Whisking CEOs to the airport. Driving guests to weddings. Getting celebs and sports stars to wherever they need to be. As a chauffeur, you provide exceptional levels of service to your customers. They demand professionalism, and you need the highest quality chauffeur insurance to match. But quality doesn’t always have to cost a fortune. Read our complete guide to chauffeur insurance to make sure you’re getting the cover you need at the best price.
First of all, do I need specialist chauffeur car insurance?
Yes. If you drive any passenger somewhere for money, standard car insurance will not be valid even if it states you are covered for business use. If you take paying passengers who have pre-booked your service you need private hire vehicle insurance.
What’s the difference between private hire vehicle insurance and chauffeur insurance?
Chauffeur insurance is a type of private hire vehicle insurance. It ensures you meet the legal requirements for insurance to cover taking fee-paying passengers. But it has been devised to meet the specific demands of chauffeurs driving all luxury vehicles, from the elite Rolls Royce to the Mercedes V-Class van.
What happens if I have an accident and my car is off the road?
For most chauffeurs, driving is their livelihood. Every day when you can’t work means lost income. Even worse, it could affect your relationship with long-term clients and damage your reputation. If you do have an accident and your vehicle needs to be repaired, look for insurance that provides a replacement car of a similar class whilst yours is being fixed. That way you can continue to work even when your usual car is in the garage.
If it’s you that had the injury, you may not be able to drive for a period of time. Interruption of earnings insurance or personal accident cover gives you a cash payout so you can still pay the bills.
What types of cover should I consider?
You may want to consider a variety of different insurance products depending on your budget and needs. Each of these products is designed to give you financial peace of mind if something unexpected happens.
In addition to private hire vehicle insurance cover, your tailored policy could include the following:
- Breakdown cover, including onward travel for your clients
- Replacement car of a similar class in the event of an accident, so your business is not interrupted
- Public liability insurance, in case one of your clients or a member of the public is injured or property is damaged because of something to do with your business
- Commercial buildings insurance, if you run your business from an office
- Interruption of earnings insurance
- Personal accident cover
- Employer’s liability insurance, a legal essential if you employ any members of staff
- Prestige car fleet insurance
- Legal expenses cover
- Gap insurance
- Personal use of your vehicle as well as for private hire
How do I find the best value chauffeur insurance?
- First, pay in one go
Firstly, it costs more to pay your insurance premiums monthly. If you can afford to pay for one year in one go, take this option to save yourself some cash.
- Secondly, look for a bespoke package
Not every chauffeur will need every type of insurance available. Make sure your chauffeur car insurance includes the essentials for you, but don’t pay for anything you don’t need by looking for a tailored package rather than an all-in insurance option.
- Next, look for insurance companies that specialise in chauffeur insurance
Even if a company specialises in taxi insurance or private hire vehicle insurance, they may not be comfortable with modified or high-value vehicles like yours. And that can mean higher premiums. Consequently, by using an insurance company that understands the risks of being a chauffeur, you may be able to secure a better-priced deal.
- Then, shop around
Like all insurance, you can often find a better deal by shopping around. Premiums are based on risk and each company works this out in a slightly different way. That means you can get two very different priced quotes for cover that is virtually the same. Therefore, the more companies you can contact, the greater confidence you can have that you’re getting the lowest price available.
Chauffeur insurance brokers
We know that calling up insurance companies can be time-consuming and often confusing. At Park Insurance we have 30 years experience helping chauffeurs like you to find the right insurance at the right price. We’ll shop around and use our knowledge of the sector to negotiate great value deals on your behalf. And we’ll make sure that we create a package where nothing gets left out that you could come to rely on if something does go wrong.
Call our expert team on 0117 955 6835 or get in touch for a free chauffeur insurance quote today.