Cover for the trade, from sole-trader road risks through to combined policies covering premises, stock, demos and liabilities. Placed by a named broker, not an algorithm.
Three steps. A named broker on the file from quote through to claim, no hand-off.
Trade type, premises, vehicles handled, drivers and any convictions. Two minutes online or a call with a broker, your choice.
Your named broker takes your details to specialist motor trade insurers we already work with. Convictions, young drivers, part-time traders, all considered.
Documents emailed, payment arranged by your broker. Your broker stays on the file at renewal and at claim, same person, every time.
A traders insurance policy is built in layers. The minimum is road risks for driving in trade. Most traders add stock and premises, plus liability covers, on a combined policy.
Cover for any vehicle in your possession in the course of business. Third-party, third-party fire and theft, or fully comprehensive, your choice.
e.g. A dealer test-driving a customer trade-in across town to verify mileage.
On a combined policy, cover extends to the buildings you trade from, the stock standing on the forecourt, and the tools you use to repair, valet or recondition vehicles.
e.g. A used-car dealer with twelve vehicles on the forecourt overnight.
Public liability for customers on your premises and at customer sites, plus employers’ liability when you employ anyone, bolted into the same combined policy.
e.g. A customer slips on a wet workshop floor while collecting their MOT’d car.
The trades and businesses we most commonly place motor trade cover for. Each gets a tailored conversation rather than a one-size traders insurance policy.
Used car dealers
Forecourt operators and home-based traders, full-time or part-time.
MOT and repair garages
Independent and franchised workshops with customer vehicles on site.
Body shops and paint shops
Crash repair, refinishing and detailing operations with stock overnight.
Mobile mechanics
Roadside, on-driveway and at-customer-site mechanics without fixed premises.
Valeters and detailers
Mobile and unit-based valeting, ceramic coating and reconditioning.
Vehicle transporters
Single-car carriers, multi-car transporters and trade delivery drivers.
Auction traders
Buyers and sellers running stock through trade auctions weekly.
Part-time traders
Weekend, evening and online resellers running motor trade as a side business.
Whether you are a sole-trader running road risks only, or a multi-bay garage with twenty cars on the forecourt, the traders insurance policy structure adapts to fit. We place across road risks, combined motor trade insurance and motor trade public liability insurance markets, with cover scaled to the work.
Motor trade premium reflects risk, but a handful of choices on your side meaningfully change what you pay.
Right-size your cover
Buy road risks if you have no premises and no stock. Step up to a combined policy only when forecourt vehicles, premises or staff bring it within scope.
Keep claims and convictions clean
Five years of claims and conviction history follows your renewal. Defensive driving, accurate record-keeping and prompt notification protect that record.
Take a voluntary excess
Carrying the first slice of any claim yourself reduces the insurer’s exposure and the premium with it. Effective when cashflow allows it.
Combine related covers
Road risks plus stock plus public and employers’ liability on one combined policy usually prices below buying each cover standalone.
A standard motor trade policy covers driving and the layers above. The list below shows what most insurers will add on, and what falls outside the cover by default.
Stock and premises cover
Vehicles on the forecourt, workshop fittings, fixtures and contents.
Demonstration and courtesy car cover
Customer test drives and loaned vehicles while their car is in for repair.
Goods in transit
Spares, tools and consumables moved between premises or to customer sites.
Tools cover
Hand tools, diagnostic kit and equipment on-site and in-vehicle.
Personal use of trade vehicles
Family members or employees driving for pleasure typically need separate motor cover.
Racing, rallying and track use
Excluded by every standard motor trade insurer. Specialist motorsport cover required.
Vehicles outside the trade activity
Cars held for personal collection or non-trade investment, not for resale or work.
Drivers not declared on the policy
Anyone driving in the trade must be named on the schedule. Undisclosed drivers void cover.
Deliberate or criminal acts
Loss caused intentionally or through criminal conduct is excluded across the market.
Tell us your trade and the cover you need for a motor trade insurance quote. Specialist motor trade insurance brokers, with markets for road risks, combined cover, convictions and young drivers.
The questions we hear most often, with straight answers. Anything else, call the office.
Yes. Many traders are part-time, weekend dealers, evening repairers, online resellers running a side business. Specialist insurers will write part-time motor trade policies once they have the trade detail and an estimate of vehicles handled per year. The policy structure is the same as a full-time motor trader, with cover scaled to actual exposure.
Cannot see your question? Speak to a broker on 0800 123 4567.
Why brokers, why us
FCA regulated
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
45 years broking
Long-standing relationships across the UK insurer market.
Named broker
A direct line to the same person at quote, renewal and claim.
Independent
No tie-ins. We use the market that fits your trade, not a panel of one.
● Cover that often sits alongside this
Ready when you are
Two minutes to tell us about the trade. Terms back from a specialist motor trade panel. Your named broker on the file from day one.
