Motor Trade Insurance
Comprehensive cover for the UK motor trade, from independent mechanics to large dealerships. Protect your vehicles, property, and business against risks including liability, road use, and business interruption.
Bespoke policies arranged through leading UK insurers.
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What Does Motor Trade Insurance Cover?
Motor Trade Insurance protects businesses of every size, from part-time traders and home-based mechanics to multi-site dealerships operating across the UK.
Policies can be tailored to suit all types of motor-related work, including vehicle sales, servicing, repairs, and recovery. This includes:
- Private cars and commercial vehicles
- High-value and performance vehicles
- Bodyshops, coachbuilders, and auto-electricians
- Vehicle security and audio specialists
- Agricultural vehicles, motorcycles, and recovery operators
With access to a wide panel of insurers, we can arrange bespoke cover that reflects the scale and activities of your business, ensuring complete protection, whether you work from a single garage or manage a nationwide operation.
Motor Trade Insurance Cover
Most insurers offer a ‘combined’ policy incorporating those sections of cover you require, although some insurers still issue separate policies for any ‘road risks’ exposures.
Typical Covers Include
All Risks
Protection for property, equipment, stock, and both your own and customers’ vehicles.
Computers
Covers damage to computer systems and the cost of restoring data and re-networking.
Business Interruption
Covers loss of profit or additional costs following an insured disruption.
Money and Assault
Provides protection for cash and employees while handling or carrying money.
Employee Dishonesty/Fidelity
Covers losses caused by theft, fraud, or dishonesty by employees.
Wrongful Conversion
Protects against loss if a purchased or sold vehicle is later found to have incorrect legal ownership.
Employers’ Liability
Statutory insurance that protects against claims made by employees for injury or illness.
Personal Accident
Provides financial support if an employee suffers an accident, regardless of negligence.
Business Travel
Covers staff travelling on company business within the UK or abroad.
Public and Products Liability
Covers injury to third parties or damage to their property, including servicing and sales indemnity, financial loss, and merchantable goods cover.
Engineering and Statutory Inspection
Covers pressure and lifting equipment for breakdowns, explosions, or collapse, along with mandatory inspections.
Professional Indemnity
Essential for traders offering insurance or financial products, covering errors or advice-related claims.
Commercial Legal Protection
Covers legal costs for employment disputes, HMRC or VAT investigations, and other business-related legal issues.
Road Risks
Allows you to drive your own and customers’ vehicles, including for testing, collection, or delivery, with protection for both damage and liability.
Rowlands & Hames can provide competitive quotations from a wide panel of reputable insurers to suit all types and sizes of motor traders.
Motor Trade Insurance FAQs
What does Motor Trade Insurance cover?
Motor Trade Insurance provides protection for businesses involved in vehicle sales, servicing, repairs, or recovery. It typically includes cover for property, liability, business interruption, vehicles, and road risks — all tailored to the size and type of operation.
Who needs Motor Trade Insurance?
Any business or individual working with vehicles in a commercial capacity should consider Motor Trade Insurance. This includes mechanics, car dealers, bodyshops, valeters, mobile technicians, recovery operators, and MOT centres.
What is Road Risks Insurance?
Road Risks Insurance allows motor traders to drive customers’ vehicles and their own business vehicles legally for testing, collection, or delivery purposes. It can be extended to include loan or hire vehicles if required.
Can Motor Trade Insurance cover multiple locations or employees?
Yes. Whether you operate from one premises or several, cover can be arranged to include all sites, vehicles, and employees under a single policy — providing flexibility as your business grows.
What type of vehicles can be included on a Motor Trade policy?
Policies can include private cars, commercial vehicles, high-performance and prestige models, motorcycles, agricultural vehicles, and specialist recovery trucks, depending on insurer appetite and business activity.
Does Motor Trade Insurance include Public and Employers’ Liability?
Yes. Most combined policies include both, ensuring you’re covered if an employee or member of the public suffers injury or property damage in connection with your business.
How can I reduce the cost of Motor Trade Insurance?
You can often lower premiums by maintaining a good claims record, storing vehicles securely, installing CCTV or alarms, and ensuring all drivers have clean licences and experience relevant to the vehicles driven.
Can I add additional covers to my policy?
Yes. Optional extensions such as Professional Indemnity, Engineering Inspection, or Legal Expenses can be added, ensuring your policy fully reflects your business risks.
Contact the Team
Mike Watkinson Dip CII
- Business Development Director
- 01253 598973
- mike@rowlands-hames.co.uk
Insurance Sectors We Cover
We provide tailored insurance solutions across a wide range of sectors. Each policy is designed around your industry’s specific risks, ensuring you’re fully protected, compliant, and supported by our expert team.
