With Christmas around the corner, it’s a busy time for the nation’s trusty delivery drivers. However, if you’re expecting to see a van man dropping your presents off this festive period, you may be in for a surprise.
The latest data from insurance price comparison specialist The Van Insurer highlights that, contrary to the ‘white van man’ stereotype, an increasing number of women are taking to the roads as delivery drivers and couriers.
Analysing insurance quotes for the past three years, The Van Insurer found that requests from female delivery drivers have increased by 104 per cent.
Although there has been a steady increase across the UK, the majority of quotes, 21 per cent, came from London-based delivery drivers.
Quotes for female couriers have also risen by 89 per cent across the UK since 2016 and it’s not just the delivery driver and courier demographics that are changing the van driver landscape; female mobile caterer quote requests, for example, have increased by a hefty 620 per cent over the past three years.
Each vocation seems to have a preferred vehicle too. Couriers in London mostly favour the Mercedes Benz Sprinter while the Ford Transit remains the most trusted van for meals-on-wheels drivers.
Ed Bevis, Marketing Manager at The Van Insurer, said: “These statistics make for a really interesting read. We knew that employment patterns were changing but the rise in female van drivers taking to the roads is quite staggering.
We offer quotes for van drivers across every occupation, from dog walkers to nurses and party planners to your traditional builder, but it’s interesting to note women entering a workplace that’s been predominantly considered male, we’re looking forward to seeing how the landscape unfolds over the next three years.”
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