Tag Archives: van rental

Automatic Van Hire – Is It Possible?

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We often get asked if there are any companies that offer automatic vans for hire.

The answer is that there are a few – but not many.

Why Would You Want To Hire An Automatic Van Anyway?

There are two main reasons that demand for automatic van hire is growing:

  • Some people have automatic-only car licences – so they can only drive automatic vans
  • Automatics are easier to drive – you don’t have to think about changing gear. When you’re not used to driving a van and are concentrating on manoeuvring it, this can be a big help

Why Aren’t Automatic Vans More Popular, Then?

Historically, the types of automatic gearboxes used in cars have not been very well suited to vans. They have offered poor performance and poor fuel economy – not good if you are running a business that uses vans.

That’s all starting to change, however. Newer types of automatic transmission don’t have these disadvantages – in fact, the latest automatics can offer fuel economy and performance that is the equal of a well-driven manual. They also don’t have the higher emissions that old-style automatics have.

For these reasons, automatic vans are becoming more common, but they do still have one disadvantage for van hire companies – they cost more to buy in the first place!

Despite this, expect to see more automatic cars and vans in the next few years – the new automated gearboxes that are in use have too many advantages to ignore and are steadily gaining ground on traditional manuals.

Click here to visit out automatic van hire page and learn more about automatic vans

How To Make Moving House Easier & Less Damaging

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This time of year tends to be a popular time to move house. While some people choose the professional removals option, many opt for a money-saving DIY removals job – especially given the current economic situation.

If you’re moving house soon and are planning to do it yourself, then I’d like to offer you a few tips that should make your life easier and reduce the chances of any of your furniture or belongings getting damaged in transit.

These may sound stupid and obvious, but it’s surprising how many people get it wrong:

  • Furniture won’t protect itself in the back of the van – it needs to be protected with blankets or it will get scratched
  • Your back won’t thank you for too much heavy lifting – beg, borrow or steal a sack barrow so that you can avoid having to carry heavy boxes more than a few metres
  • Don’t rely on gravity to stop your stuff moving around in the back of the van – get some cheap lashing straps and tie movable objects to the side or floor of the van (click here for tips on loading a van)
  • Boxes of books weight a lot – use small boxes and make sure they are strong (so the bottom doesn’t fall out…)

You may be thinking that all of this is an extra cost – well, perhaps. The good news is that many rental companies (like Sixt) will lend/rent you the straps and sack barrow along with a van for just a few quid extra. Proper removals-strength boxes are also available surprisingly cheaply from companies like The Packaging Store.

It’s well worth spending a few quid and a little bit of time preparing and packing for your move properly – it’s what a removals company would do and it will almost certainly save you from damage, delays and unnecessary aches and pains!

New Choice For London Van Hire With Sixt Trade

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Small and medium businesses looking for a regular, on-demand van hire service in London could do worse than consider Sixt’s new Sixt Trade program.

Sixt Trade is aimed at business customers who need van hire but don’t want to have the hassle of setting up an account – basically, it’s just like regular day hire but at Sixt’s most competitive online rates (trade prices are quoted exc. VAT).

As an added bonus, Sixt Trade customers will get a loyalty card that entitles them to one day’s free rental for every nine days paid rental – a nice little extra. Customers can also register to use a third party’s payment card – normally, the driver of a rented vehicle must use their own credit card to pay for the reservation and must be present at collection. This isn’t realistic for many business users, so Sixt offers a third party authorisation form that allows rentals to be completed without the card holder present.

(The Sixt Trade service is currently being advertised as only available in London – I think that this is because Sixt’s only branded branches are in London – throughout the remainder of the UK, they use branches that are members of the United Rental Group.)

Advanced Van Hire Booking Advised For Summer House Moves

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May and June are often the busiest times of year for moving house, resulting in high demand for large rental vans, especially at weekends. This year, the problem could be even worse as the house market shows signs of recovery but some large van rental companies may still be operating slimmed down fleets, as a legacy of the recession.

If you’re planning to move house this summer we would suggest booking your hire van well in advance – you don’t want to end up with a van that’s too small or even no van at all when it comes to moving day.

If you are unsure what size van you will need, then have a look at our van size guide for some advice on sizes and what they’re most suitable for. As a general rule, if you’ve got much furniture then a Luton van is much easier to fit a lot of stuff in than a panel van. They are also available with tail lifts, which makes lifting heavy items in and out much safer and less back breaking…

European & Malvern Van Hire from Vanomos.com

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I’m very pleased to welcome Vanomos to the vanrental.co.uk van hire directory. Vanomos is based in Malvern in the UK and Torrevieja in Spain and offers a comprehensive range of UK and European van hire services, including:

Vanomos operates a modern fleet of long wheelbase Transit panel vans and 3.5t Luton vans from its Malvern and Torrevieja depots. All vehicles are fully insured for European use and come with European breakdown cover.

The Vanomos team are very experienced when it comes to European hire and will happily advise on routes, ferries and the time required for cross-border journeys.

To find out more, visit Vanomos.com or contact them on +44 (0)7714 753926 or by email at kelly@vanomos.com

If you’d like to see your van hire company listed on vanrental.co.uk, click here for details of our advertising options.

Practical Van Rental Opens Hounslow Branch

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I’m pleased to announce that long-time vanrental.co.uk advertiser Practical Car & Van Rental has just opened a new branch in Hounslow. It’s conveniently located just off the A4 and is only a mile from Heathrow Airport. Practical is happy to arrange pickups from Heathrow Airport as well as other nearby locations.

