Tag Archives: van hire

Larkfield Van Rental: Seymour Self Drive Hire & Storage

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Seymour Hire of LarkfieldI’m very pleased to welcome our newest advertiser, Seymour Hire of Larkfield (near Maidstone, Kent) to vanrental.co.uk.

Seymour Hire offers a range of cars and vans for hire and also provides car transporter trailers  and dropside vans with towbars. Here’s a rundown of Seymour Hire’s rental fleet:

  • Car-derived vans
  • Small vans
  • Medium vans (e.g. Vauxhall Vivaro SWB)
  • Large vans (e.g. Fiat Ducato LWB)
  • Luton vans with tail lifts
  • 3.5t dropside / beavertail vans with towbar
  • 7.5 tonne box trucks with tail lifts

Seymour Hire also provides a range of small and medium-sized cars and also has both split floor and solid floor car transporter trailers. Finally, Seymour can rent you a Land Rover Freelander and car transporter trailer together, providing a complete solution for anyone needing to move a car or other small vehicle.

Seymour Hire is located on New Hythe Lane in Larkfield, which is around six miles from Maidstone and situated midway between the M20 and M2, providing excellent transport links to the rest of the UK.

For more details or to arrange a quote or hire, contact Seymour Hire direct:

If you’d like to advertise your van or minibus hire business on vanrental.co.uk, click here to take a look at our advertising page for full details of what we offer.

Europcar Launches New UK Hire Website

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Europcar new branding

Europcar’s new logo

Europcar claims that the new website allows customers to book a van within 60 seconds from any page on the website, along with a range of other new features and benefits:

  • Reservations can be made in less than 60 seconds – from any page on the site!
  • An innovative, ‘drag’ button gives access to the vehicle selector
  • Advanced filters help the customer find the vehicle that best fits their needs
  • Up to 10 favourite quotes can be saved for quick and easy comparison
  • Simplified access to My Europcar enables customers to create driver profiles and manage bookings for even faster service at rental locations
  • Customers can add their Coupon Code before completing their reservation to benefit from great offers

The new website and logo is part of the launch of the company’s Moving your way brand positioning, and is intended to provide a more intuitive and richer booking process. Commenting on the launch, Ken McCall, Europcar UK Group Managing Director said:

“Our new brand promise, ‘Moving your way’, demonstrates the company’s commitment to support the mobility needs of our customers throughout their lives. Our diversified solutions provide our customers with more freedom and enable them to exploit the benefits of car hire for the complete mobility experience. However you choose to move, Europcar will move for you and with you”

The new website design was launched on 16th April 2013 across 15 of Europcar’s main country websites, including the UK.

Van Hire Firm Northgate Trading At Lower End Of Expectations

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Van hire specialist Northgate plc, which operates the Northgate Vehicle Hire, Norflex and Van Monster businesses in the UK, issued a fairly cautious trading statement today, warning that “tough economic conditions” were continuing to impact its business and that it was currently trading at the lower end of expectations.

The statement was something of a contrast to its last update, which was comparatively optimistic. In today’s statement, Darlington-based Northgate said that the number of vehicles on hire had fallen from 45,000 at 31 October 2012 to 44,200 at 28 February 2013, a decrease of 800 units compared to a fall of 3,900 in the same period last year.

In response to this fall the firm has reduced down the fleet by 1,100 since 31 October 2012, which by my reckoning means it now has approximately 49,900 vehicles in its UK hire fleet.

Stable revenue and utilisation

Northgate has been trimming its fleet to maintain utilisation levels for some time now, and in fairness it appears to have been a successful policy that has allowed it to rebuild its operating margin (up from 7.5% in 2010 to 13.2%), reduce debt (from £615m in 2010 to £360m) and restart dividend payments.

According to today’s update, rental fleet utilisation has been stable at 88% for the last four months, down slightly from 89% for the previous six months (which did include the Olympics).

Northgate said that underlying hire revenue per vehicle had remained stable, suggesting that it is not being forced to cut its rates to secure business, and said that it had continued filling the regional gaps it had previously identified by opening new branches. A new branch opened in Luton on 18 February 2013 and further branches in Brent Cross and Huddersfield are scheduled to open by 30 April 2013.

Retail strength

One aspect of Nortgate’s business that may have helped its recovery is Van Monster, its chain of used van dealers. In its update today, Northgate said that “the used vehicle market continues to remain strong” and residual values were in line with those experienced in the year to 30 April 2012.

