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5 Things you should avoid with business vehicle rentals

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When it reaches the point where you may need to acquire or use a business vehicle rental, whatever that may be, the decisions over how to arrange van rentals for the short or long term can be difficult. You need to take various aspects of both your own business and requirements into consideration as well as how you might be able to find the right van rental for you.

Once you’ve made the decision to look into vehicle rentals, there are a number of things that you should make sure to check and several more to make sure to avoid before you sign the contract for business vehicle rentals.

  1. Choosing the wrong size or type of vehicle

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You’ll find that when you start to look into a van rental business, they’ll have a large fleet of vehicle rentals to choose from. For a first time customer, this can seem confusing and overwhelming.

You need to consider the purpose that you’re hiring a van for, whether you need one that has a tail lift, one that is temperature controlled or chilled for transporting food and commercial pharmaceuticals, and whether you need a short, medium or long wheel base van. The size of the vehicle will entirely depend on what your requirements are. You can hire a small transit van for light loads, whereas a long wheel base or a Luton will be able to handle a much higher level of weight and higher quantities of goods.

If you choose the wrong size, you may not only be overpaying for a van that’s too large for your needs, but you may even need to hire another separate vehicle if you’ve underestimated your load. Using the wrong size van can be dangerous if it’s overloaded, as can hiring one without a tailgate lift if you need to get heavy items inside.

  1. Not checking the vehicle over first

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If you choose a reputable van rental business, there should be no issues whatsoever with the vehicle when you pick it up, but it’s always worth looking over the van before you leave the depot. You want to keep an eye out for any damage to the vehicle as well as checking the mileage and fuel level. Failing to take five minutes to check these simple things could result in an accident or a dispute when you return the vehicle, so make things easier for everyone by checking them up front.

  1. Not choosing the right contract for your requirements

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Choosing the correct size and vehicle isn’t the only the thing you need to consider; you need to make sure you choose the right contract too. This means considering how long you’ll need to use the vehicle – whether it will be a short or long term rental. A van needs to be reserved in advance, so make sure that the vehicle you need has the right availability for your project.

You also need to consider your budget, taking into account the size of vehicle, the length of the term and any excess insurance you need to pay. If you choose the wrong contract, you might end up with a bigger bill than you were expecting or needing to return the van early. This could be at a huge detriment to your business, so make sure to avoid this by choosing the right contact at the beginning.

  1. Limited mileage

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Some vehicle rentals will have mileage limits. This means that the van you’ve chosen may have an allocated number of miles that you’re allowed to consume; going over this limit will incur additional charges, usually per mile.

  1. Not enough planning

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The problem that most people have when choosing a van rental is that they rush into the decision, not properly considering all the above factors. They recognise their need for van rentals but don’t plan what exactly they’ll need it for, how long, what size of vehicle and their budget. As a result, they might end up with a vehicle that isn’t big enough for what they need or they end up going over the costs they’ve set aside when they exceed the mileage limits.

Proper planning is key to avoiding any additional costs or dangers when hiring a van. Before you sign the dotted line, make sure to consider the mileage, the size of vehicle you need, your budget, what to do in case of accidents or emergenices, and where and when you can pick up and drop off the van.

If the amount of information here is confusing for you, whether you’re a first time customer or are worried that you’ll choose the wrong vehicle for your needs, contact us as our team of experts can provide you with any information you need to find the right business vehicle rental for your needs.

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