Whether you’re moving to a new house, attending a business event or you’ve bought something on Facebook Marketplace – avoid dangerously overloading your car or making countless trips back and forth, with van hire.
Van hire in Warrington can save you the expense of purchasing a larger vehicle outright and having to maintain and insure it. Instead, you simply arrange to pick up your vehicle (or have it delivered for free) at a date and time that suits you.
Even though you won’t own the hired van, you will still need to take good care of it – especially if you want to get your deposit back when you return the vehicle!
In this blog, we’ll explore the simple yet crucial steps you can take to secure a hired van and protect your belongings whilst on the open road.
Secure or remove valuables
Whenever possible, you should remove valuables or any items of interest from your van, especially overnight.Leaving them on display – either on the front seat, dashboard or in the footwell – just entices opportunists to break in and steal them.
If you cannot remove them, at least consider locking them out of sight (i.e. inside the glovebox or in a lockable cabinet in the back) to deter thieves.
Install a GPS tracking device
Though it may seem like an unnecessary expense for van hire, investing in a GPS tracker will help you to monitor your van’s location in real-time.
In the event of your hired van being lost or stolen, the tracking device will allow you to track its whereabouts – increasing the chances of it being located and recovered.
Park in a safe space
Nipping into the supermarket to pick up some lunch or a drink to fuel the journey ahead?
When leaving your rental van unattended, you must park strategically – ideally, in a well-lit, busy area, such as a public car park which is covered by 24-hour CCTV.
If possible, you should park with your van doors up against a wall or near a hedge to make it difficult for criminals to gain access.
If you don’t have a garage, it’s worth parking your hired van on your driveway and fitting security posts or bollards at the bottom (near the pavement). This will prevent your vehicle from being moved, deterring thieves and, as a result, keeping it secure.
Always lock the vehicle
If you need to get out of the van at any point, switch the engine off and take the keys out of the ignition to make it harder for opportunistic criminals to drive away. Anti-theft devices, such as steering wheel locks, are also good to have – preventing your wheel from moving and deterring thieves at the same time.
When transporting cardboard boxes or bulky apparatusfrom the back of your hired van, you must remember toclose the doors and lock them using the key provided. The last thing you want to happen is to return to the van several minutes later only to find that your van has been completely emptied.
Hire a van from a reputable company
If you’re looking to reap the benefit of reliable van hire in Warrington, it pays to go to a local company with an extensive range of vans available for hire.
Not only will they provide everything from small and compact vans to short-wheel-base (SWB) vans, large-wheel-base (LWB) vans, tippers and box tail lifts, but they’ll also offer highly competitive tariffs.
By hiring a vehicle from an experienced company, you can trust that your hired van will be well-equipped for short and long-distance driving. It’ll also be maintained to the highest standard, ready to transport your load safely, securely and efficiently.
So, what’ve you got to lose?