President Obama’s New Cadillac-‘The Beast’

President Obama arrived in London yesterday with a cavalcade of vehicles so large that they were unable to all actually get inside Downing Strret!

Obama’s new Presidential Limousine has been custom-designed to protect the his life with updated security features which are kept securely under wraps. It of course has elements such as run flat tyres and the doors are as thick as a 747’s.

Inside luxury exudes from all quarters making this limousine truly ‘fit for purpose’. While the security of the Barrack and Michelle Obama is paramount during their visit to the UK one has to wonder just how many thousands of dollars it must have cost to bring the entire motorcade into the country?

With the one Cadillac costing $250K the entire fleet would run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many will argue that these are not the most fuel efficient vehicles to be driving around in with the current global economic situation, not to mention the affects this fleet will be making on the environment.

This new presidential Cadillac is nick named ‘The Beast’ by the US Secret Service, which seems very apt for a vehicle of this size.

You may not have a vehicle quite as high tech as ‘The Beast’ but if you own a fleet of luxury limousines probably the most cost effective way to insure them is with a fleet insurance policy. This can be tailored to meet the needs of each of the luxury cars you own and operate, with many optional extras such as European cover should your fleet operate on the continent as well as in the UK.

Cheap Fleet Insurance Deals Online

Fleet insurance is a great way to help reduce insurance premiums. The confusing thing is each insurance company has its own number of vehicles which are required to constitute qualifying for this type of insurance.

Mixed fleet insurance does give you the opportunity to insurance different types of vehicles. Some insurance companies will even include agricultural vehicles which are driven on the public highways.

Anyone who has more then one vehicle should carry out some online searches to find out whether they would qualify, you don’t have to own a business to be able to be accepted. For example insureyourfleet are advertising on the web that their premiums start with as few as two vehicles. They of course ask you to fill in their online quote form or give them a ring, and as with all vehicle insurance nothing can be guaranteed until they are made aware of the types of vehicles, age of drivers etc.

However, if you have a fleet of vehicles which are solely used for courier services, are taxis or HGVs then the number required to qualify may alter!

Typically the number of commercial use vehicles is four or five, but as mentioned it is always checking a number of different insurance companies to see who are offering the most appropriate and competitive fleet insurance deals to see whether your vehicles will qualify.

Having cheap fleet insurance can potentially save you or your company hundreds of pounds each year on premiums while still providing various different amounts of cover.

Is Your Fleet Ready for Winter?

Frosty mornings and snow fall in many parts of the country means that your fleet needs to be in tip top condition to keep all of the vehicles on the road and earning money.

Simple tasks such as using anti-freeze is quite often overlooked by many people. Whether you have your own garage which services the vehicles prior to winter or each driver has responsibility for the vehicle they drive, it is imperative to make sure that anti-freeze is put in the radiator and that tyres are in good condition to help reduce the risk of breakdowns or accidents.

Making tyres are in good condition is an essential part of winter driving. Tyres which are on the verge of reaching the minimum permitted tread depth will not grip the road well. This may cause vehicles to slip and slid and potentially cause accidents.

Overlooking these simple tasks can potentially increase your fleet insurance premiums as you may have the need to make more claims. Not only may the premiums increase your no claims bonus may also be lost. Having a generous no claims discount can have a dramatic impact in reducing the insurance premiums. Make a claim and your bonus goes out of the window!

Some insurance companies will offer protected no claims which enables you to make a certain number of claims before losing the discount. Although this is ideal, you may also need to read the small print of the policy as many insurances will not payout on claims which the insurance company believe to be caused by negligence. Failing to put anti-freeze in the vehicle may be classed as negligence. An expensive mistake to make for such a simple task!

Fleet Insurance Documents

You will receive three different documents from the insurance company. Once received all three will need to be read through to ensure all of the details and information is correct. If there are any errors the insurance company should be advised as soon as possible to ensure all of the fleet is covered.

The certificate: The certificate is the document which contains the details of the fleet vehicles. It also includes the dates for which the policy is valid and will include the drivers named to use the vehicles.

The insurance certificate is the legal document which is required to be produced when an accident occurs, when the vehicle/s need to be taxed or if a driver is asked to produce it by the police. It is an offence in the UK not have appropriate vehicle insurance.

The Policy: This sets out and informs the full terms and conditions of the insurance cover.

The Schedule: The schedule provides details of the policy. This will include the amount of excess, no claims discounts and the level of insurance cover e.g. Third party Only, Third Party Fire and Theft or Comprehensive.
Each vehicle will be given a certificate insurance, along with a copy of the policy and or schedule depending on the insurance and company requirements.

All fleet drivers should be informed of where the full set of fleet insurance documents can be located within their workplace base.

Fleet drivers are advised to check through the fleet insurance certificate and inform management of any discrepancies or inaccuracies to enable them to have them amended by the insurance company.