Rolling year UK van registrations June 2011 - June 2017

New van registrations climb 1.8% in June but fall in H1

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New van registrations rose by 1.8% to 37,349 units in June, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

However, the first half of the year saw overall demand fall, with a 3.7% drop in the total number of light commercial vehicles registered during the period.

In reality, this isn’t a bad performance given the previous two years of record-breaking growth:

Rolling year UK van registrations June 2011 - June 2017

Source: SMMT

As Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive explains, some cooling of the market was always likely:

“After two years of record growth in the new van market, it’s natural to see demand ease as the sector reaches a sustainable running rate. However, as these figures show, the market remains at a high level and we expect similar patterns of demand to continue throughout the year.”

The figures for June show a continuation of three main trends from the first half of the year — growth in demand for pickups and small vans, offset by falling demand for big vans (2.5-3.5t):

LCV registrations June 2017 YTD

Source: SMMT

Growth in demand for pickups has been remarkable. So far this year, new pickup registrations have outnumbered registrations of small vans (2.0-2.5t), such as the Citroen Berlingo and Ford Transit Connect. In my view, the pickup boom is largely down to fashion and favourable tax treatment for company buyers, but it will be interesting to see where this ends up.

What is certain is that Ford appears to remain top dog in the high volume medium and large van markets. Once again, the Ford Transit Custom topped the best-seller list in June:

Best-selling vans June 2017

The success of the Transit Custom model seems to have validated Ford’s move to split the old Transit into two — the larger 2-tonne Transit and the smaller Transit Custom.

Questor Insurance logo

Exclusive: SAVE 7% on Questor Insurance with vanrental.co.uk [EXPIRED]

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We have an exclusive 7% discount code for Questor Insurance.Questor Insurance logo

If you’re hiring a van (or car) this summer, then you’ll need to consider insurance.

Basic van hire insurance cover usually includes a big excess. One of the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce this excess is with a third-party excess insurance policy from Questor Insurance.

** THIS DISCOUNT CODE HAS NOW EXPIRED **

If you book before 9 July 2017, you can save even more by using our exclusive discount code:

  • Offer: Save 7% on Questor Insurance motor and travel policies
  • DISCOUNT CODE: SUM2190
  • Valid from 1 July 2017
  • Valid until 9 July 2017

 

 

Disclosure: If you buy a Questor Insurance policy after clicking on the links from this post, vanrental.co.uk will receive a small commission payment. The price you pay won’t change.

Terms and conditions may apply — see Questor Insurance website for details.

Europcar van hire

vanrental.co.uk price comparison now includes Ireland

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Europcar van hire

I’m very pleased to announce that our independent price comparison service has now been extended into Ireland.

We can now provide prices for Europcar vans, cars and minibuses in 17 popular locations in Ireland:

We’re working on adding coverage for other major hire companies in these towns and cities and elsewhere in Ireland. I hope you find this a useful addition to our services.

While we’re not planning to ‘go global’, we feel that extending the UK-focused vanrental.co.uk service to include our nearest neighbours makes good sense and should be a useful upgrade to the service we offer.

As always, if you have any comments or feedback on vanrental.co.uk, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email, Twitter, Facebook, or through the comments below.

Finally, if you operate a van hire company in Ireland and would like to be listed on vanrental.co.uk, we’d love to have you! You can sign up for a listing on our advertising page, or please get in touch with any questions.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Pothole repairs top van drivers’ manifesto for change

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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

In the wake of the recent general election, van drivers have put together a manifesto of their top 10 priorities for change for the new government.

The research was carried out by Mercedes-Benz Vans UK and involved questioning 2,000 van drivers and operators. Unsurprisingly, potholes were at the top of the list. A staggering two-thirds of van operators say they’ve had to pay for repairs resulting from pothole damage over the last 12 months. That’s just not good enough.

Second on the list is better town parking. Again, that’s unlikely to surprise any hard-pressed delivery driver whose been forced to endure the wrath of other drivers and traffic wardens by stopping illegally to make a delivery.

Here’s the top 10 list of van drivers’ priorities for the new government. There are a few surprises — check out numbers 6 & 7!

  1. Pothole repair: 60%
  2. Better parking provision in town: 43%
  3. Investment in bypasses to ease bottlenecks: 34%
  4. Widening motorways: 24%
  5. Increased traffic police presence: 19%
  6. Fewer speed cameras: 17%
  7. More speed cameras: 16%
  8. Better training for professional drivers: 14%
  9. Abandoning Smart Motorway schemes: 6%
  10. More toll roads: 4%

Congestion is one of the big themes running through the list. And it’s clear why. According to Mercedes-Benz, fleet managers estimate that 14% of their drivers’ time is lost as a result of congestion. That’s equivalent to about 1 hour 10 minutes out of every eight hours.

