Tag Archives: vanhire

Europcar Opens New Van Hire Branch At Bristol Temple Meads Station

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Europcar logoEuropcar has opened a new car and van rental branch at Bristol Temple Meads Station, in Bristol.

The Bristol Temple Meads railway station branch expands Europcar’s nationwide network bringing convenient access to a range of services including one-way rentals.

Customers will now be able to collect and drop off vehicles at the branch, from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

“With easy access to Bristol Airport and a number of popular tourist attractions, Bristol is a key location in Europcar’s growing network of branches,” says Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK Group says. “Our wide range of vehicles makes this new branch ideal for shopping and sightseeing trips, as well as business journeys. It also means that we can make the car hire experience even more convenient for leisure travellers.”

Bristol Temple Meads Station is located just off Temple Gate (the A4) in central Bristol. The postcode of the new branch is BS1 6QF and you can find full location details for the new branch, including a map and sat nav coordinates, on our branch page.

Hertz Opens Newcastle Van Rental Supersite

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Hertz Newcastle Van SupersiteHertz UK has opened a new van rental ‘supersite’ to serve the Tyne and Wear area of the north-east of England. The branch, which is located on Industrial Road, Washington, is less than 10 miles from Sunderland and Newcastle and is expected to serve the region’s large business market.

Hertz’s van supersites are aimed at the large fleet rental market, which is experiencing an ongoing shift away from finance and lease ownership models to long-term rental (a subject I touched on recently).

The new site will offer bespoke and standard van rental requirements. Customers will have access to commercial vehicle expertise, service and maintenance support, and efficient repairs of both warranty and non-warranty vehicles.

In addition, Hertz Van Supersites provide innovative fleet management services that enable fleet managers to streamline vehicle usage, cut down pool fleet numbers, and effectively reduce administration costs.

Michel Taride, Group President of Hertz International, said:

“Van rental offers a compelling alternative to vehicle ownership. It reduces the financial commitment of purchasing, breakdown cover, insurance, and getting a fleet taxed and ready for the road. The trend for van fleet rentals instead of purchases is increasing, which has created a requirement for our van rental business to expand even further.”

“Hertz works with thousands of large and small van operators, from self-employed van drivers to large operators with 500+ van fleets,” added Neil Cunningham, General Manager, Hertz UK. “We are excited to be investing and expanding in the local area and also increasing the number of people we employee locally.”

The opening of the Newcastle Van Supersite is part of Hertz’s long term plan to supersize its Van Supersite network in the UK, which now features 21 locations strategically placed throughout the country. The Supersites have the capacity to rent over 1,000 vehicles (out of Hertz UK’s 5000-strong van fleet) and have been specifically built to meet the demands of fleet managers who operate large commercial fleets. Located to enable quick and easy access to motorways, the network enables a rapid response to the needs of fleet managers across a large operating area.

Hertz Van Supersites can also provide body conversions, welfare vehicles or specialist vehicle wrapping. Customers can also benefit from a comprehensive list of services that covers everything from exterior wrap/livery, interior racking and shelving and tow bars, to beacons, cages, speed limiters, flood lights, hand wash units and reversing cameras/sensors.

Van Sales Collapse Continues To Power Used Van Market To Record Levels

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Used van prices remain firmly supported by strong demand last month, according to the latest figures from auctioneers BCA.

The average value achieved of £5,151 was just £7 below September’s all-time record of £5,158, and was nearly 16% up on the average value achieved in October 2012. Sale prices remained well above CAP prices, as this table shows:

All vans Avg Age (mnths) Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Oct 2012 58.42 79,452 £4,447 101.87%
Oct 2013 59.28 80,725 £5,151 103.90%

Data courtesy of BCA (www.british-car-auctions.co.uk)

This graph shows how strongly prices have risen over the last two years, thanks to an underlying shortage of supply caused by the slump in van sales in 2009, from which the UK’s van market has still not recovered, as I discussed last week:

Used van prices to October 2013

Average used LCV prices at auction for the two years to October 2013, courtesy of BCA.

BCA LCV auction

Vans and 4x4s going under the hammer at a BCA LCV auction.

