There are an awful lot of courier drivers delivering parcels using their own cars who perhaps work part time to earn some extra money in the current economic climate as well as having a fulltime job. You will be aware that it is a legal requirement to have at the very least third party cover for your car but the situation is a little more complicated if you are intending to use your family car to deliver goods for reward.

There are various classes of car insurance such as social, social and commuting and class 1 business insurance. However, none of those are suitable if you intend to work as a courier using your family car to make deliveries that you are remunerated for.

At very least, you will need to be covered under a car insurance policy for what is known as “carriage of goods for hire and reward” that is a type of commercial car insurance. You will need to check if your insurer provides this as an option that can be added to your policy.

However, it is worth noting that the above type of cover does not cover you for the goods in your car that you are delivering so if they are stolen or destroyed in say a car fire due to a road traffic accident you would be liable for any losses incurred and this could run into many thousands of pounds. To cover the goods you would also need “goods in transit” cover.

You will also need to make sure that you have public liability insurance in place.

So, as you can see, if you are considering setting up as a courier delivering goods using your own car then you will need to make sure that the cover you have is suitable. If you do not have the appropriate type of cover then, potentially, your insurer could refuse to meet a claim.

Alternatively, you could consider taking out a bespoke courier car insurance policy that should include cover for the likes of “carriage of goods for hire and reward”, “goods in transit” and “public liability”.

Why not get in touch with us at your earliest convenience with a view to obtaining a competitive quote for courier insurance without any obligation. We have an extensive panel of specialist insurance companies at our disposal.