Surprisingly — given that congestion affects everyone — 61% of those questioned said that they or their employer had lost business as a direct result of congestion. This figure peaks at 82% in Greater London and 66% in the West Midlands, while 75% of delivery divers say they have lost business as a result of congestion.

Experiments with smart motorways don’t seem to have convinced van drivers, although this may be due to lack of understanding — only 28% of those questioned said they definitely understood how a smart motorway works.

It’s clear the government still has a lot to do to meet the needs of commercial road users.

Volkswagen Caddy van

Caddy range gets spec boost as prices of petrol models cut

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Volkswagen Caddy van

Prices of petrol-engined VW Caddys have been cut and equipment levels have been lifted across the range.

Drivers considering buying a petrol-engined Volkswagen Caddy now have an extra reason to make the shift away from diesel.

Prices of petrol Caddy vans for the 2018 model year have been cut by as much as £1,000 from last year’s list prices. For example, the Startline 1.2 TSI 84 PS model now costs £17,527 (RRP inc OTR and VAT) – some £1,017 less than the previous price.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that small vans don’t need diesels and that for low mileages, petrol engines are actually more suitable. In recent times, Volkswagen taken steps to increase the range of petrol engines available in its vans. Other manufacturers are making similar changes.

The Caddy is offered with three TSI turbocharged petrol units, a 1.2-litre 84 PS four-cylinder unit, a 1.0-litre 102 PS three-cylinder unit and a range-topping 1.4-litre 125 PS four-cylinder engine offered with the option of a seven-speed DSG transmission.

Safety boost

However, it’s not just petrol buyers who standard to benefit. Volkswagen has given the entire Caddy range a specification boost. As we reported in May, all new Caddy, Transporter and Crafter vans ordered from 1 June 2017 will be fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard. The Caddy range will also get a specification boost from this month.

This should be a big plus for drivers and fleet operators. Safety experts at Thatcham Research — who carry out Euro NCAP tests in the UK — believe that AEB is “probably the most significant development in vehicle safety since the seat belt”. Reports suggest that the average insurance premium for vans with AEB is 10% lower than for those without, due to the system’s ability to prevent or reduce damage from rear-end shunts.

Drivers should also be more comfortable in the 2018 Caddy. All models, including Startline, gain a leather multifunction steering wheel and multifunction display (in addition to AEB and Driver Alert), while 2018 Trendline models now feature climatic air conditioning as standard. Finally, range-topping Highline models gain Volkswagen’s sophisticated Discover Media satellite navigation system as standard.

M8 Recovery Vito van

Vito van is “perfect” choice for recovery specialist

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M8 Recovery Vito van

M8 Recovery’s new Mercedes-Benz Vito tow van.

Glasgow-based recovery specialist M8 Recovery is known for its high-profile heavy recovery vehicles, but the company provides recovery services for all sizes of vehicle, including cars and vans.

To support the recovery of cars, M8 has recently added this very smart Mercedes-Benz Vito to its fleet. Liveried up with the firm’s trademark logo, it’s impossible to miss and makes a great first impression with customers.

The van is an extra-long Vito 116CDI with a crew cab body that can carry four passengers in addition to the driver. The load area has been fitted with a Compact Recovery Trailer by Oldham-based Intertrade Engineering UK. It’s a similar setup to that used by the AA and RAC patrol vans, which also carry fold-out towing dollies.

“Our vehicles are the visible face of the business when they’re out on the road, or attending a breakdown,” said Mr McManus, who founded his business in 2000 and is known throughout the recovery industry as ‘Junior’. “We take great care to make sure they are always clean and smartly turned out.

“The Vito makes for a great towing vehicle, too,” he continued. “Its uprated axle ratings and gross train weight of 5.5 tonnes mean we can lift and recover even large cars with no problem, while the rear-wheel drive set-up means traction is never lacking.”

M8 Recovery runs a fleet of 40 vehicles, ranging from vans to heavy trucks, and works across the Central Belt of Scotland and beyond, recovering broken-down cars, commercial vehicles, buses and coaches. The company is an active supporter of many local charities, raising funds for worthy causes including the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

Back to uni in a van

University van hire: the best way to get home from uni

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Moving house with a van

Are you (or your children) about to head home from uni for the summer?

Hiring a van could make your journey a lot easier. If you rely on the family car, you may end up damaging the inside of the car or overloading it.

Worse still, you may find that not everything will fit in. Having to make two trips will be costly and time consuming, even if it’s relatively local.

One-way hire is available from a number of big companies, so you needn’t fear the cost and hassle of returning the van to the original pickup location.

Most vans seat three up front, so you may be able to pool resources with another student heading back to the same area of the country. Doing this is usually cheaper than using two cars for the same journey.

 

 

If you’re unsure about the practicalities of hiring and driving a van, check out our new beginner’s guides:

Hiring a van for 24 hours could save a huge load of hassle and stress. Why not give it a go?

 

Back to uni in a van

Beginner’s guide to van hire: Speed limits, fuel and mileage

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Today I’m going to answer some of the most common questions we get about hiring a van.

