Author Archives: Van Rental

Hiring a van for the first time? 5 essential tips

Hiring a van for the first time can be quite daunting. However, you’ll find that in most cases the rules are the same as for hiring a car.

In this post I’ve provided answers for five of our most commonly-asked questions.

However, remember that these are a general guide: each hire company has its own rules, which may be slightly different.

Q: Driving licence & ID requirements

A: You’ll need a valid UK photo card driving licence or an old-style paper licence.

Remember that the paper counterpart to the photo card was abolished on 1 June 2015 and is no longer valid.

To enable the van rental company to check your driving record online you will need to provide an access code from the DVLA. These are available free of charge at www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence. Codes are only valid for 21 days. If you are able to, you should also print out the driver summary page from the website.

Drivers with non-UK licences may need translations or an International Driving Permit. Some restrictions apply for drivers with non-EU driving licences. GOV.UK has more information here.

IDENTIFICATION: Most hire companies will require a proof of address, e.g. a utility bill. If you are visiting the UK you may be asked for details of where you are staying and your planned departure date. Some companies require

Q: Will I need a deposit?

A: You will normally be asked to provide a deposit when you collect your hire van. Most hire companies will ask for a credit or debit card on which they will reserve the deposit amount. This will then be released when you return the vehicle undamaged.

Cash and cheques are not normally acceptable for deposits.

Q: Will the van come with a tank of fuel?

A: Different companies operates different fuel policies. One possibility is that you pay for a tank of fuel up front and can return the van without refilling it.

Other options are that you must return the van with a full tank or with the same amount of fuel it had when you collected it.

Q: Will I get unlimited mileage?

A: Some companies provide unlimited mileage, but some operate daily mileage limits.

It’s important that you ask the company you are hiring the van from as excess mileage payments can be quite high.

Q: What about insurance?

A: Most hire companies provide comprehensive insurance. However, you will still be liable for a substantial insurance excess charge if the vehicle is damaged. This is often more than £500.

To reduce the excess and include additional protection, such as windscreen cover, you must purchase additional insurance. This is often known as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). Another alternative which may be cheaper is to buy van hire excess insurance from a third-party insurance firm (see here for details).

More questions? Try our Van Hire FAQs page or our Van Hire Jargon Buster.

We’ve also got guide for MOVING HOUSE and DRIVING A VAN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Well Pharmacy prescribes 450 new Volkswagen vans

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Well Pharmacy is the new name for the Co-operative Pharmacy, which was sold to Well’s owners Bestway Group in October 2014.

The firm appears to have decided to make a clean break with the past and update Well Pharmacy’s fleet of delivery vans. Well Pharmacy has ordered 450 new Volkswagen vans for prescription delivery duties.

The majority of the new vans are the new model Caddy, which went on sale in September. Unlike previous Caddy models, the new van will be available with a petrol engine as well as a choice of Euro 6 diesels, although I suspect Well Pharmacy’s vans will all be diesel models.

The group dispenses more than 74 million prescriptions each year from its network of 780 pharmacies across the UK. Many of these are delivered so the new vans will be kept busy on multi-drop work.

Downtime needs to be kept to a minimum, and Well Pharmacy says that Volkswagen’s comprehensive aftersales support services and nationwide dedicated van centre network were key elements for awarding the contract.

Working in partnership with Volkswagen, Well has been able to benefit from many of the brand’s uptime management tools such as like-for-like courtesy vehicles, free roadside assistance, CITNow video service tool, online booking and dedicated SMR website.

UK van registrations unchanged in February

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New van registrations in February were unchanged on last year’s record performance, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

In total, 13,891 new LCVs were registered in February, almost unchanged from the 13,832 total record last year (bearing in mind that it was a leap year this year, so February saw an extra day’s trading).

This welcome stabilisation after January’s slippage suggests to me that there is a decent level of underlying strength in the market, now that the backlog of older vans has largely been cleared out of the vehicle parc.

This graph probably tells the story of the recovery in new van registrations better than I can:

UK van registrations rolling year Feb ’10 to Feb ’16 (courtesy of SMMT)

Commenting on the figures, Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said:

“After a record-breaking year for new van registrations in 2015, it was inevitable that such rapid growth would level off. The market’s performance so far this year is in line with expectations, and although further stabilisation is expected over the coming months, this is a sector in good health – with February’s figures still at high levels.”

Sales were particulary strong in the 2.5-3.5t sector, where new registrations rose by 6.2% to 8,864 units. In contrast, demand for smaller vans fell. Registrations in the 2.0-2.5t category were down by 23.9%, while sub-2.0t vans were off by 10.5%.

Ford topped the best-seller tables once more, selling 4,467 new vans — almost three times as many as second-placed Vauxhall, which shifted 1,512 vans. Volkswagen slipped into third, with Peugeot in fourth place.

