New ThingCo risk score helps insurers spot the ‘side-hustlers’

London, 3rd November 2026: As the home delivery market continues to grow – including for take-away deliveries – the likelihood of drivers using their personal vehicle for a ‘side-hustle’ has increased significantly. But, with the majority of personal motor policies not covering business use, insurers’ loss ratios are being put under more pressure.

Responding to this threat to the bottom line, telematics Insurtech, ThingCo, has launched an innovative tool to help insurers identify policyholders working as couriers in their private vehicles. Analysis of telematics data flags policyholders with driving patterns that suggest they are making deliveries – such as repeated trips to the same address over a short period of time to collect take-aways or making multiple short stops within a longer journey, delivering to customers.

A key component of the ThingCo tool is automated warnings that are issued to policyholders when repeated ‘delivery’ behaviours are identified. The warnings remind policyholders of the terms of their cover. Where policyholders do not change their behaviour following these warnings, the ThingCo interactive portal enables insurers to interrogate the data further before contacting the policyholder to advise that they are contravening the terms of their policy.

“With the home delivery market still growing rapidly, thanks to online bargains and convenient subscription services as well as take-away meals and grocery delivery services, there’s continued demand for drivers,” commented Alex Brockman, Director of Operations, ThingCo. “Students are one group targeted by courier recruitment campaigns, as they want extra cash and have time to fit deliveries around lectures and seminars. However, driving their private vehicle for courier work usually contravenes their insurance policy, leaving them unprotected if they have an accident.”

Being able to identify policyholders who are using their personal vehicle for courier work is invaluable for managing loss ratios, as the increased time on the road, as well as late night driving, elevates the risk level significantly.

“Young drivers in particular may not realise they will invalidate their insurance by using their vehicle for business use, or they may choose to see if they can get away with it to supplement their cash flow,” added Alex Brockman. “But it’s critical for insurers to be able to support these newest drivers on the road.

“With this new level of insight delivered by telematics data, the new score helps insurers identify potential and emerging risk efficiently, and work with policyholders to reduce that risk and manage loss ratios.”