  • Do I need to drive differently to in a car?
  • What are the speed limits for vans?
  • Is there a limit on how many miles I can do?
  • Do I need to return the van with a full fuel tank?

Driving a van

Moving house with a vanIf it’s your first time, check out our guide to driving a van.

Actually operating the van is easy — the steering wheel and gears and other controls are just the same as those of a car.

What’s different is the size and weight of the vehicle, especially when it’s loaded. As a general rule, you should brake and corner much more gently than with a car. Remember that the van may be much wider than a car.

If the back of your van contains the contents of your flat, then chucking it around like Lewis Hamilton is likely to damage your stuff.

Another problem is height. Medium or large vans are usually too tall to fit under car park height barriers. Don’t be the person who gets this wrong, as your insurance probably won’t cover damage to the roof.

The other big thing to remember is that there’s no rear view mirror. You need to make sure your van’s wing mirrors are adjusted so you can clearly down each side of the van. Use these a lot!

Speed limits

Van speed limits are different to those for cars! 

Speed limit signThese speed limits apply to virtually all vans, including small models like the Ford Transit Connect and Citroen Berlingo. I’ve highlighted where the speed limits are different to those for cars:

  • Motorways: 70mph
  • –> Dual carriageways: 60mph
  • –> Single carriageways: 50mph
  • Built-up areas: 30mph

Mileage limits

Many hire companies rent their vans with no mileage limits. You can do as many miles as you want.

But some companies do have limits, and ignoring them can be costly. One common approach is a maximum number of miles per day, after which you will be charged an additional rate per mile. This can be costly, so check before you book.

Fuel policy

Fuel gauge nearing emptyFuel policy varies between companies, but the usual setup is that the vehicle will come with a full tank of fuel, and you have to return it with a full tank of fuel.

If the tank isn’t full when you return the van, you’ll be charged a refuelling charge per litre that’s more than the local pump price.

Some of the big companies will allow you to pre-purchase a tank of fuel when you pickup the vehicle, so you don’t need to refill it when you return the vehicle. If you do this, make sure you will use enough fuel to make it worth the extra cost.

Finally, most hire vans are diesel. But there are a few small vans with petrol engines, so if you’re not sure, check. There’s usually a label on the filler cap reminding you of the right fuel to use.

If you do put the wrong fuel in, don’t start the engine or even put the key in the ignition. Ring for the assistance number provided by the hire company immediately.

Millbrook Healthcare Peugeot Boxer vans

Healthcare fleet puts 400th Peugeot van on the road

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Millbrook Healthcare Peugeot Boxer vans

Millbrook Healthcare has taken delivery of the 400th Peugeot van to join its fleet.

NHS contractor Millbrook Healthcare has taken delivery of 27 new Peugeot vans. The new additions take the firm’s fleet of Peugeot LCVs over the 400 van market for the first time.

The 27 new vans are mostly PEUGEOT Boxer 435 models, with the addition of two PEUGEOT Expert vans and a Luton-bodied Boxer. Millbrook’s role is to collect and deliver equipment to enable patients and those n need of care to remain comfortable and independent in their homes.

The equipment carried in the vans can range of large heavy items such as bed and hoists to smaller items like walking sticks and crutches. To help carry these mixed loads safely, Millbrook’s vans are fitted with internal racking, access ramps and other modifications by Bristol-based conversion specialist Motor On Services.

“We are really pleased to be part of the growing Millbrook Healthcare success story and delighted to be supplying the company with its 400th PEUGEOT”, commented Martin Gurney, Director of Fleet at PSA Group UK, “Millbrook Healthcare transports a wide range of equipment, helping to improve the lives of many people and the PEUGEOT light CV range provides vans ideally suited to the company’s unique needs.”

The latest 27 additions to the fleet will operate from Millbrook’s newest centre near Exeter, which opened its doors in June. The Exeter centre is one of 30 nationwide locations, from which Southampton-based Millbrook delivers more than 800,000 items of community equipment every year.

Europcar UK wins Alphabet Rental Provider of the Year award

Europcar UK wins rental provider of the year award

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Europcar UK wins Alphabet Rental Provider of the Year award

Congratulations to vanrental.co.uk partner Europcar UK, which has won the  the Rental Provider of the Year category in the inaugural Alphabet Supplier Awards.

Mobility and fleet leasing experts Alphabet GB selected Europcar UK as a result of its continued focus on development and service improvement in 2016. The judges recognised the wide range of vehicles available, as well as Europcar’s focus on delivering a consistently high customer experience.

Gary Smith, Managing Director of Europcar UK said:

“Winning the Alphabet Rental Provider of the Year award demonstrates Europcar’s commitment to helping our customers keep their businesses moving by offering a wide range of mobility solutions. It also acknowledges the dedication and enthusiasm of the whole Europcar team, working with Alphabet to always deliver a service that focuses on innovation and partnership.”