Financial pressure pushing self-employed van workers into unsustainable workloads, survey finds

Nearly two-thirds of self-employed van workers feel pressure to take on more work than is sustainable in order to cover rising operating costs, according to research from Tempcover.

The temporary business van insurance provider surveyed 500 self-employed people across the UK who rely on vans for work, including tradespeople, van drivers and mobile service providers.

The findings highlight mounting financial and operational pressures across the sector, with 62% saying they worry about covering basic business costs such as fuel, insurance and vehicle maintenance.

Almost two in three respondents (64%) said financial pressures were pushing them to take on more work than was sustainable, while 61% said they found it difficult to switch off from work-related stress.

Overall, 91% of respondents said they experienced stress to some extent at work, including 21% who reported high levels of stress.

Fuel and operating costs were identified as the biggest day-to-day source of stress by 26% of respondents, followed by general financial pressure at 23% and vehicle issues or breakdowns at 17%.

The research also found that 71% said delays, cancellations and vehicle breakdowns significantly increased stress levels due to the impact on workloads and earnings.

Tempcover said many respondents felt self-employed van users lacked adequate support structures compared to traditionally employed workers.