What Is Commercial Travelling?

Commercial travelling in the context of motor insurance refers to using your vehicle to travel for work purposes beyond commuting, usually to visit clients, suppliers, or customers. It’s a common requirement for people in sales, mobile services, or anyone whose job takes them on the road as part of their working day.

It’s important to know that standard motor insurance won’t usually cover this kind of use. If your work involves regular trips to various locations — not just one fixed workplace — you’ll need to make sure your policy reflects that.

What Class of Motor Insurance Do I Need?

When applying for motor insurance, you’ll be asked what “class of use” applies to your driving. There are three main options:

1. Social, Domestic and Pleasure (SDP) – covers everyday personal use, like shopping or visiting friends.

2. SDP + Commuting – includes driving to and from a single workplace.

3. Business Use / Commercial Travelling – covers you for travel during the working day to multiple sites or clients.

If you’re a sales rep, mobile hairdresser, site inspector, or anyone travelling to multiple business locations, you’ll likely need Class 1 Business Use or Commercial Use. Higher classes may apply if multiple drivers use the car for work or if tools or stock are carried.

Using your car for commercial travel without the correct insurance could void your policy if you need to make a claim.

What Is Commercial Travelling in Motor Terms?

In motoring, commercial travelling refers specifically to driving for work-related reasons beyond commuting. This includes:

• Visiting clients or customers

• Driving between different work sites

• Attending in-person sales meetings

• Making deliveries (though this may fall under “carriage of goods for hire and reward” — a separate class)

It does not include simply getting to and from your main office — that’s considered commuting. Commercial travelling is about using your vehicle as part of your job, often with unpredictable routes and destinations.

Why Does It Matter?

If you're pulled over or involved in an accident while on a work-related journey and you're not correctly insured for business use, your insurer could:

• Refuse to pay out

• Cancel your policy

• Report the issue to the Motor Insurance Bureau or DVLA

In short, the consequences can be serious. It’s always best to be honest when setting up or renewing your insurance and to declare any regular business driving.

Is Commercial Travelling Still Common?

Yes, especially for professionals in sales, field services, and mobile trades. Even with the rise of remote working, many roles still rely on face-to-face interaction, making commercial driving a regular part of the job.

In fact, with people combining work and travel more than ever — such as attending multiple locations in a single day — insurers are seeing a steady demand for business-use cover.

What About Flying for Business?

While commercial travelling usually refers to car use in insurance terms, the concept extends to air travel too. If your job involves flying to attend meetings, visit clients, or deliver training, that’s also considered commercial travel — just not in the context of motor insurance.

In these cases, you’ll want to make sure your travel insurance policy covers business travel. Many standard policies are geared toward leisure, so they may exclude cover for business equipment, event cancellations, or missed meetings.

It’s also worth noting that your employer may need to provide corporate travel cover if you’re flying on their behalf, particularly if trips are frequent or international.

Final Thought

In motor insurance, commercial travelling refers to using your vehicle for job-related journeys beyond commuting. To stay legally and financially protected, you’ll need to ensure you have the right class of use on your policy.

Whether you're travelling the country by car to meet clients or catching a flight to seal a deal abroad, make sure your insurance — motor or travel — is up to the job.