Mercedes-Benz introduces fixed-price service for vans

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Main dealer servicing costs can often seem like a moving feast — and an expensive one at that.

‘Amateur’ car owners may begrudge these costs, but when you’re running a busy business fleet of vans then skimping on servicing makes no sense at all.

To try and encourage more van operators to sign up for servicing plans or to book scheduled services at their own dealers, Mercedes-Benz has introduced fixed national service pricing for all current van models:

	Sprinter	New Vito	Citan
Service A	£130	£99	£99
Service B	£250	£229	£185
Dust Filter	£23	£28	£50
Brake Fluid	£40	£30	£50
Coolant	–	–	£48
Total	£443	£386	£432

These prices are valid at all participating Mercedes-Benz van dealers and are subject to a £20 surcharge for our-of-hours servicing.

Steve Bridge, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, said:

“We have listened to our customers and evolved our National Servicing pricing and Service Plans to be transparent, easy-to-understand, and above all, cost-effective. Our customers are focused on their businesses and daily lives, so we hope that the launch of our National Servicing pricing and tailored Service Plans removes one less worry for them!”

However, customers who are prepared to pay up front by opting into a service plan can make significant extra savings. According to Mercedes, a business operating a Sprinter and opting for out-of-hours servicing can save £261 over four years on six services.

Service Plans allow you to choose out-of-hours servicing with no extra cost. Here’s how it could work out, assuming two services over two years (exc. VAT):

	Sprinter	New Vito	Citan
National Service Pricing	£443	£386	£432
Approved Used Service Plan	£396 (£16.50 per month)	£348 (14.50 per month)	£420 (£17.50 per month)
New Service Plan	£240 (£10 per month)	£192 (£8 per month)	£192 (£8 per month)

Mercedes isn’t doing this for love. Aftersales work is often more profitable for dealers than vehicle sales. It also helps dealers to stay in touch with previous customers and encourages customers to stay loyal.

Despite this, I have to say that these prices sound pretty reasonable to me. They seem on a level with the prices I pay to get my (older) Transit serviced at a local independent garage.

Of course, these rates exclude any repairs or non-services parts which may need replacing. This could cost more than at an independent garage. Yet on a well-maintained new or nearly-new van, extra costs ought mostly to be limited to service items such as brake discs, as a general rule.

The numbers certainly seem to add up in favour of pre-paying for a service plan when buying new or Approved Used.

Get up to 15% off UK van & minibus hire with Hertz [EXPIRED]

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** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

~~Update 29/03/2016: Good news – this offer has now been extended to 10 April 2016!~~

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~~Are you moving house, planning some DIY or organising a big trip out over Easter?~~

~~Book now and save up to 15% on Hertz van and minibus rental in March using this new discount code.~~

Booking period: 01/03/2016 – 10/04/2016
Pick up period: 01/03/2016 – 10/04/2016
~~Discount Code: 780855~~

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

Terms and Conditions:

Maximum rental of 14 days
15% off daily, midweek, weekend and weekly rentals
Valid on van groups B4, C4, D4, G4
Valid on minibus groups X4 and Z4
Valid for customers booking in the UK Valid for van rental pickups and returns in the UK
Offer subject to availability at participating locations

Renault delivers 85-van order to NI housing authority

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Northern Ireland’s strategic housing authority has replaced its entire fleet of leased maintenance vehicles with 85 Renault LCV models.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) ordered 33 Trafic Panel Vans, 44 Master Panel Vans and eight officially-converted Master Tippers after running a tender through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS).

According to NIHE, the Renault LCVs secured the order due to their excellent value and low emissions.

The company, which offers a range of services to people living in socially rented, privately rented and owner occupied accommodation as well as supporting and working with a number of other public bodies, will use the mix of Renaults in the maintenance of the 89,000 dwellings that it is responsible for across Northern Ireland.

NIHE opted for the Trafic panel van in short wheelbase, low-roof format with the efficient dCi 115 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine, while its Master panel vans were ordered in medium wheelbase, medium-roof specification and powered by the dCi 110 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine.

The Master Tippers – available to order ‘off-the-shelf’ through Renault’s dealer network and with 45-degree rear-tipping ‘Scattolini’ bodies fitted by accredited Renault supplier VFS – were ordered in front-wheel drive, medium wheelbase specification with the dCi 125 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine.

All ordered models feature the generous Business specification, which includes DAB radio with Bluetooth, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with HSA (Hill Start Assist) and Grip Xtend, electric front windows and remote central locking. The new Renaults also come with a four-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Could you save £15k a year with five vans?

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Newport-based outsourced service provider Smart Solutions believes that replacing five of its mixed fleet with five new Mercedes-Benz Citan vans, it will reduce annual diesel costs by £15,000.