Duncan Ward, BCA’s General Manager, says that the problem is a lack of used supply from big corporate fleets, which typically feed the top end of the used market:

“This stock shortage is a long term issue that results from collapse of the new van market in 2009.  Four years on, the big corporate fleets that provide the bulk of the ‘first time to market’ used vans simply do not have the same volumes to sell.

Professional buyers who typically buy corporate vans at auction are finding they have to bid harder and higher to secure the same stock and this trend is set to continue.  And in terms of seasonal movements, the onset of bad weather usually marks an increase in demand for four wheel drive vehicles and we can expect to see average prices for 4×4 pick-ups rise in the coming weeks.”

“While new van sales are recovering, they are nowhere near the levels seen in pre-recessionary times.  The used sector shortage is set to continue until new van volumes pick up significantly and the economy improves enough to generate a bigger churn of vehicles in the marketplace.”

As I discussed last week, sales of medium vans (Transit-sized vans), which accounts for around 60% of UK van sales, remains nearly 20% lower than it was in 2003 and is down by around 30% on pre-recessions peak levels. Clearly there is a lot of ground to make up still — and so business is likely to remain brisk for those in the used van trade.

One side-effect of this is that van hire companies, which traditionally buy new and keep their vans for a short time, should continue to achieve strong residual values when they sell their vehicles, which will, in turn, help keep rental rates down, adding to the attraction of renting, rather than buying, for businesses whose need for vans varies through the year. In effect, van rental companies are shouldering the burden (quite profitably) of financing and supplying flexible capacity to van operators, who are happy to employ a ‘pay as you go’ model and reduce their finance commitments.

In my view, this situation could continue for some time and may even become permanent, to some extent, as SMEs find it harder to get competitive financing than they used to, while van hire companies are able to enjoy economies of scale and provide ‘all-in’ rates for flexible hire of nearly new vans that make owning or leasing seem unattractive.

Van Hire Price Comparison: How VanRental.co.uk Works (and why we’re different)

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Van hire price comparison results

Our van hire price comparison engine is unique to us and provides live, real-time quotes while you wait (click for a larger image)

Price comparison websites have spread like wildfire in recent years, but like so many things on the internet, they are not always what they appear to be.

Here’s what we do

Here at vanrental.co.uk, we believe price comparison should mean this:

  • We do not add a single penny to the prices we are quoted by the hire companies
  • We only provide live, real-time quotes, we don’t simply calculate a price from a database of standard tariffs
  • We get our prices directly from a number of different suppliers
  • We offer these prices to you in a clear and transparent way
  • We make it clear which company you will be dealing with
  • You make your booking directly with the hire company, not through us

At the time of writing (November 2013), the companies who provide van and minibus hire prices for vanrental.co.uk fall into two categories, rental companies, and brokers (who source hire vehicles from a number of different companies).

  • Europcar (rental company)
  • National (rental company)
  • Hertz (rental company)
  • Thrifty (rental company)
  • Sixt (rental company)
  • Easirent (rental company)
  • Argus Car Hire (broker)
  • Van Hire 3000 (broker – it’s the van hire arm of rentalcars.com)

Our van hire database also contains details of a number of other companies, for who we cannot provide prices but do provide links to their websites. These companies are always listed at the bottom of our price comparison results.

And here’s what we don’t do…

We don’t deal with a single broker and pass off their prices as our own comparison results, without revealing how many suppliers were price-checked, or which company you might actually be renting from.

We don’t promise a comparison but only deliver a list of branches or phone numbers that you have to contact yourself for quotes.

We don’t make you wait — our price comparison results are instant and are obtained from our partner companies while you wait. The price we offer is normally exactly the same as the price you would get if you went directly to the company’s website.

More about vanrental.co.uk

We have close relationships with a number of suppliers and we have developed our own, in-house, price comparison engine, which searches more than 1,200 branches in over 400 UK locations.

We own the vanrental.co.uk name and business and are completely independent. We have no financial ties or special relationships with any of the companies we deal with — they are all equal and no one can ‘buy’ the top spot.

We have been operating a van hire website since 2007, when the site was founded by Roland Head, who had spotted a need for an independent van hire website that provided information as well as hire company details.

