My agency like self employed drivers to carry public liability insurance. Currently with Simply Business £110. Phoning round, i have had a quote of £56 from Tradesman Ins 0845 034 7961. Anyone else used them?
So your not given work and employed by agency then if i was working for them self employed i expect them to have pl insurance
It is not your responsibility to have P.L.I., and i would tell any agency to F.R.O. if they ever suggested it. It is their responsibility, to make sure you are covered, either by themselves, or the transport company you are going to work for. tell them to take a running jump, and heed the words previously shown.
This is becoming a sticking point with agency drivers finding themselves seeking PLI, especially as several agencies are starting to write into the small print of the “employment” contract that they get you to sign (but you never read) a £ value of around £50K (or less) that they are limiting their losses in the event of a claim against them by the client, the rest of the losses are passed to the mug agency driver who didnt read the small print he signed .............. so ultimately the agency driver gets shafted once more by the agency. I cant emphasise enough for agency drivers working the Ltd Co route, to check IF the contract they signed contains such a clause. Because IF it does, you need to ask yourself is it worth while working for these firms, & will you get a return on the money you spent buying PLI etc
What is this nonsense you speak of? Is it in case you have an accident at a customers premises?
Surprised you get in anywhere without it being self employed, could be some nasty surprises for you if you were in an accident. Eddie.
I had some for when i was self employed doing other things. £90 per year covered me for £1million.
there are a few agencys asking you to have this before they give you work these days. The biggest I know of is H&G. When I used to do DJing (mobile disco’s etc) I had PLI for £125 per year which covered me for £5m public liability. If you are doing a wedding at a nice Cheshire mansion and one of your disco lights goes on fire and burns the whole complex down I doubt whether £5m would cover it. However, I was one of only 20% I wreckon that had it. Only a handfull of the top hotels would request you had it, the others and social clubs or pubs are all completely oblivious to anything like that, especially the DJ having it.
I can’t see what it covers you for being a driver as any site you go to, or any vehicle you drive will be covered by the company you work for are are visiting, hence the numerous over the top safety issues you have to deal with as they try to protect themselves from the blame and compo culture we live in.
Kerbdog:
there are a few agencys asking you to have this before they give you work these days. The biggest I know of is H&G. When I used to do DJing (mobile disco’s etc) I had PLI for £125 per year which covered me for £5m public liability. If you are doing a wedding at a nice Cheshire mansion and one of your disco lights goes on fire and burns the whole complex down I doubt whether £5m would cover it. However, I was one of only 20% I wreckon that had it. Only a handfull of the top hotels would request you had it, the others and social clubs or pubs are all completely oblivious to anything like that, especially the DJ having it.I can’t see what it covers you for being a driver as any site you go to, or any vehicle you drive will be covered by the company you work for are are visiting, hence the numerous over the top safety issues you have to deal with as they try to protect themselves from the blame and compo culture we live in.
I think in theory you could be sued by the insurance company that the claim was made against to recover their losses, as being self employed you are in fact a business, I am sure the rules are totally different than being a straight employed person, because being employed the company takes on the responsibility of your actions, where as being self employed they do not, so then you become liable, I know I have seen some thing to that effect in a court ruling when I was researching something else but a just can’t remember where it was and it has been a few years since I saw it, and I am just going off memory which ain’t that good 
Euro:
My agency like self employed drivers to carry public liability insurance. Currently with Simply Business £110. Phoning round, i have had a quote of £56 from Tradesman Ins 0845 034 7961. Anyone else used them?
I`d go back to them and ask for a re-quote, they have sent me a renewal this morning for £88.29, up from £81.10 last year 
Its a “must have” nowadays, if you want to work anywhere 
If you are s/e and go along the Ltd co route don’t let them force you into providing your own pl insurance. If it all goes pear shaped tell them to f off, fold your company and walk away. That’s why it’s called a LIMITED company, limited liability ya see.
I pay £56 for 2 mill cover thru Cornish
I had public liability and employers liability for years. and when people know this, they get solicitors on your case 24/7 claiming for all manner of things.
I lean’t my lesson early. Once i recieved a letter asking for insurance details, i simply told them that i didn’t have any.
They never contacted me again. 
limeyphil:
I had public liability and employers liability for years. and when people know this, they get solicitors on your case 24/7 claiming for all manner of things.
I lean’t my lesson early. Once i recieved a letter asking for insurance details, i simply told them that i didn’t have any.
They never contacted me again.
Some decent advice I got years ago, was never to reply/acknowledge any paperwork from an insurer/solicitor, and, refuse anything needing a signature
Never go guilty, never admit liability, and that`s from a barrister in the family
the maoster:
If you are s/e and go along the Ltd co route don’t let them force you into providing your own pl insurance. If it all goes pear shaped tell them to f off, fold your company and walk away. That’s why it’s called a LIMITED company, limited liability ya see.
Isn’t that what has been known to happen quite often with some transport companies? And when a few truck drivers get laid of they get slated something rotten for it. Ok for me to do it but not for anyone else
raymundo:
the maoster:
If you are s/e and go along the Ltd co route don’t let them force you into providing your own pl insurance. If it all goes pear shaped tell them to f off, fold your company and walk away. That’s why it’s called a LIMITED company, limited liability ya see.Isn’t that what has been known to happen quite often with some transport companies? And when a few truck drivers get laid of they get slated something rotten for it. Ok for me to do it but not for anyone else
This thread isn’t about transport companies going bust, it’s about parasitic agencies trying to coerce working men to pay for the priviledge of working for said agencies. A driver crashing a truck and walking away from any insurance obligations thus causing the agency to foot the bill is in no way comparable to xyz transport subbing out a millions quids worth of work, not paying, folding and starting up the next day as wxyz transport. You know that, I know that and I’m sure you can credit the members reading this with enough intelligence to know it too. Clear enough for you?
Euro:
My agency like self employed drivers to carry public liability insurance. Currently with Simply Business £110. Phoning round, i have had a quote of £56 from Tradesman Ins 0845 034 7961. Anyone else used them?
Are you self employed though ■■ if you are paid hourly then you can’t be self employed ,and do you get a share from the profits ? if not then you can’t be self employed
docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca … GREn2w8qWg
scroll down to pg22 for the applicable bit on self employed drivers
martyh:
Euro:
My agency like self employed drivers to carry public liability insurance. Currently with Simply Business £110. Phoning round, i have had a quote of £56 from Tradesman Ins 0845 034 7961. Anyone else used them?Are you self employed though ■■ if you are paid hourly then you can’t be self employed ,and do you get a share from the profits ? if not then you can’t be self employed
docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca … GREn2w8qWg
scroll down to pg22 for the applicable bit on self employed drivers
i am employed paye and i am also registered as self employed…i work part time on a self employed basis.
It amazes me that Agencies, want you to have DCPC,ADR,self-employment,your own insurances…I dunno if anyones noticed ,all you need is the truck
martyh:
…Are you self employed though ■■ if you are paid hourly then you can’t be self employed ,and do you get a share from the profits ? if not then you can’t be self employed
docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca … GREn2w8qWg
scroll down to pg22 for the applicable bit on self employed drivers
How many ‘self-employed’ agency drivers do you know who actually tick the boxes of being truly ‘self-employed’? - you could probably count them on one hand. Every agency I know of now insists on drivers either being Ltd Co. or in an umbrella scheme, but they are still paid the same standard hourly rate, cannot send in replacement drivers, are not risking their own capital etc. etc.