Testimonials
Many thanks to Rowlands & Hames, especially Gary Baxter who has helped and guided us through our insurances this last year, and problems [claims] when necessary. Your help and support are very much appreciated.
- Haulage Contractor, West Lancashire
Further to all our communications and dealings over the last few months, we would like to thank you for your tenacity and achieving this result in respect to settling the above claim for £800.00. Please accept our thanks for keeping at the insurers and ensuring this favourable outcome.
- Happy client following a claim
I would have no hesitation in recommending Rowlands & Hames and Gary to individuals or corporate structures requiring insurance services. It is great peace of mind to know that a competent individual and broker is supporting both myself and my companies.
- Managing Director of a nursing homes group
In response to the handling of a claim:
“Tony Swallow was excellent, a credit to Rowlands & Hames."
- A Credit to R&H
Further to all our communications and dealings over the last few months, we would like to thank you for your tenacity and achieving this result in respect to settling the above claim for £800.00. Please accept our thanks for keeping at the insurers and ensuring this favourable outcome.
- Happy client following a claim
Rowlands & Hames have always provided good advice, and have consistently ensured that my clients and I have appropriate and cost-effective insurance cover in place at all times, regardless of the complexities of the circumstances. Their claims-handling support is second to none in my experience.
- Manchester and Cheshire based Accountant and Director of several independent companies
Thank you so much for all of this and to Mike and Paul for making life so straightforward with renewal yet again. Our director has total confidence in the service you provide and is grateful for our longstanding partnership.
- A Happy Charity Provider
That’s great news Thanks for your persistence with this matter I am sure it made all the difference. It is nice to see someone go the extra mile for their customers even though it wasn’t really your problem. Once again thanks for the brilliant job and advice.
- Another happy claims customer
Regarding our latest newsletter: “What another classic example of Quality Customer Care – Sending out information like this is vital to ALL businesses and not just your Customers – so just to say you guys never cease to impress me.
- Local Business Group Manager
The insurers were slow to make the payment once the claim settlement had been agreed. Our claims manager Colin chased this on our behalf. The service from Colin was wonderful, he communicated clearly and often and I really felt he was looking after our clam. Colin made the whole process quick and easy and took the stress out of it for us to thank you!
- Always in your corner….
I would like to take this opportunity to commend one of your staff: Mike Watkinson.
This is customer service at its finest and Mike is surely a valuable and valued member of your staff.
- Polite young man!
Moving forward the team took the reigns in organizing the incident in a precise and methodical way. There were no delays, everyone was on site no later than Monday and everything generally ran smoothly throughout the refurbishment.
- Claims don’t just occur during the week!
We received excellent service, speed and communication from Rowlands & Hames. The team that worked on my property were very knowledgeable, highly experienced, reliable and professional. They kept me up to speed as the job went a long. They were tidy and polite.
- Positive Claims Feedback
Paul has dealt with our business from day one and I have found him to be very knowledgeable and approachable.
- A happy new customer for Paul
We have been dealing with Trevor Taylor for many years and have always found him to be most helpful and professional in every way. His assistance in all aspects of out insurance has proved to be invaluable. I can recommend his service to anyone.
- Motor Engineers & Car Sales Proprietor
…service from Rowlands & Hames has been exceptional over the years.
- Director of manufacturing business
I have to add that I have always been impressed by Tony’s help in the past for our commercial business insurance and I am equally so pleased in the way this insurance has been effected.
- Always on hand to help!
Just to let you know I have received payment from the insurance company.
May I take this opportunity to thank you and your colleagues for your help with this claim. You made it easier for me and kept me updated along the way.
Keep up the great work guys.
- Positive Claims Service
Great customer service from Gary Baxter and his team.
- Happy Claims Customer
I have dealt with a number of other brokers in respect of our block policy prior to our agreement with R&H and am able to state confidently as the policyholder, I am more than satisfied and recommend without hesitation, the service given by your team being of an exceptionally high standard. Keep up the good work.
- Happy property manager following a successful claim
Thank you June – your response was very quick as usual, really good service
- Happy client urgently in need of a certificate
…the [travel] insurance has been fantastic and sorted everything out very promptly for him – his son is still out there with him and [the travel insurer] have covered all of that so thanks very much to them and you and Mike etc for all your help.
- Director of major manufacturer
I would also like to inform you that I am leaving next Thursday. I would like to thank you for all your help and hard work that you have supported me with. Your service was incredible and I would recommend you with the highest regards to anyone. Thank you.
- Global supplier of electronic banking equipment
Thank you so much Colin to you and Tony for all your all efforts on our behalf. We cannot thank you enough.