As I’ve reported several times, residual values for nearly-new vans are extremely strong at present, due to a shortage of supply. Van Monster enables Northgate to choose between selling de-fleeted vehicles at auction or through its retail branches, which it has previously said produce higher profit margins than other methods of disposal.

Outlook

The outlook is undeniably challenging, but Northgate’s recovery plans have been successful so far and the company has returned itself to a stable, profitable footing.

Snow Delivers Jolly Good Van Hire Business To Shrewsbury!

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Jolly Good Van hire logoShropshire-based Jolly Good Van Hire has been celebrating the arrival of snow, according to Shrewsbury branch manager Jason King, who told Shropshirelive.com that the company’s workload “more than doubled” during the recent snow.

King said that reasons for the surge in business varied, with some customers needing replacement cars for accident-damaged or broken-down cars, while others needed 4x4s or additional delivery vans to cope with road conditions and courier and postal delays.

Jolly Good offers a range of cars and vans, including small vans, short and long-wheelbase vans, luton vans and 9-seater minibuses. The company also offers a range of cars and recently added a six-seater crew cab van to its fleet.

Of course, you can find Jolly Good Van Hire’s branches on the vanrental.co.uk:

For more information, to get a quote or make a booking, visit Jolly Good’s website at:
www.jollygoodvanhire.co.uk.

 

If you run a van or minibus hire business that you’d like to list on vanrental.co.uk, visit our advertising page to get started.

Europcar Launches New Year Sale!

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Europcar logoSales shopping doesn’t have to mean trawling the high street for bargains. This year, Europcar has got in on the act too and is offering up to 50% off car hire and up to 20% off van hire for bookings made between 2nd and 31st January for reservations up to 31st August, excluding the Easter period.

“We’re getting in on the act in the January sales” explained Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK Group.  “After the expense of the festive season, we’re aiming to help our customers stay on the move for less in 2013.”

For more details, visit Europcar’s website now for full details, prices and bookings.

Beware Bogus Van Rental Firms This Xmas

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My Dad was always fond of reminding me that “if a thing seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Just like the time when someone knocked on my front door and offered me a sofa suspiciously cheaply, telling me that “they’d ordered too many”, anyone who offers you a rental van at an impossibly low rate with free delivery is probably pulling a fast one.

How to spot a bogus van hire firm

The season of goodwill is here, but for some people it’s just another opportunity to rip people off, so I thought I would pass on these 5 tips from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) to help you spot bogus car and van hire companies before you give them your money:

1.   Only use a BVRLA member. Seeing our logo on the front desk or website is a sign that you are dealing with a reputable company that has been vetted and operates to a professional code of conduct. You will also be able to use our conciliation service in the event of any dispute. Find a BVRLA member via the ‘member locator’ on the BVRLA website at: www.carhire.bvrla.co.uk

2.   Never hand over cash. Most reputable rental companies will only want to accept credit/debit card payment

3.   Make sure the company is operating from a bona fide commercial premises, not a PO Box or virtual office, no matter how prestigious the location sounds

4.   Make sure the company actually owns and operates the cars it is offering – all BVRLA members operate their own rental fleet.

5.   Remember, if the price or service being offered seems too good to be true, it probably is and you may well end up out of pocket and disappointed!

As BVRLA chief executive John Lewis points out, it’s surprisingly easy to create a bogus hire firm:

“These companies offer unbeatable prices and free delivery – but they really are too good to be true. Unfortunately it is very easy for fraudsters to build a simple website and set up a call centre to pass themselves off as legitimate businesses.”

For some more excellent tips on car and van hire from the BVRLA, click here.

Northgate Posts Solid Results Despite Downturn

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Van hire specialist Northgate has published its half-yearly results, which suggest that its recovery plan is on track and it is continuing to deliver solid performance in both the UK and Spain.

Darlington-based Northgate, which operates a fleet of 51,000 vans in the UK and 37,700 in Spain, reported profit before tax of £24.6m for the last six months — down slightly from £26.9m for the same period in 2011, but still broadly in-line with expectations for full year. It also managed to reduce net gearing from 105% to 94%, thanks to a £28.1m reduction in net debt to £343.2m.

