Motor Trade Insurance
Specialist insurance for people and businesses working across the motor trade.
Whether you buy and sell vehicles, repair customer cars, run a garage or dealership, work as a mobile mechanic or operate a vehicle recovery business, JMG Motor Trade can help you arrange insurance around the way you actually work.
Motor trade insurance can protect you when driving, handling, repairing, storing or selling vehicles as part of your business, with additional cover available for premises, employees, tools, stock and other commercial risks.
With decades of motor trade experience behind our team and more than 2,000 customer reviews, we combine specialist knowledge with a straightforward, personal approach to arranging cover.
What Is Motor Trade Insurance?
Motor trade insurance is specialist cover for people who work with vehicles as part of their business.
It can cover customer vehicles, stock vehicles and vehicles being bought, sold, repaired, serviced, collected, delivered or test driven. Depending on the policy, cover can also extend to premises, tools, equipment and liabilities.
Because every motor trade business operates differently, the right cover will depend on the work you do, where you operate and the risks involved.
For expert guidance on motor trade insurance, call JMG Motor Trade on 01323 446 485 or visit our contact page to get in touch.
Types of Motor Trade Cover We Can Help With
Road Risk Insurance
Road Risk Insurance can allow approved drivers to drive vehicles connected with the motor trade, including customer vehicles and stock vehicles, subject to the terms of the policy.
It is often suitable for vehicle traders, mobile mechanics and other motor traders who do not require a full premises-based insurance package.
Motor Trade Combined Insurance
Motor Trade Combined Insurance provides broader protection for businesses requiring more than road risk cover alone.
It can combine several areas of insurance into one policy and is commonly used by garages, dealerships, workshops, MOT stations and other premises-based businesses.
Motor Trade Liability Insurance
Motor Trade Liability Insurance can help protect your business against claims arising from injury, damage or work carried out as part of your trade.
Depending on the policy, this can include public liability, employers’ liability and other motor trade liability risks.
Demonstration Cover
If customers test drive vehicles before purchasing them, Demonstration Cover can provide appropriate insurance for those test drives where agreed by the insurer.
Tools and Equipment Cover
Tools and specialist equipment can represent a significant investment for garages, mechanics, tyre fitters and other automotive businesses.
Cover can be arranged for equipment used at your premises as well as Tools In Transit Insurance where equipment needs protecting while being transported.
Vehicles At Your Premises
Businesses holding customer vehicles or vehicle stock overnight may require insurance for vehicles while they are kept at their premises.
This can form part of a wider motor trade combined policy and may protect against insured risks such as theft, fire and accidental damage.
Business Interruption
If an insured event prevents your business from operating, business interruption insurance may help protect income and certain ongoing costs while your business recovers.
Road Risk Or Motor Trade Combined Insurance?
Two of the most common types of motor trade insurance are Road Risk and Motor Trade Combined.
Road Risk is generally focused on vehicles being driven as part of the trade.
Motor Trade Combined provides wider business protection and can include road risk alongside premises, liabilities, tools, contents, stock and other commercial covers.
The right option largely depends on how your business operates.
For example, a mobile mechanic may only require road risk and selected liability protection, whereas a garage employing staff and holding customer vehicles overnight may require a much broader combined policy.
We can discuss your business with you and help determine which type of cover is more appropriate.
Full-Time And Part-Time Motor Traders
You do not need to run a large dealership or workshop to need motor trade insurance.
A lot of the traders we speak to operate part-time, work from home or combine motor trade activity with another occupation. If you are genuinely buying, selling, repairing or working with vehicles for profit, there may be a suitable policy available.
Insurers will usually want to see evidence that you are actively trading. This could include sales records, invoices, receipts, advertising or other proof of your motor trade activity.
If you trade alongside another job, our Part-Time Motor Trade Insurance page explains the cover in more detail.
How Much Does Motor Trade Insurance Cost?
There is no standard price for motor trade insurance because no two traders operate in exactly the same way.
The cost of your policy will depend on things such as your age, driving history, the type of trade you carry out, the vehicles you work with, where you operate, who needs to drive and the level of cover you require.
Claims, convictions, turnover, premises and whether you trade full-time or part-time can also affect the premium.
At JMG Motor Trade, we would rather understand how you actually work than simply chase the cheapest headline price. The aim is to find cover that fits your business properly, while still keeping cost in mind.
Motor Trade Insurance With Convictions
A driving conviction, penalty points or a more complicated history does not automatically mean you cannot get motor trade insurance.
We work with a range of insurers, including markets that may consider non-standard risks, so it is worth speaking to us even if you have struggled to arrange cover elsewhere.
The most important thing is to be open about your circumstances from the start so the insurer can assess the risk correctly.
If this applies to you, visit our Motor Trade Insurance With Convictions page for more detail.
Motor Trade Insurance For Different Businesses
Different motor trade businesses face different risks. A dealership, mobile mechanic, recovery operator or bodyshop will each need different areas of cover considered.
That is why JMG Motor Trade has dedicated insurance options for:
Bodyshop Insurance
Car Dealership Insurance
Car Valeting Insurance
Mobile Mechanic Insurance
MOT Station Insurance
Recovery Truck Insurance
Tyre Fitters Insurance
Our team works with motor traders across the UK, helping arrange cover around the way each business actually operates.
