Details

Created: 13 May 2014

One British van driver's forward thinking has led to him catching the thief who stole a £2,000 sports kit from his VW Transporter.

Swansea Magistrates Court heard how the van owner's decision to mount a camera on his dashboard enabled him to identify the 25-year-old thief. After passing on a copy of the footage to police, he posted it on Facebook and requested help from the public.

However, this did not prevent the driver from needing to make a claim on his van insurance. "I've been left £830 out of pocket by the theft and had to take time off work to sort insurance and repairs to the van," he said. "My wife was concerned the thief may come back and target us again."

And the thief had form, too – it was his twelfth offence, and the second time in succession he had been caught stealing from a vehicle.

It just goes to show though – with a little innovation and vigilance any van driver can improve their commercial vehicle's security and, potentially, reduce the cost of their van insurance.

Details

Created: 07 April 2014

Have you ever seen the movie ‘Austin Powers'? It's a really funny film with some great moments in it, but like the man of mystery himself, there are a number of scenes where you wonder how the hero managed to get into that situation in the first place.

For example, there's a moment where Austin – played by Mike Myers – tries to do a three-point-turn with a luggage cart in a narrow corridor. You can see the clip on YouTube by clicking here. He manages to get into a position which I thought was nearly impossible – completely stuck across the path.

That is, until today.

Recently, there have been reports about a van driver who managed to trap himself doing the same manoeuvre while trying to get out of a narrow street in Edinburgh. Working for Asda, it seems the man had just finished doing a delivery, when he tried to turn the vehicle around, hit a wall, and got stuck across the road.

Even worse, the van blocked residents from accessing the street for about three hours before a truck arrived to lift the stranded vehicle up, turn it around, and then tow it away.

Although it is unknown how damaged the transport was during the accident, the motorist's employer might have had to make a claim on the company's business van insurance policy in order to make any repairs.

I just feel sorry for the employee – his mistake must have made him feel very embarrassed indeed...

Details

Created: 16 April 2014

A burger van insurance policyholder reportedly plans to move his takeaway vehicle to the outside of a village shop in rural Buckinghamshire. However, according to the Bucks Free Press, this may well have an unexpected side effect.

The application made by the policyholder to Chiltern District Council states that the burger van would help reduce crime in the area – vandals have repeatedly targeted the village shop over recent years and, because it is in green belt land, the local authority has been reluctant to allow the premises to fit security shutters.

"The burger van will...provide a form of surveillance for the existing retail unit which has suffered from a spate of attacks and vandalism," claims the application.

"It is understood that the council are reluctant to grant permission for shutters to the retail unit, which means that the unit has continued to suffer from broken windows as a result of the attacks.
"The siting of the burger van will provide a level of security and will assist in preventing such attacks from occurring."

It is an odd idea but it does, to us, seem to make sense. Having a strong community will invariably help improve safety and, as any self-respecting burger van insurance policyholder knows, there are few retail outlets that provide as much community focus as a burger van.

Who knows, the vehicle might even result in cheaper insurance for the village shop.

Image © Peter aka anemoneprojectors via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

Details

Created: 07 April 2014

I don't know about you, but most van drivers I've met seem to be quite happy folks. I always attributed this to the nature of their careers. After all, hitting the roads and travelling to interesting locations definitely seemed more appealing than a 9-5 desk job.

So imagine my surprise when I came across a report this week, suggesting that van drivers were in one of the country's worst jobs for life satisfaction.

Carried out by the Cabinet Office, the researchers conducted this study in order to determine which jobs made people the happiest – and it seems that money truly doesn't factor into these positions. For example, quantity surveyors earn an average wage of almost £40,000 each year, yet are apparently in one of the worst jobs for life satisfaction. In contrast, farmers generally take home about £15,000 less but seem to be quite a contented group.

So where do van drivers factor into this list? Out of the 274 occupations listed, they are in a surprising 255th place. Whereas the top ten professions for life satisfaction are reportedly:

• Clergy;
• Senior officials and chief executives;
• Agricultural or horticultural managers and proprietors;
• Company secretaries;
• Those working in quality assurance;
• Managers in healthcare practices;
• Doctors, nurses, and similar practitioners;
• Farmers;
• Hotel managers;
• Supervisors in skilled trades, such as metal work.

However, before you start looking for a new job, please be aware that this report should not be taken at face value. The researchers were evaluating average life satisfaction, not investigating whether or not a certain job makes you unhappy.

Therefore, it goes without saying that some vicars could be a grumpy bunch and quantity surveyors can actually be quite joyful – and it definitely doesn't mean that commercial van insurance holders are all discontented.


Image © ijustwanttobeperceivedthewayiam via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence