Car Jockey Insurance

You need car jockey insurance if you offer parking services within the motor trade industry. Whether you’re moving customers’ vehicles to and from your repair workshop or working as a part-time hotel valet driver, you need the right insurance in place to ensure you are legally and financially covered.

Leading insurers understand how tricky parking customers’ cars can be and how quickly accidents can happen. From nicking the side mirror when reversing out of a driveway to ramping a pavement in the airport parking lot, there are many road risks involved.

Who is car jockey insurance for?

• Airport long-stay parking services
• Ferry port parking services
• Customer valet services outside casinos or nightclubs
• Private parking services at functions, events and restaurants
• Car valet and detailing businesses
• Motor trade mechanics
• Car collection services (including roadside assist businesses)
• Car delivery services offered by dealerships/showrooms
• Vehicle transportation businesses
• Full-time and part-time car jockeys

As mentioned, there are three levels of road risk insurance car jockeys can choose from:

1. TPO – provides the minimum level of cover and will only cover you for injuries to other people or damage to their property.
2. TPFT – offers you the middle-ground option. This provides greater protection than third-party-only cover because it also insures the vehicles under your care against theft and fire.
3. Comprehensive – offers the most extensive level of cover. This level of cover includes everything third-party, fire and theft provides, and more. It also covers cars under your care as well as cars your business owns in a road accident.

There are loads of optional extras you can include in your standard jockey insurance. This tailored approach allows you to customise your policies for your precise protection needs.

Let’s take a closer look:

• Public liability cover: Similar to employer’s liability insurance but geared towards members of the public rather than staff, this type of cover protects your business financially if someone is injured on your business premises because of business activities and compensation claims made against you.
• Static parking risk cover: You’ll want this insurance cover to protect long-stay parking vehicles from static parking risks (e.g. vandalism, theft, burglary).
• Business premises cover: For businesses that run out of an office or fixed location, you’ll need to take out business premises insurance to cover the building’s exterior, plus permanent fixtures and fittings, in the event of a fire, flood or vandalism. You’ll also need office insurance (a.k.a contents insurance) if you want to insure interior equipment like computers and furniture.
• Business interruption cover: This compensates you against financial losses should your business come to a standstill due to unforeseen events like fire, flood or extensive burglary damage.
• Tools and equipment cover: Specifically for mechanic’s tools and specialist equipment, this type of cover is deemed essential by most motor traders because it insures the tools they rely on to deliver their services. This is something to consider if you use tools during detailing services.
• Multiple premises and compound cover: If you park customers’ cars in multiple locations, or even if all the cars are parked together in a compound, you can take out insurance for all vehicles through multiple premises and compound cover.
• Personal vehicles and personal use cover: It’s possible to extend your insurance policy to include social, domestic and pleasure use (SD&P) cover, whereby vehicles can be driven for private use. This can be helpful because you reduce administrative strain and can stay on top of your insurance more easily when it’s all included in a single bundle.
• Indemnity level: This refers to the total sum you’re insured for. It reflects the maximum amount of money you could be awarded if you successfully make a claim.
Flexible customer vehicle indemnity is sometimes provided as an option by insurers. It’s great for car jockey businesses because the value of vehicles within your care may vary greatly from one day to another.