Ever wondered why the average van driver looks stressed much of the time? A study by Tempcover has found that, on average, van drivers spend around 98.6 hours per year delayed on roads across England.
At an average rate of £44 per hour, this could result in trades people losing approximately £4,336 each year in earnings.
The study utilised the Department for Transport congestion data, along with average van mileage and trade hourly rates. Plumbers and electricians share the top spot, with an average hourly rate of £50 and delays of nearly 99 hours annually. They could potentially lose £4,927.95 per year due to traffic congestion.
Gas engineers earn slightly less than plumbers and electricians, at an average of £49.50 per hour, but still face potential annual losses of £4,878.67 due to time spent in traffic.
Plasterers may lose over £4,680 annually due to traffic delays, based on an average hourly rate of £47.50 and typical van delays of nearly 99 hours per year.
With the lowest hourly rate of £32 out of all trades analysed, painters have the smallest potential annual earnings loss at around £3,154.
They are followed by carpenters and builders, who could lose an average of £3,696 and £3,942 per year, respectively, due to traffic congestion.
Claire Wills-McKissick, temporary business van insurance expert at Tempcover, said: “Many trade professionals book up weeks, or even months, in advance. This allows for some planning when it comes to organising their schedules. If possible, group jobs by postcode or area, so that you aren’t travelling large distances every day. When it comes to avoiding congestion, live traffic apps are your best friend.
“These apps provide real-time traffic updates, navigation assistance and safety alerts, allowing you to re-route around accidents or roadworks, for example. This reduces the chance of running into unexpected traffic and means you are more likely to reach your destination on time.”