- Happy Claims Customer
I wanted to thank you very sincerely for obtaining the insurance claim monies for me. The system was very trouble free for me. It is a great help, and also gives me much confidence in case there are future problems. Meanwhile, very many thanks for your work regarding this issue.
- Happy Property Owners client following claim for lost income
I found the staff to be very efficient and professional and would recommend your company to anyone. Good job
- “Efficient & Professional”
Following a dispute with an insurer over temporary unoccupancy… “It’s today’s actions that will determine which and how companies come out of this. You have been brilliant and show the true value of having a broker. Catch up soon. Thanks
- Property owner with significant portfolio
My associations with Rowlands & Hames goes back 20 years or so. I have always found them exemplary in any advice, claims etc. We recently had what we considered to be a potentially difficult public liability claim with a major client of ours but this was soon successfully concluded by John Isles and his very efficient team. I am extremely pleased with our involvement with this company.
- Director of metalwork manufacturing and installation business
I’ve always had great service from Rowlands Hames so would be happy to ask you for help with other insurances as they come up for renewal.
- Personal Lines Client
Many thanks for your assistance, you’ve been first class as always this is why we use professionals like yourselves.
- Large Electrical Contractor
great CSR to help us get our insurances ready for our first 6 employees starting next week
- Local Community Interest Group
Many thanks to you for your support throughout the claim process. The true value of having a Broker is realised when a claim occurs.
- High-net-worth Householder
I am grateful and very impressed with the care and understanding R&H’s claims team have shown throughout a stressful and difficult time for me. I got my Fiat Panda back today, all sparkly and repaired; without your excellent handling of my claim, the last few months would have been so much worse as I have recovered from my injury. I have been a customer of yours since Andrew Dalby days and your company has never let me down.
Private Client, motor vehicle claim
Thank you Paul and it is because of the relationship we have with you, the way you throw everything at getting us the best response from the insurers and the flexible support that you give us that enables us to get on with delivering our work and not being bogged down/ restricted as we have in the past with previous insurers/brokers so again, thank you!
North West based Charity / Compliance Manager
Amazing, thank you so much for your speedy response Rachel, very much appreciated as always
North West based printing company / New Business Director
Hi Mike,
My pleasure. Julie has spoken very highly of you too with your help on the management companies.
North West based Accountants / MD
Thanks Colin. Great work as per usual by R&H. Much appreciated.
Lancashire based Accountants / MD
Hi Dan,
Firstly, thank you for putting in a late shift the other evening to get all our new insurance policy documents over. All received and I’ve reviewed them and can confirm that all the details are all correct and that all terms and conditions are understood and acceptable. Both - Thanks for all your work on our annual renewal. You make the whole process very straightforward!
North West based Project Management & Quantity Surveying company / Financial Director
Thanks for all of your support in this Mike, Everyone feels better knowing that R&H and yourself in particular are there – I certainly do.
North West based Charity
Thank you very much for providing such a detailed review of my insurance options regarding my two BTL (Buy to Let) properties.
UK based Property Owner
I contacted Rowlands & Hames recently regarding a complex business insurance policy. The guidance and advice from Gary was absolutely brilliant. I would not hesitate to recommend Gary and his team.
UK based Property Owner
I am so grateful for Liz Kelly and her huge help in getting the insurance sorted for my property. I have been waiting for 6 months for the transfer of ownership from the land registry and am still waiting. As an executor of my father's will, it has been a long journey. In the last 3 years, I have lost my mother, father, and my partner all to cancer and dealt with probate 3 times now and property. For once, I have felt someone truly tried so hard to sort out the issues, and Liz, no fuss just wanted the right outcome for someone she doesn't even know not knowing as a person my history of loss. Liz, you are an angel. Thank you so much 💓. You deserve a huge Christmas bonus.
Blackpool based Property Owner
Wow what can I say other than yet again thank you to yourself and Colin for all of the hard work you have put into getting a result for us on this, we have gone backwards and forwards and not made it easy for you (certainly not on purpose!) this is an amazing result and we are incredibly surprised and happy! Thanks again both, you really do look after us and if there was an award for it you would win it!
Lancashire based Charity
I have had so many brokers emailing me over the last few weeks wishing to discuss how they can help us and I take great pleasure each time in mentioning the ongoing and great relationship we have with our brokers and that they cannot possibly compare – I am right every time!
Lancashire based Charity
Dear Paul
Whilst Janet has been your point of contact, and will remain so going forwards, I just wanted to say thank you for your diligence in this matter. We have been impressed by your feedback, and for my part I am relieved that our business interruption cover and documents cover Is now on a floating (non-location specific) basis. This has been a concern during our most recent renewals. We look forward to working with you going forwards, and hope to meet you in person soon.
North West based Solicitors Practice / Managing Partner
