Van retention policy

[postman2014]

In our office, only a selected few are allowed to take vans home (bosses favourites) They turn up in the morning with a bag full of parcels and mail from the previous day. Obviously kept in the van/house overnight as they don't return to the office once they finish their delivery. Dunno who will be liable if the worst should happen!

[TooManyLoops]

The person taking the van home will be liable, they'll be chucked under the bus

Mail and PDAs shouldn't be kept in the van overnight. They should be returned to the DO

[Smoothbackground]

The person taking the van home will be liable, they'll be chucked under the bus

Mail and PDAs shouldn't be kept in the van overnight. They should be returned to the DO

Retaining mail or parcels in a van overnight is a very strict no-no at our place. Regardless of van retention, you must return to the DO if you have any work or box keys onboard. There is a bit more latitude with retaining a PDA overnight on a one-off basis if you are working late/doing a favour, though the general rule is that these have to be returned to the office too as they need to be docked for charging and software updates.

[TopperGas]

Like most if not all commercial hirers, RM will hire the vehicles in on a “bare hire” basis, ie, without insurance. The hire vehicles are covered under RM’s own fleet insurance at all times.

That's only an assumption? Although nothing to say out that are own insurance dept have made it clear hire vans shouldn't be used for retention, given we all know white etc vans are more likely to be stolen than a typical RM van.

[Basildon Bond]

What happens if you are sick the next day? You have the van, mail, parcels, box keys, PDA (with a dead batter)y and you're not able to work.

So two people have to drive out to your house and pick it up?

[Smoothbackground]

Like most if not all commercial hirers, RM will hire the vehicles in on a “bare hire” basis, ie, without insurance. The hire vehicles are covered under RM’s own fleet insurance at all times.

That's only an assumption? Although nothing to say out that are own insurance dept have made it clear hire vans shouldn't be used for retention, given we all know white etc vans are more likely to be stolen than a typical RM van.

It’s not an assumption, it’t not even a presumption - it is fact in 99% of cases. Vehicle hire companies provide SDP insurance cover only to consumer rentals. Commercial insurance, eg, hire and reward, is always for the hirer to provide. For more info refer to the BVRLA. The BVRLA is the trade association for hire companies. Their Code mirrors this position, saying:

It is good practice at the beginning of a contract for a [hire company] to ensure that the customer has steps in place to update the Motor Insurance Database with all new vehicles added to their fleet and that the customer's insurance is valid for the use and type of vehicle being rented or leased.

[Smoothbackground]

What happens if you are sick the next day? You have the van, mail, parcels, box keys, PDA (with a dead batter)y and you're not able to work.

So two people have to drive out to your house and pick it up?

At our place you would be losing your retention for an indefinite but lengthy period if they had to collect your van due to you being sick. The unwritten rule seems to be that if you take it home you get it back, even if sick the next day. We have a few people who aren’t allowed to take vans home anymore due to having gone sick and not bringing it back.

And if they found work or keys in the van, you’d also likely be conducted for breaching security rules. Taking a van home doesn’t give you dispensation from mail security procedures.

[postslippete]

During the busy Xmas period the gates to the yard will be locked and some staff will be asked to work beyond that and may have to take the van home if they can't get rid of all their parcels. It's not something that our management are keen on as they don't allow this normally.

[TopperGas]

Like most if not all commercial hirers, RM will hire the vehicles in on a “bare hire” basis, ie, without insurance. The hire vehicles are covered under RM’s own fleet insurance at all times.

That's only an assumption? Although nothing to say out that are own insurance dept have made it clear hire vans shouldn't be used for retention, given we all know white etc vans are more likely to be stolen than a typical RM van.

It’s not an assumption, it’t not even a presumption - it is fact in 99% of cases. Vehicle hire companies provide SDP insurance cover only to consumer rentals. Commercial insurance, eg, hire and reward, is always for the hirer to provide. For more info refer to the BVRLA. The BVRLA is the trade association for hire companies. Their Code mirrors this position, saying:

It is good practice at the beginning of a contract for a [hire company] to ensure that the customer has steps in place to update the Motor Insurance Database with all new vehicles added to their fleet and that the customer's insurance is valid for the use and type of vehicle being rented or leased.

Why would a hire co supply a commercial vehicle with just SDP cover, they would either supply it with no insurance cover or full business cover, just search Google for "hire van with business insured cover" and there are a number of hire co's offering such cover. Not one of our "white" hire vans is ever used for home retention.

[Smoothbackground]

Like most if not all commercial hirers, RM will hire the vehicles in on a “bare hire” basis, ie, without insurance. The hire vehicles are covered under RM’s own fleet insurance at all times.

That's only an assumption? Although nothing to say out that are own insurance dept have made it clear hire vans shouldn't be used for retention, given we all know white etc vans are more likely to be stolen than a typical RM van.

It’s not an assumption, it’t not even a presumption - it is fact in 99% of cases. Vehicle hire companies provide SDP insurance cover only to consumer rentals. Commercial insurance, eg, hire and reward, is always for the hirer to provide. For more info refer to the BVRLA. The BVRLA is the trade association for hire companies. Their Code mirrors this position, saying:

It is good practice at the beginning of a contract for a [hire company] to ensure that the customer has steps in place to update the Motor Insurance Database with all new vehicles added to their fleet and that the customer's insurance is valid for the use and type of vehicle being rented or leased.

Why would a hire co supply a commercial vehicle with just SDP cover, they would either supply it with no insurance cover or full business cover, just search Google for "hire van with business insured cover" and there are a number of hire co's offering such cover. Not one of our "white" hire vans is ever used for home retention.

You misunderstand me — I meant it is only consumers renting vans who hire companies will provide insurance for (SDP insurance), with all B2B hires being on a “bare hire” basis, ie, with no insurance whatsoever. As I said initially, the RM hire vans are all hired in on this bare basis.

And yes, the “hire companies” you get up on Google are the charlatans who rip off self-employed Amazon drivers etc by providing “rehired” vans covered on a fleet policy, then sold as a package including insurance — which often doesn’t pay out once the facts of the sublease/hire are known by the insurance company — I used to hire from one such company. RM hires from Northgate, Enterprise, etc, all of whom just do bare hire for B2B.

[TooManyLoops]

What happens if you are sick the next day? You have the van, mail, parcels, box keys, PDA (with a dead batter)y and you're not able to work.

So two people have to drive out to your house and pick it up?

I broke my leg one weekend, they had to send two out to collect it (no mail in the van, thankfully!)

But, we were never told we would have to take the van in otherwise