Van Hire firms are reporting strong business as the UK economy moves into recession.

According to several major van rental companies, rentals are up and durations and frequency are increasing, as many businesses start considering short-term van hire as a serious alternative to owning or leasing vans.

As uncertainty over future business prospects increases, the attractions of on-demand van hire with no future financial commitments are also increasing. Van operators are choosing to delay replacing vehicles or even to sell their fleet and rent when necessary instead.

Ian Lawrence, Managing Director of van rental firm Sixt, says that the company has already seen customers saying that “they’re thinking of cashing in their fleets and want to rent a CV from us on a long-term basis.” He also comments that renters are “returning vehicles immediately after the job is done” – a sentiment echoed by Chris Sharp of Burnt Tree, who says that “over the last three months we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of enquiries regarding flexible fleet arrangements”.

Source: RoadTransport.com