From 2007 – 2011 we traded as MyLocalVanHire.co.uk, and in 2011 we moved to the vanrental.co.uk address to mark the launch of our own, unique price comparison system — which we believe is the most comprehensive van and minibus hire price comparison engine in the UK. vanrental.co.uk is still owned and run by its original founder.

Naturally, all of this does cost money — reliable web hosting and skilled web development don’t come cheap.

vanrental.co.uk makes money in two ways: commission payments on sales we generate for our hire partners, and yearly advertising fees from some of the companies who list their branches on our location pages. All advertisers and partners are treated equally — there is no way that any company can buy its way to the top of the results.

What’s more, any website that claims not to charge anything for its services is either: a) dishonest; b) going out of business soon. 

If you have any questions at all about vanrental.co.uk or van hire generally, we’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch by email, tweet us @vanrentaluk or contact us through our Facebook page, facebook.com/vanrentaluk

Save 5% On Hertz Van Rental & Collect Nectar Points With VanRental.co.uk

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Hertz logo

THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED

Need to hire a van before Christmas? If you’ve got a Hertz branch near you (click here for a list) then you may need our 5% discount code, which is valid until 31st December 2013. Full details below:

Hertz Discount Code:

5% off with Hertz Van Rental and collect Nectar points too….

Valid from: 16th August to 31st December 2013

Code: 778636

>>Click here to visit the Hertz website<<

Hertz is a name that’s associated with car rental all over the world. The company also offers a comprehensive van hire service in the UK with small, medium and long wheelbase panel vans and luton vans available to rent. Hertz also caters to the needs of students, offering student van hire to drivers aged 19 and over.

Green Motion Wins Green Fleet Rental Award For 5th Year

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The Green Motion team

Green Motion won the Green Fleet ‘Rental Company of the Year’ Award for the 5th year running in October 2013.

Green Motion Car and Van Hire celebrates being crowned “Rental Company of the Year” by Green Fleet Magazine for the 5th year running at their annual awards ceremony held at the Emirates Stadium on October 17, 2013. Green Motion beat off competition from Hertz, Zipcar and Enterprise.

Richard Lowden, the founder and chairman of Green Motion International said:

“We at Green Motion, both here in the United Kingdom and at our growing overseas operations have continued to work hard to reinforce our position and commitment to the environment. We are absolutely delighted to receive the ‘Rental Company of the Year Award’ for the 5th year running.”

Green Motion has received this accolade to support the company’s work and effort in the provision of offering customers an environmentally proven choice for vehicle rental.

Green Motion is continuing to expand its network in the United Kingdom with the opening of Glasgow International Airport, and West London in 2013, with further locations including Liverpool International airport, and South London planned for the early part of 2014. Along with the expansion within the United Kingdom, Green Motion also celebrated the opening of international locations including Hungary, Iceland, Jordan, Costa Rica and Florida in 2013.

For further information on the Green Fleet Award, please visit www.greenfleetawards.co.uk.

Europcar Signs Exclusive Five-Year Car & Van Hire Deal With ExCeL London

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europcar_logo_new-2013Europcar has secured an exclusive five-year deal to be the official mobility partner of ExCeL London, Europe’s premier venue, which has recently hosted high-profile events including the Olympics, Paralympics and the G20 summit.

The first partnership of its kind to create a mobility centre within an exhibition and conference venue, the new contract begins on 1st January 2014. Ken McCall, Managing Director of Europcar UK and David Pegler, CEO of ExCeL London will mark the launch of the strategic alliance at ExCeL on Monday 4th November at 11am.

Europcar will deliver a transport solution for the whole site, helping to differentiate ExCeL from other exhibition spaces by offering visitors, exhibitors and staff access to a wide range of car and van hire services, including valet parking, a chauffeur-drive service from Prestige at Europcar and airport shuttle buses. In addition, exhibitors and suppliers will be able to hire vans from Europcar’s nationwide network for their trip to ExCeL, benefiting from one-way rentals, as well as delivery and collection, at competitive rates.

A highly visible Travel Hub on ExCeL’s main boulevard will provide visitors and exhibitors with access to Europcar’s global network while as the sole vehicle rental provider for the venue, Europcar will have unique promotional opportunities on the site, as a sponsor partner for major events.