If you’re not used to the costs of running a vehicles that are in use 365 days a year, then this might seem ambtious. However, when you break it down, a £15,000 saving spread across five vans equates to £8.22 per day, or perhaps 9 litres of diesel, excluding VAT.

It’s probably fair to say that Smart Solutions wouldn’t achieve these savings if it was switching from a comparable small van such as a Citroen Berlingo, but it’s not. The Citans will be replacing a mixed fleet, including some 4x4s. These tend to be much heavier on fuel and given that they will be used for security and cleaning duties — which require entail relatively high daily mileages — Smart Solutions’ forecast savings seem quite plausible.

Operations Director Steve Hancock said that having previously operated an assortment of vans and 4×4 cars, the company had now resolved to consolidate its fleet around a single marque.

“We were looking to achieve a degree of standardisation and approached several manufacturers, with reliability, mpg performance, servicing and image all high on our list of priorities,” he said. “Euro Commercials provided Citan and mid-size Vito demonstration units for trial, and we felt both represented excellent value for money.

“I’ve taken the wheel myself and the Citan has a nice, comfortable driving position, while the crew van specification means we can also use these vehicles to transport teams of staff to contract locations – our previous van supplier does not offer a similarly-sized van with a second row of seats.”

Smart Solutions’ Citans are 90 hp 109 CDI models, which have a combined cycle economy figure of up 61.4 mpg.

“In terms of fuel-efficiency the Citan represents a big improvement on our previous vehicles, particularly the 4x4s,” observed Mr Hancock. “We expect these Mercedes-Benz vans to save us around £15,000 a year in fuel costs.”

Smart Solutions was founded in 2007 by Chief Executive Nathan Bowles, and achieved sales in its first year of £262,000. By 2010 it was the fastest-growing firm in Wales, since when it has maintained its relentless progress – turnover for the last financial year reached a new high of £82 million.

Highlights of the last financial year for Smart Solutions included the openings of new offices in Chester, Leicester and Norwich, and the multi-million pound acquisition of specialist recruitment business Right Direction UK.

Van Hire Discount Codes & Special Offers 26 Feb 2016

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Time is running out! There are only 3 DAYS LEFT to ~~SAVE up to 25% on Hertz Van Rental~~ — discount code and details below.

Hertz isn’t the only company offering special deals this week, however.

We’ve also got details of discount codes and exclusive savings from Sixt, ~~Questor Insurance~~ and ~~Europcar~~.

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Save up to 25% On Hertz Van Rental (ends 29 Feb!)

If you need to hire a van or a minibus in February, then you may be able to SAVE up to 25% by choosing Hertz Van Rental.

This great new discount code will only be valid from until 29 February 2016.

*** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED ***

~~Here are the details:~~

Booking period: 8 February 2016 – 29 February 2016
Pick-up period: 8 February 2016 – 29 February 2016
~~DISCOUNT CODE: 780855~~

Some terms and conditions do apply to this offer. Minimum hire period 3 days, maximum rental period 14 days. Save 25% off midweek rentals, 20% off weekend rentals and 10% off weekly rentals.

This offer is valid for van groups B4, C4, D4 and G4 and minibus groups X4 and Z4. UK customers only. Subject to availability at participating locations.

For full terms and conditions, please see the Hertz website.

Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

~~Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance with this discount code:~~

Use Discount Code:
Valid: Until further notice

Click here to visit the Questor Insurance website

(If you need to know more about van hire insurance, check out our guide here)

Save 10% on Sixt Van Rental (EXCLUSIVE)

Our exclusive 10% discount for Sixt UK van hire is still available.

All you have to do to benefit from this discount is click through to the Sixt website using the pink button below:

Remember: You can also see details of all of these offers in the “Our Companies” section on the home page.

UK commercial vehicle production up by 24.4% in January

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Export demand drove a 24.4% rise in UK commercial vehicle production in January 2016, compared to the same period last year.

The figures — from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) — show that export sales were 65% higher in January than they were last year.

The majority of our CV exports are sold in Europe. This strong rise in sales suggests that a real recovery is underway in major eurozone economies:

Data courtesy of SMMT.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive said:

“CV production got off to a great start in January, with output up by a quarter on last year. Recovery in Europe continues to benefit the sector, driving production for export up an impressive 65% last month, with more than half of all commercial vehicles in January produced for international markets.”

Here’s how the UK’s CV export history looks in graphical form. After bottoming out at the end of 2014, last year saw a very strong recovery:

Graph courtesy of SMMT

Another way of looking at these figures is that UK CV production now accounts for around 10% of the commercial vehicles registered in the UK. Although I suspect this is much lower than in France and Germany, it’s not too bad a result given the globalisation of the automotive industry.

