vehicle insurance

[catch22]

If you damage a vehicle, but havent taken the original driving test required for insurance... where do you stand?

[doorstepped]

not your fault you have not taken a test with RM, your manager should have made sure you were able to drive a van before he let you drive one.

just plead ignorance if anyone asks you about a changeover et al.

took my office just under 4 years for them to arrange mine.

[fng]

not your fault you have not taken a test with RM, your manager should have made sure you were able to drive a van before he let you drive one.

just plead ignorance if anyone asks you about a changeover et al.

took my office just under 4 years for them to arrange mine.

If there was an accident involving the feds, that wouldn't wash with Mr Plod. The person driving is the person driving without "valid" insurance not Royal Mail.

In the same way as the driver is responsible for any defects on the van not the "owner" - Royal Mail.

Assuming that RM insurance needs to be validated by having a changover test, ergo no test - no insurance.

You may have a seperate case against RM for putting you in the position, but as far as the actual incident of being caught without "valid " insurance (if there was one) is concerened - it's good bye licence

[dvbuk55]

If you damage a vehicle, but havent taken the original driving test required for insurance... where do you stand?

Was that an official driving duty or nipping out for a sandwich or a colleague

[PhilthyPhil]

Royal Mail don't have insurance. Not in the same way you an I do on our personal cars anyway. Large companies self insure. What this means is that any low level claims Royal Mail just pay it themselves. They then have an insurance bond to cover any large public liability, I think it is something like £50m. So if you drive a Royal Mail vehicle without the required training you would not be 'uninsured' but you would be breaking company policy, which could result in conduct code action against either you or your manager depending on who Royal Mail felt was responsible. Lets face it they would blaim you saying you should know you do not have the required training.

[PhilthyPhil]

Quick question, if you're passed to drive the Vauxhall Combo vans, are you also ok to drive Ford Transits?

No, you can only drive the size of vehicle which you have been trained on or smaller vehicles.

[Lounge Lizard]

I was always told that you only need insurance if you're going to crash.

[Hitcher]

Changeover is no longer needed for driving the small vans.

[clashcityrocker]

Changeover is no longer needed for driving the small vans.

Says who?
All our new P&L drivers were put through a 3 hour assessment prior to deployment.

[Hitcher]

Changeover is no longer needed for driving the small vans.

Says who?
All our new P&L drivers were put through a 3 hour assessment prior to deployment.

Line manager said it was costing RM too much and was nationally scraped, union rep also said it's not needed to drive the small vans.

A valid drivers licence is all that is needed.

[clashcityrocker]

I don't doubt that your line manager said that - but when exactly was it scrapped?

[fishtank]

Line manager said it was costing RM too must and was nationally scraped, union rep also said it's not needed to drive the small vans.

A valid drivers licence is all that is needed.

There has been no communication through the union that the principle of driver assessment has changed so if your union rep is saying this he is simply following what your line manager has told him.
If there has been a change in policy it certainly hasn't made it as far as my D.O.

[dvbuk55]

Line manager said it was costing RM too must and was nationally scraped, union rep also said it's not needed to drive the small vans.

A valid drivers licence is all that is needed.

There has been no communication through the union that the principle of driver assessment has changed so if your union rep is saying this he is simply following what your line manager has told him.
If there has been a change in policy it certainly hasn't made it as far as my D.O.

It seems to no longer be necessary since P&L, new starters are allowed to drive on production of a valid licence. I have noticed though that when people have an accident they are assessed either by the RAC or AA I forget which - an assessment that takes 2 to 3 hours.

[Robtor]

Been here 2 years, never even heard of needing to take some test, no one here does. I drive combo's daily, and fairly often transits right up to those crappy LDV things.