“With over 5 million visitors in 2012, across its 100,000 sqm site, ExCel is London’s biggest venue and as Europe’s largest rental provider, Europcar is the perfect partner,” says Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK Group ahead of the photocall.  “We are looking forward to working closely with ExCeL to deliver a comprehensive transport and mobility solution, across the entire campus, delivering a premium service for attendees, staff and exhibitors, as well as local residents.

David Pegler, CEO of ExCeL London comments:

“Over the next five years, ExCeL will benefit from Europcar’s network of over 250 locations across the UK and fleet of over 45,000 cars and commercial vehicles, which will help to boost the experience for exhibitors and visitors.  This innovative and unique collaboration is a first for the UK, never before have we seen a mobility centre within an exhibition and convention centre. We strive to offer service excellence and our partnership with Europcar is another example of how we continue to invest in the industry and look at ways we can add value and differentiate ourselves, putting the needs of our customers at the heart of everything we do.”

Jolly Good Vehicle Rentals Expands With Wiltshire Branch In Chippenham

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Jolly Good Van hire logoWrexham-based independent car and van hire firm Jolly Good Vehicle Rentals (formerly known as Jolly Good Van Hire) has continued its franchise-based expansion by opening a new branch in Chippenham, to serve the south-west of England.

The Chippenham branch is the company’s sixth, following its foundation seven years ago — the company also has branches in Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Ely, Colwyn Bay and Deeside.

Jolly Good started out as a van hire business but has expanded to offer cars and campervans over the last few years, hence its recent change of name. On the van side of things, the firm offers small, medium, large and luton vans, as well as crew cab panel vans and 8/9 seat minibuses, such as the VW Caravelle.

Jolly Good also specialises in European van hire (the firm’s details are on our European van hire page) and offers a nationwide vehicle delivery service.

Police Return Hire Van Full Of Cannabis To Glasgow Rental Firm

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Marijuana plants

John McKinnon’s hire van was full of marijuana plants that had been confiscated in a police raid — but police had forgotten to remove the plants before returning the van.

Scottish police recently hired a van for a drugs raid in the Glasgow area. Following the raid, the van was returned to the hire company — with a substantial amount of cannabis still in the back.

To make matters worse, the hire company concerned didn’t check inside the van before hiring out again, to unsuspecting father-of-two John McKinnon, who then drove it from Coatbridge back to Glasgow, before he opened up the back and realised that he had a problem.

According to the Daily Record, the van had been hired by Lanarkshire police for used by plain-clothes officers.

The hire van’s unfortunate driver told the paper:

“there was a strong smell of cannabis in the cabin, but it was only when I got back to the office and opened up the back that I realised what was in it.”

I guess the moral of the story is that some van hire companies don’t check their vehicles very carefully when they are off-hired — plus you never know who has hired a vehicle before you, nor what they might have used it for.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said that “enquiries are at an early stage to establish the circumstances and it would be inappropriate to comment further”.

Stratford-upon-Avon Van Hire: ESD Self Drive Hire

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ESD Self Drive Van HireI’m very pleased to welcome our newest advertiser, ESD Self Drive Hire of Stratford-upon-Avon and Evesham, to vanrental.co.uk.

ESD offers a range of vans, minibuses and cars for hire, including:

  • SWB medium panel vans
  • Large panel vans
  • Luton vans
  • 15 and 17-seater minibuses
  • A range of cars and MPVs

The firm has two branches, in Evesham and Stratford upon Avon:

  • ESD Evesham: Blackminster Business Park, Birmingham Road, WR11 7TD
  • ESD Stratford upon Avon (newly opened September 2013): Western Road, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 0AH

ESD’s standard rates include 24-hour hire from 8am-8am, insurance, RAC breakdown cover, unlimited UK mileage and free additional drivers (unlike many competitors). Out-of-hours drop off is available and there is free car parking next door to ESD’s premises. The firm can also offer delivery and collection services, if visiting the branch isn’t convenient.

ESD offers a range of additional services at extra cost, including overseas/European hire, child seat and sat nav hire and sack truck hire, and can also offer discounted rates for long-term hire deals.

For full details of ESD’s branch locations, visit our Evesham and Stratford upon Avon pages.

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 can offer.