Citroën will debut new Berlingo and Relay models at CV Show 2016 (pics)

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Citroën has announced a number of updates and additions to its popular Berlingo and Relay Ready To Run ranges. The new models will be on show at this year’s CV Show, which is expected to be well attended.

Here’s a summary of the latest additions.

Relay ‘Ready To Run’

The Relay-based range of off-the-shelf conversions have proved popular with Citroën customers. The firm has now added three new models to the range:

A new ‘Plant & Go’ small plant carrier
A new car transporter
Two new Crew Vans

Plant Carrier & Car Transporter

The Plant & Go small plant carriers and the car transporter will both be converted for Citroën by KFS Special Vehicles. Both have been designed to offer class-leading payloads and to provide cost-effective solutions to what are often seen as expensive requirements.

The Citroen Relay Plant & Go small plant carrier can carry one large or two small pieces of plant.

The Plant & Go carrier has been specifically designed to eliminate the need for a trailer. As well as cutting costs, this also simplifies driver licensing requirements. Younger drivers no longer have full trailer entitlement as standard, meaning an additional B+E test is needed before they can tow.

The Plant & Go carrier takes advantage of the low chassis height available with the front-wheel drive Relay and the load area has a floor height just 530mm from the ground. Removable lightweight alloy sideboards double up as loading ramps and help the vehicle achieve an impressive 1,860kg payload.

The new Relay car transporter is aimed at vehicle logisitics and dealer stock movements.

A payload of 1,760kg is enough for the vast majority of cars. The transporter’s 3.5t rating means that operating costs will be low and drivers won’t need any additional licensing.

Crew van conversions

The two new crew van conversions are being produced by CoTrim for Citroën and are available in L1H1 and L3H2 configurations — short and long wheelbase with low or mid-height roofs.

They provide comfortable seating for a driver and five passengers plus load space. The short wheelbase model provides 1,500mm of load floor length, while the longer L3 model has a load length of 2,535mm. Additional space under the rear seats is available subject to height restrictions.

The Crew Vans’ rear seats have been designed and tested to comply with EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval standards. The integrated, moulded bulkhead has been tested to ISO 27956 for load restraint protection.

The Relay Ready to Run Enterprise L1H1 is competitively priced at £20,450 + VAT, while the larger L3H2 is available at £26,250 + VAT.

Berlingo update

Citroën’s small van remains a popular choice with SME customers and enjoyed a sector market share of 19% last year, making it the most popular van in its class.

The Berlingo range has been refreshed for 2016. The updated models will make their debut at the CV Show and will be available from May onwards.

From May 2016, all Citroen Berlingo vans will have Euro 6 engines.

Here’s a summary of the changes:

An all-Euro 6 engine lineup, including a new BlueHDi 75 engine
Two new, stand-alone Berlingo Enterprise models
A new, high-value Berlingo Enterprise option pack

The switch to Euro 6 is no surprise. From September, it will be a legal requirement. However, the engines sound promising and it’s good to see Citroën is continuing to provide a petrol model. The new engine range will comprise:

VTi 95 PS petrol engine
BlueHDi 75, 100 and 120 PS diesel engines

The firm will also launch two new Berlingo Enterprise model vans at the CV Show.

These new, range-topping Berlingo Enterprise models are based on the newly launched BlueHDi 75 manual L1 625 van and the BlueHDi 100 S&S manual L1 850 van. Additional equipment fitted to these stand-alone Berlingo Enterprise vans includes:

Air conditioning
Touchscreen audio pack
Anti-theft alarm
Rear parking sensors
Connecting Box (Bluetooth®/USB port)

In addition, Citroën is introducing a Berlingo Enterprise Pack, which available as an option for just £800 + VAT on any Berlingo LX van. The Berlingo Enterprise Pack includes the same equipment as above.

vanrental.co.uk blog

UK van news and van hire tips

Author Archives: Van Rental

Hiring a van for the first time? 5 essential tips

Well Pharmacy prescribes 450 new Volkswagen vans

UK van registrations unchanged in February

Mercedes-Benz introduces fixed-price service for vans

Get up to 15% off UK van & minibus hire with Hertz [EXPIRED]

Renault delivers 85-van order to NI housing authority

Could you save £15k a year with five vans?

Van Hire Discount Codes & Special Offers 26 Feb 2016

Save up to 25% On Hertz Van Rental (ends 29 Feb!)

Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance

Save 10% on Sixt Van Rental (EXCLUSIVE)

UK commercial vehicle production up by 24.4% in January

Citroën will debut new Berlingo and Relay models at CV Show 2016 (pics)

Relay ‘Ready To Run’

Plant Carrier & Car Transporter

Crew van conversions

Berlingo update