As has been the case in previous periods, Northgate managed to maintain its fleet utilisation levels by trimming its fleet. Over the last six months, the company’s UK fleet was reduced from 52,900 to 51,000, while utilisation fell from 90% to 89%. This is a smaller drop than during the same period last year.

Northgate said that average hire revenue per rented vehicle “has remained stable since the beginning of the financial year”.

In Spain, the company’s fleet dropped from 38,400 to 37,700, while utilisation remained solid, falling 1% from 91% to 90%.

New locations

Northgate also reported that it expected to open four new UK van hire sites by the end of the financial year (30 April 2012). The firm did not disclose the new locations but said:

Our analysis shows that a branch needs to be approximately 20 minutes from local businesses to meet their requirements.  Analysing the UK population and GDP has identified gaps in our network where we do not currently address many potential customers’ needs, which are met by small local or regional rental operators.

UK vans get younger, Spanish vans get older

Northgate said that the average age of its UK rental fleet had fallen from 21.4 months at the end of April 2012 to 20.4 months at the end of October 2012, and said that it had purchase 9,600 new vans over the last six months.

During the last six months, Northgate said that it had sold 12,000 vehicles — down from 14,500 for the same period last year. Of these, 19% were sold through its Van Monster retail sales operation, which Northgate describes as “more profitable” than other fleet disposal channels.

Conversely, Northgate said that it was “ageing” its Spanish fleet to reduce capital costs and improve cash generation — although it emphasised that it was “still running a young fleet in comparison to the rest of the market”.

Retail boost

Northgate said that the bulk of the reduction in its UK fleet was due to the loss of several large customers. The company’s regional business, which deals with smaller businesses and retail customers, saw vehicles on hire increase by 200 over the last six months.

Driving A Van In Wind And Rain? Beware Of These Risks

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Driving in heavy wind and rainHigh winds and heavy rain shouldn’t be a surprise at this time of year — but they always seem to catch motorists out. if you’re hiring a van you need to take extra care, as the risks are greater, especially in high winds.

Driving in heavy rain and high winds isn’t much fun at the best of time, but it’s even harder if you are driving an unfamiliar rental van. You will find that the van is more susceptible to being blown around by the wind (especially if it’s empty) than your car, and you may not be completely familiar with the controls for windscreen wipers and ventilation — a recipe for disaster if you are on a motorway or main road.

These tips from the Institute of Advanced Motorists apply to all drivers but are especially relevant to drivers of rented vans — so take a quick look:

  • Before you set off, set your heater controls – rain makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road.
  • Slow down. In the rain your stopping distance should be at least doubled. Giving yourself more space helps you to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.
  • Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the van.
  • Strong winds can also unsettle your car and even change your direction of travel. Grip your steering wheel firmly and be aware of the effects of the elements on other road users, particularly motorcyclists and flat-sided vehicles.
  • If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – it may create problems if you start to aquaplane.
  • See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting.

In cases of severe flooding, you should reconsider making the journey at all. If it is unavoidable, and you have to drive through deep water, the IAM recommends drivers take the following precautions:

  • Drive on the highest section of the road and don’t set off if a vehicle is approaching you
  • Leave time and space to avoid swamping other cars and pedestrians
  • If you can’t see where you are going to come out of the water, such as when approaching flooding on a bend, think twice about starting to drive into it
  • In deep water never take your foot off the accelerator, as this could allow water to travel up the exhaust pipe
  • Once you’re out of the water, dry the brakes before you need them. The best way is to lightly apply the brake as you drive along for a few seconds, after checking nothing is following you too closely.

Remember, it’s better to arrive late than not at all…

5 Ways To Find The Cheapest Van Hire

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vanrental.co.uk vanVan hire is one of those things people tend to do because they need to — often urgently and without much prior experience.

In that situation, it can be hard to know whether you are getting the right van for your needs at the right price — after all, vans come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and rental rates can vary widely, so I thought I’d share some ‘insider’ tips with you to help you save money next time you hire a van.

1. Compare Prices

You may be surprised just how widely quotes can vary — when we were developing and testing the vanrental.co.uk price comparison engine, we were amazed to find that the cheapest quote was often half the most expensive quote!

Funnily enough, sometimes the vans were coming from the same company — the cost difference was between booking direct and booking through one of the big van rental brokers we deal with directly.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like paying twice as much as I need to for exactly the same service.

