Navigating the complex world of insurance is often challenging but necessary for business owners. An insurance policy that often comes to mind, especially for companies that provide delivery or transportation services, is hire and reward insurance. However, what exactly is hire and reward insurance, and is it essential for your business?
What is Hire and Reward Insurance?
Hire and reward insurance is a specialised type of insurance designed for businesses or individuals that involves the transportation of goods or passengers in exchange for payment. It is typically associated with industries such as delivery services, courier companies, taxi services, private hire vehicles, and haulage contractors.
This insurance offers protection against potential risks that may arise from transporting individuals or goods for hire or reward for vehicles used for business use. It also ensures compliance with legal requirements, providing peace of mind to business owners. In simple terms, “hire and reward” essentially refers to the act of transporting passengers or goods in exchange for payment.
It’s also important to remember that while hire and reward insurance protects your vehicle, it does not cover the goods that it transports. The goods inside the vehicle would need to be covered by a separate ‘goods in transit’ policy.
Key Features of Hire and Reward Insurance
- Legal Requirement: Insurance for hire and reward is a legal requirement if you are transporting goods, passengers, or hiring out your vehicle in return for a fee. Failing to have adequate insurance coverage can result in hefty fines, legal penalties, or even the suspension of business operations.
- Vehicle Protection: This insurance also provides cover for damages to the insured vehicle, whether it’s a car, van, truck, or any other commercial vehicle used for hire and reward purposes. It safeguards against risks, accidents, and natural disasters.
- Public Liability: Hire and reward insurance often includes public liability cover, which protects businesses against claims made by third parties for injuries or damage resulting from the use of their vehicles for hire or reward purposes.
- Goods in Transit: For businesses involved in transporting goods, hire and reward insurance may include cover for the goods being transported, protecting against theft, damage, or loss during transit.
Who needs Hire and Reward Insurance?
Whether you need hire and reward insurance depends on the nature of your business. If it involves transporting passengers or goods for payment, it’s highly likely that you’ll require this type of insurance.
By having this cover, you can carry and deliver other people’s goods, so if you fail to take out this insurance when doing this type of work, your normal vehicle insurance will no longer be valid. If something were to happen to you or your vehicle while you’re out delivering goods and you don’t have a hire and reward policy in place, any losses that you experience won’t be covered.
Often, hire and reward insurance is referred to as courier insurance, and although the two are related, it’s useful to know the difference between them. While hire and reward insurance can be acquired by couriers, there are different types of hire and reward policies that are determined by the customer’s business.
The following business types include:
- Taxi Drivers
- Private Hire Vehicles
- Furniture Removers (Domestic & Commercial)
- Waste and Refuse Collection
- Parcel Delivery
- Food Delivery
- Haulage and Freight
- Vehicle Transportation
What Determines How Much an Insurance Policy for Hire and Reward Costs?
Hire and reward insurance tends to be slightly more expensive than regular vehicle insurance, usually known as social, domestic, and pleasure. That can be because, as a driver, you are using your vehicle to earn money; therefore, you are likely to cover a lot more miles than a standard driver. You’re also likely to drive in busier areas at busier times of the day, which could also have an impact on the cost.
The price of your cover will be determined by a few different factors, including:
- Experience: You can demonstrate your experience and that you are a safe driver by building up a no claims bonus; this could help reduce policy costs over time.
- Mileage: High annual mileage may increase your cost as you spend more time on the road, so the possibility of being involved in an incident can be higher too. Insurers will often ask for an expected annual mileage from you.
- Vehicle type: The type of vehicle you drive may have an impact on your insurance premium. The vehicle’s usage impacts the insurance coverage depending on whether or not it is used for work and, if so, what type of work. A different level of cover would be required for tradespeople who use their vehicle for courier deliveries compared to those who only carry their own tools, materials, and property inside.
- Goods carried: Although it’s your goods in transit insurance that covers the cost of actually replacing any damaged or stolen goods, what you’re carrying frequently can affect the price of your hire and reward insurance too. Transporting expensive goods may be regarded as a higher risk because you’re more likely to be broken into, and carrying hazardous or fragile goods can also present their own increased risks.
If your business involves any form of hire and reward activities, consulting with insurance specialists to assess your exact needs and acquire adequate cover is imperative. While it may signify an additional expense, the protection and security it provides far outweigh the potential risks and liabilities of operating without the correct insurance cover. Keep in mind that investing in the right insurance is not just a legal obligation but also a fundamental aspect of responsible business management.
As an independent insurance broker, our team at 1st Choice will use their specialist knowledge of the market to ensure you get the right hire and reward policy suited to the needs of your business. We have access to a wide panel of insurers and can offer you a no-obligation quote.
Call our friendly, experienced team on 01743 770500, or you can fill out our quote form and request a call back.