Self-Drive Hire Insurance
Trusted, reliable and instant insurance for self-drive hire companies (with a day and night claims team). Annual cover with risk management led solutions and buy-right experts to help get your business moving fast.
Self-Drive Hire Insurance
Trusted, reliable and instant insurance for self-drive hire companies (with a day and night claims team). Annual cover with risk management led solutions and buy-right experts to help get your business moving fast.
About Self-Drive Hire Insurance
Annual self-drive hire cover
Day rate or rate per vehicle basis – trust the experts to advise on what is best for your business
Buy-right specialists
Our ‘buy-right’ experts and introductory premium savings will help get your business moving fast
Risk management led approach
Free hire desk webcams and app-based solutions to help your hire customers report claims without delay
Instant self-drive hire insurance
We can arrange cover the moment you need it, as well as access to a day and night claims team
Features of Self-Drive Hire Insurance
Standard cover
Bespoke self-drive hire cover
Our friendly and trained ‘buy-right’ experts will talk you through the options to arrange and renew self-drive hire insurance. We’ll work with you to find the best way to insure your hire vehicle fleet to fit with your business. This is not just from an immediate pricing perspective, but in the longer term too. It will help to give you the flexibility to focus on what is important to you – running your self-drive hire business (while your policy protects it).
Leading self-drive hire insurers
We have access to a carefully selected and growing panel of high-quality self-drive hire fleet insurers. This means that we can help you find an insurer that’s able to offer you the right cover at the right price. Because the service providers we work with trust our expertise, we are also able to provide instant self-drive hire insurance, from the very moment you need it.
Dedicated fleet risk manager
We’re here when you need us. Place your self-drive hire insurance through Towergate and we’ll immediately appoint a dedicated fleet risk manager. They’ll review claims experience, monitor incident types, and work with you to implement any mutually agreed risk improvement measures that may help you control the future cost of cover. Our team are also available day and night to get your wheels turning and your claims settled as fast as possible.
Self-drive hire cover payments
Self-drive hire insurance through Towergate means you can pay your premiums through a flexible finance plan (subject to acceptance). Thanks to what we believe to be a competitive rate and the payment term being fixed at the outset, your business cash flow can be more effectively managed by spreading the payments. By avoiding the initial outlay of what can sometimes be a significant lump sum premium, capital can be freed up for reinvestment elsewhere in the business.
Self-Drive Hire Insurance FAQs
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We’ve started thinking about whether we should switch to self-insurance for our fleet of over 120 rental vehicles that are currently comprehensively insured under a self-drive hire motor fleet policy. What do you feel is the key thing we should consider before going down this path?
We’ve started thinking about whether we should switch to self-insurance for our fleet of over 120 rental vehicles that are currently comprehensively insured under a self-drive hire motor fleet policy. What do you feel is the key thing we should consider before going down this path?
The key issue that you need to think about before going down this path, is whether your balance sheet is strong enough to cope with the business paying what may typically be something between the first £10,000 and the first £100,000 of every incident. Ask an experienced self-drive hire insurance broker for their advice.
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We know that ‘walk-in’ customers that haven’t phoned first can be particularly risky, especially if it’s late on a Friday or at weekends when it can be harder to check references. How do I best make sure that a person who is due to hire the vehicle really is who they say they are?
We know that ‘walk-in’ customers that haven’t phoned first can be particularly risky, especially if it’s late on a Friday or at weekends when it can be harder to check references. How do I best make sure that a person who is due to hire the vehicle really is who they say they are?
Thoroughly checking the customer’s driving licence is a vital first step. However, make sure you also validate the licence using the DVLA’s licence validation service, obtain further proof of identity in an insurance-approved format and always take a photograph of the hirer – and never accept cash.
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The consequences of being distracted while using a mobile phone – even a handheld mobile - can be very serious indeed. What should I do to minimise the risk of a mobile phone being used by a hirer whilst driving one of my vehicles?
The consequences of being distracted while using a mobile phone – even a handheld mobile - can be very serious indeed. What should I do to minimise the risk of a mobile phone being used by a hirer whilst driving one of my vehicles?
Not always an easy issue to manage. A good start though is to make sure your hire terms include an appropriate clause making it clear that the hirer must not use a mobile phone (even if hands-free) whilst driving – and draw this clause to your customer’s attention. If you are unsure about your legal position, ask a lawyer specialising in transport-related matters for advice.
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I know that my self-drive hire motor fleet claims experience will improve if I can cut the number of accidents caused by hire customers. How do you think I could encourage people hiring our vehicles to drive better?
I know that my self-drive hire motor fleet claims experience will improve if I can cut the number of accidents caused by hire customers. How do you think I could encourage people hiring our vehicles to drive better?
Have you thought about introducing a telematics-backed hirer incentive scheme that rewards the safest and most fuel-efficient hirer? Talk to us about how an incentive scheme might best be introduced. Your terms of hire may need to disclose the fact that driving style and behaviour will be monitored. We recommend you take advice on this point from an appropriate lawyer.
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We regularly have up to 30 cars parked up at our premises. If several of our vehicles were vandalised at the same time, would there be just the one excess applied to the claim as a whole, or would an excess be applied to each vehicle damaged?
We regularly have up to 30 cars parked up at our premises. If several of our vehicles were vandalised at the same time, would there be just the one excess applied to the claim as a whole, or would an excess be applied to each vehicle damaged?
Most self-drive hire insurance policies are worded in such a way that the excess will be applied to the loss or damage relating to each vehicle involved in the same event. If you have, say, a £500 excess and twelve vehicles were damaged, the total excess is likely to be £6,000.
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Are there any exclusions to self-drive hire insurance policies?
Are there any exclusions to self-drive hire insurance policies?
Exclusions include hire must met the acceptable criteria and have a valid hire agreement. See your policy documents for full details.
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Can I pay in instalments?
Can I pay in instalments?
If you would prefer to spread the cost of your self-drive hire insurance policy, you have the option of setting up a Direct Debit to pay your premium in equal monthly instalments (subject to acceptance) through our preferred provider.
To find out more about direct debit payments, select Direct Debit and to understand more about how our finance providers work with Towergate, please read our Regulatory Information.
How do I make a claim?
When you need to make a claim, we’ll guide you through the process and get your claim settled as quickly as possible.
Find your insurance documents
and make sure you have all your information at hand, including your policy number
Call the claims team
on 0344 892 1434 and explain exactly what happened
Provide photos if requested
to help us understand what happened as quickly as we can