2. Size Matters!

When it comes to van hire, size really does matter. Too small and you won’t be able to fit your ‘stuff’ in the back, too big and your stuff will just rattle around and you will be paying extra in hire costs and fuel in order to drive a half-empty van around.

Getting the right size hire van is key — and the best way to work out what you need is with our Van Hire Size Guide. This has been one of the most popular pages on this website ever since we launched back in 2007.

3. How Long Do You Really Need It?

The other way to save money on van hire is to not to fall into what I call ‘the 24 hour trap’. Van hire companies normally charge a daily rate that is calculated in exact 24 hour periods, so if you collect a van at 9am one day and return it at 10am the next day, you will be charged for two days’ hire.

Make sure you use the system to your advantage and choose your pickup and dropoff times so that this doesn’t happen to you.

You might also want to consider the hourly van hire or overnight hire deals offered by companies such as Europcar. If you really only need a van for an hour or two or can manage overnight only, then these can save you money.

4. Drive Slower

Speed makes a big difference to a van’s fuel consumption, especially with bigger vans that are heavily loaded.

You may not believe me, but I know I’m right — I’ve managed 41mpg in my Transit cruising at 50mph on open roads, whereas my usual 70mph motorway speed only gives me 35mpg. Naturally it does take a little longer to get there, but it doesn’t make as much difference to your journey time as you expect. They key is to maintain a good average speed.

5. The Biggest Saver

Choosing the right size van and only booking it for the minimum length of time will save you money, but to be honest, the biggest van hire money saver I’ve found is to compare van rental prices using our system:

  • We get prices from more than 1,000 branches in over 400 locations across the UK.
  • We get all of our prices direct from the company you book with and do not add anything on to them, so the price you get is the same as the price you get if you go direct.
  • The only difference is that you only have to visit one website — this one — to get all of your quotes.

Why pay more when you don’t have to? Compare van hire prices now on vanrental.co.uk.

European Van Hire? You Need This 5-Point Checklist

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EU flagTaking a hire van across the Channel (or North Sea) to Europe is surprisingly popular — a lot of people come to vanrental.co.uk looking for our European van hire page.

However, there are a few things you need to do to keep it legal and safe — and while most reputable hire companies will ensure you are properly prepared, it is always good to know what’s required for yourself.

In addition, if you are not familiar with driving on the wrong side of the road — especially in a van — then you need to take extra care.

Here’s a simple 5-point checklist to run through when arranging European van hire:

1. To use a hire van abroad, you need a VE103B Vehicle On Hire certificate, which proves that you have the hire company’s permission to take it out of the UK. You must have one of these and it must be an original — not a copy. More info here.

You will also need to know the van’s dimensions (height and length) when booking your ferry — make sure you ask the hire company.

2. You may also need extra insurance — check with the van hire company that their insurance provides cover in the countries you plan to visit. Most rental companies provide European breakdown cover as they don’t want their vans stranded abroad, but check — you may need to pay for it yourself. If the van doesn’t have a modern EU-style licence plate with the blue GB section, you will need a GB sticker (click  here for details).

3. Be aware of country-specific requirements. These include the need to carry a basic breathalyser in France and two reflective warning triangles in Spain. Many European countries require you to carry reflective yellow vests (hi viz) for use if you are forced to exit the vehicle after a breakdown or accident.

For a full, up-to-date guide, check the AA’s guide to compulsory equipment when driving in Europe.

4. Make sure you have maps or a sat nav that cover the areas you will be driving through. Remember that speed detectors and speed camera POIs on sat navs are illegal in some European countries. Leave your speed camera detector at home and switch off your sat nav POIs.

Don’t overestimate how far you can get in one day — driving distances tend to be longer than in the UK. Google Maps and The AA provide good European route planners.

5. Finally, take care when your are driving abroad. Make sure mirrors are adjusted carefully as this will help compensate for the different visibility you get when driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. Remember at all times you should be driving on the right: although it’s not difficult, it’s all too easy to get this wrong in a moment of carelessness.

The secret is concentration and what I call ‘driving deliberately’ – your driver’s autopilot might be ok in the UK, but it won’t work in Europe. Never just hop into the van and scoot away whilst carrying on a conversation or thinking about something else. Stop for a second, visualise your path onto the road/across the junction, and drive deliberately into the right position on the road.

After all of that, try to enjoy the experience — driving in Europe is generally more fun than driving in the UK and you can often see some amazing scenery on much less congested roads!