Why Choose JMG Motor Trade?
JMG Motor Trade brings together decades of specialist motor trade insurance experience.
Our heritage includes Nash Warren, which has supported motor traders since 1981, alongside the expertise of Executive Insurance and the wider strength of JMG Group.
Today, our specialist team supports motor trade businesses across the UK, from part-time traders and mobile operators through to established garages, dealerships, workshops and multi-site businesses.
2,700+ Customer Reviews
More than 2,700 customer reviews are now available through Reviews.io, reflecting the experience of customers who have dealt with our motor trade insurance teams over many years.
Motor Trade Is What We Do
Motor trade is a specialist market, and it is the core focus of JMG Motor Trade.
Our team works with part-time traders, dealers, garages, mobile mechanics, bodyshops, tyre fitters, recovery operators and other automotive businesses every day. That means we are used to the questions insurers ask, the evidence traders may need to provide and the differences between a home-based trader and a larger premises-based operation.
Cover Built Around The Way You Trade
We start with the practical details of your business rather than a generic checklist.
That means understanding where you trade from, the vehicles you buy, sell or work on, who needs to drive them, whether you hold customer vehicles overnight, whether you employ staff and what other parts of the business need protecting.
From there, we can look at the combination of cover that makes sense for the way you actually operate.
Motor Trade Insurance FAQs
Motor trade insurance can vary a lot depending on how you work, the vehicles you handle and the type of cover you need. Below are some of the questions our team is asked most often by motor traders, from part-time and home-based traders through to garages, dealerships and other established businesses.
Motor trade insurance is designed for people genuinely working within the motor industry.
That could include buying and selling vehicles, repairing cars, valeting, fitting tyres, recovering vehicles or carrying out another recognised motor trade activity.
You do not necessarily need a garage or dealership. JMG Motor Trade arranges cover for full-time traders, part-time traders, mobile businesses and people operating from home, subject to the insurer’s criteria.
No.
Many of the traders we speak to work from home or operate on a mobile basis.
A mobile mechanic, part-time trader or valeter may only need Road Risk Insurance and selected additional covers, while a garage, workshop or dealership may need a broader Motor Trade Combined policy.
The right setup depends on how your business operates.
Yes, potentially.
Part-time motor trade insurance is something our team regularly deals with.
Insurers will normally want to see that you are genuinely trading, even if the motor trade is not your main occupation. That could include purchase and sales records, invoices, receipts, advertisements or other evidence of trading activity.
You can find more information on our Part-Time Motor Trade Insurance page.
Yes.
One of the main benefits of a specialist motor trade policy is that it can provide cover for different vehicles connected with your business, rather than requiring a separate private insurance policy every time you handle a different vehicle.
Depending on the policy, this can include stock vehicles, customer vehicles and vehicles being collected, delivered, repaired or test driven.
Potentially, yes.
Road Risk Insurance can provide cover for customer vehicles when they are being driven for a legitimate motor trade purpose.
That could include collecting a vehicle, road testing it after repair or moving it as part of your day-to-day business.
Exactly what is covered will depend on your policy, so our team will establish how you use customer vehicles when arranging your insurance.
Yes, additional drivers can often be included.
Insurers will usually consider factors such as age, licence history, driving experience, convictions and the person’s role within the business.
If you have several employees who regularly move or drive vehicles, it is important to tell us at the quotation stage so the policy can be structured around the way your business operates.
Possibly.
Penalty points or previous convictions do not automatically mean cover is unavailable.
JMG Motor Trade works with a range of insurers, including markets that may consider non-standard risks.
If your driving history is more complicated, speak to us openly from the outset so we can approach the most suitable insurers.
You can also read more on our Motor Trade Insurance With Convictions page.
Road Risk Insurance is mainly focused on vehicles being driven as part of your motor trade.
Motor Trade Combined provides broader business protection and can include Road Risk alongside cover for premises, tools, stock, liabilities, employees and customer vehicles.
A trader working from home may only need Road Risk and selected additional covers, whereas a garage employing staff and keeping vehicles overnight may need a much broader Combined policy.
Vehicles connected with a motor trade policy may need to be recorded on the Motor Insurance Database, depending on how they are being used and held.
JMG Motor Trade customers can use our MID Updates page for insurer-specific instructions and portal links.
If you are unsure whether a vehicle should be added, speak to our team rather than guessing.
That depends on the business and the information needed, but having the right details ready usually makes the process much smoother.
We will normally want to understand what you do, where you operate, who needs to drive, the types of vehicles you work with and your insurance and claims history.
Because JMG Motor Trade specialises in this market, you are speaking to a team that deals with motor trade risks every day rather than a general insurance call centre.
JMG Motor Trade brings together decades of specialist experience, including the heritage of Nash Warren and Executive Insurance, with the wider backing of JMG Group.
Our teams have supported thousands of motor traders over the years, and more than 2,700 customer reviews are now available through Reviews.io.
Ready To Talk Motor Trade Insurance?
Whether you’re arranging cover for the first time, reviewing an existing policy or your business has changed, our specialist motor trade team can help.
Tell us how you trade, the vehicles you work with and the cover you need, and we’ll help you explore suitable options from the insurers we work with.
