Simple.

Because insurers think that you're a huge risk of costing them money in claims.~

All it would take is one insurer who didn't think that... They could charge a lot less, and take a huge market share. Quids in!
But why don't they? Simple. Because it's not just a whim that you will, it's based on sound actuarial statistics.

So, with that in mind, think about your colleagues who are driving without any valid insurance.
What are the consequences?
Well, if it's just a stop, then a prosecution for no insurance.
But if it's after a collision, then the bill for the claim on top of the prosecution.
And, of course, you'll be uninsurable afterwards.

How much is your licence worth to you?

If the right insurance makes the deliveries not financially viable, then you need to find another job.

True completely understand but if I had an accident how would it ever come to light that I was delivering if nobody asked

Seriously...?

You want to place a bet on that? Good luck.

Herzlos

dannygn123 said:

AdrianC said:

dannygn123 said:

I don't understand why hire and reward is so expensive

Simple.

Because insurers think that you're a huge risk of costing them money in claims.~

All it would take is one insurer who didn't think that... They could charge a lot less, and take a huge market share. Quids in!
But why don't they? Simple. Because it's not just a whim that you will, it's based on sound actuarial statistics.

So, with that in mind, think about your colleagues who are driving without any valid insurance.
What are the consequences?
Well, if it's just a stop, then a prosecution for no insurance.
But if it's after a collision, then the bill for the claim on top of the prosecution.
And, of course, you'll be uninsurable afterwards.

How much is your licence worth to you?

If the right insurance makes the deliveries not financially viable, then you need to find another job.

True completely understand but if I had an accident how would it ever come to light that I was delivering if nobody asked

Because it could easily come up in the claim "the guy delivering groceries to me hit my car on the way out", or they may be suspicious about why you're nowhere near home with shopping whilst working for a food warehouse, and so on.

By all means risk it, but the risk is bankrupcy and never being allowed to drive again. You'd presumably also be fired.

If your work are providing you mopeds, just use them. Hell, if it's only 2 miles you could walk.