The Hounslow branch offers the usual comprehensive selection of hire vans, including:

  • Small vans (e.g. Vauxhall Combo)
  • Short, medium and long wheelbase panel vans
  • Luton vans (with or without tail lift)
  • 7.5 tonne box vans
  • Refrigerated vans

One-way and long-term rental deals are also a possibility – contact the branch direct for rates.

To find out more, click here to visit Practical’s website or call direct on 0208 577 4460.

If you’d like to see your van hire company listed on vanrental.co.uk, click here for details of our advertising options.

London Kingston Van Hire from A2B Budget Rentals

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A2B Budget Rentals logoI’m very pleased to welcome our newest advertiser, A2B Budget Rentals of Kingston-upon-Thames, to the vanrental.co.uk van hire directory.

A2B Budget Rentals offers a range of vans at competitive prices from its base at The Yard, Norbiton Avenue, Kingston-upon-Thames:

  • Short wheelbase panel vans
  • Long wheelbase panel vans
  • Long wheelbase & high top panel vans
  • Luton box vans

All A2B hire vans have an inclusive mileage allowance of 100 miles per day and the company’s hire period runs from 9am-9am.

Vans can be hired by anyone over 21 (2 years’ clean driving history & surcharge applies age 21-24) and breakdown and recovery assistance is included with all hires.

To find out more about A2B Budget Rentals in Kingston, visit their website or call them direct on 020 8296 9206.

If you’d like to see your van hire company listed on vanrental.co.uk, click here for details of our advertising options.

Shrewsbury Van Rental from Jolly Good Van Hire

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Jolly Good Van hire logoI’m very pleased to welcome our newest advertiser to the vanrental.co.uk directory. A new Jolly Good Van Hire branch has opened in Shrewsbury, offering both UK and European van hire services. Jolly Good’s website includes a van size calculator to help you work out what size van you need along with details of loadspace dimensions for each van.

Jolly Good Van Hire’s location in Bayston Hill just south of Shrewsbury, is right by the A5/A49 and very easily accessible. A full range of vans is available for hire:

  • Small vans (e.g. Peugeot Partner)
  • Short wheelbase panel vans (e.g. Ford Transit SWB)
  • Long wheelbase panel vans (e.g. Mercedes Sprinter)
  • Luton box vans with tail lift (e.g. Mercedes Sprinter box van)

All vans are less than 18 months old and include insurance, 24-hour breakdown cover and unlimited mileage. Jolly’s vans can be taken abroad but this must be arranged in advance – additional costs apply.

To find out more about Jolly Good Van Hire in Shrewsbury, visit their website at www.jollygoodvanhire.co.uk or call them direct on Freephone 0800 078 7363.

If you’d like to see your van hire company listed on vanrental.co.uk, click here for details of our advertising options.

Coventry Van Hire from First Van Rental

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First Van Rental logo

It’s a pleasure to welcome our newest advertiser, First Van Rental of Coventry, to the vanrental.co.uk van hire directory.

First Van Rental offers van hire in Coventry and Birmingham areas and has a conveniently-situated base in Coventry city centre. All hires of seven days or more include free delivery and collection, too. First Van Rental’s hire van fleet includes:

  • Small vans – e.g. Ford Transit Connect
  • Medium vans – e.g. Citroen Dispatch
  • SWB Transit – e.g. Short wheelbase Ford Transit or equivalent model
  • LWB Transit – e.g. Long wheelbase Ford Transit or equivalent model

Unlike many hire companies, who use cubic metres to describe the loadspace of their vans, First Van Rental’s website actually specifies the length, width and height of its vans’ loadspaces – far more useful to normal people like you and me, who don’t imagine things in cubic metres…

For business customers, First Van Rental also offers a long-term van rental option, allowing you to expand and reduce your fleet as needed – without any of the cost and commitment of contract van hire, leasing or other long-term hire options.

If you’d like to see your van hire company listed on vanrental.co.uk, click here for details of our advertising options.

Manchester Van & Minibus Hire from Spinning Wheels Vehicle Rental

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spinning-wheels-car-van-rental-logoI’m very happy to welcome Spinning Wheels Vehicle Rental of Manchester to the vanrental.co.uk directory.

Spinning Wheels offers van, minibus and car hire and even has a number of refrigerated vans on its fleet – making it a true one-stop shop for light vehicle hire in the Manchester area. The Spinning Wheels fleet includes:

  • Medium panel vans (e.g. Ford Transit/LDV Maxus)
  • Large panel vans (e.g. Ford Transit LWB/LDV Maxus LWB)
  • Luton vans
  • Luton vans with tail lifts
  • 3.5t refrigerated vans (e.g. Ford Transit or LDV Maxus)
  • 12 or 15-seat minibuses

All of this family-run firm’s vehicles are nearly new and covered by 24-hour breakdown cover. Minimum age for rental customers is just 23 and Spinning Wheels is open 6 days a week at its New Smithfield Market location, just of the A635 Ashton Old Road.

Spinning Wheels also offers a meet and greet service from Manchester International Airport, Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station and Chorlton Street Bus Station – highlighting its commitment to providing a comprehensive, first-class service.

If you’d like to see your van hire company listed on vanrental.co.uk, click here for details of our advertising options.