Tradespeople and their vans are going the extra mile at weekends to help friends and family.
According to new research from Direct Line business insurance, more than nine in ten (94%) tradespeople with access to a van typically use it at the weekend to help friends and family with tasks such as picking up and transporting bulky items such as furniture and equipment, helping with house moves or shifting rubbish and garden waste.
How many tradespeople have used their vans beyond work in the last year
| Most popular ways tradespeople have used their van outside of work in the last year | Percentage of UK tradespeople |
| Moving or purchasing furniture or other bulky items for friends or family | 83% |
| Helping friends and family move house | 79% |
| Moving rubbish (e.g. garden waste, DIY waste, unwanted items to the tip etc.) for family and friend | 79% |
| Transport for weekend away | 69% |
| Transporting items for events- e.g. stalls, tables, food, gazebos etc | 69% |
| Taking people/luggage to the airport/train station | 64% |
| Transporting sports equipment to/from an activity (such as bikes, canoes, paddleboards, surfboard/windsurfers etc.) | 61% |
| Transport for a holiday in the UK or abroad | 59% |
| Towing a caravan or trailer | 44% |
Source: Direct Line business insurance 2025
Nearly half (46%) of tradespeople with access to a work van say that they offer it out to friends and family, whilst a third (34%) may not offer the van outright but receive requests for help. In some cases, it’s not even the tradesperson making the offer – one in seven (14%) report that it is their partner who volunteers it at weekends for favours.
Despite the cost, both in terms of time and fuel, over half (53%) agree to ‘call it a beer’, reflecting the goodwill-based nature of these favours.
While vans are most frequently used for moving bulky items like furniture for friends or family – with four in five (83%) tradespeople having done so in the last year – they are also widely used for leisure and travel.
On average, seven in ten (69%) of tradespeople have taken them on weekend getaways in the last year and three fifths (59%) have used them for holidays in the UK. This is most likely because they offer great additional space for family luggage, but for some, it is because it is their only form of transport.
Vans have also helped Brits stay fit. Over the past year, six in ten (61%) of tradespeople transported sports equipment – including bikes, canoes, paddleboards, surfboards, and windsurfers.
Last year, nearly two-thirds of tradespeople also used their vans to tow caravans or trailers and make airport or train station drop-offs. Beyond travel, vans are frequently used to support community and personal events, with seven in ten (69%) of tradespeople transporting items like gazebos, tables, and food.
Eva Sandstra-Bennett, Head of Van Insurance at Direct Line business insurance, comments: “Our research shows that friends, families and communities across the country rely on the time and goodwill of tradespeople and their vans to help them ferry things around at the weekend. From clearing garden waste and helping families move house, to supporting local events and transporting equipment, vans play a vital role far beyond the job site.”
