Are you planning to move and need a convenient and cost-effective mode of transport? Luton van hire is the most affordable way to ensure you keep your moving costs at a minimum. However, you could lower the expenses even more by shopping around and comparing Luton van hire prices.
Luton vans have been a reliable transport solution since the mid-20th century in Luton town in Bedfordshire. Their storage capacity, payload, and practical design have made them a great choice for both personal and business use. If you regularly require a Luton van for your business transportation needs, you could opt to hire or lease for long-term or on a need basis. While these are cheaper alternatives, you may also consider buying one outright, depending on your long-term objectives.
In this post, we’ll review the process of Luton van hire, what to consider, and the costs involved.
Luton Van Hire Vs Buying – Which One’s The Best?
Whether moving, transporting goods or expanding your business transportation solution, you need to choose between buying and renting a Luton van. The option you choose will greatly be influenced by your long-term objective.
Usage frequency
How often do you need a Luton van? If you anticipate ongoing need for your business operations, ownership may be a suitable choice. On the other hand, Luton van hire is an ideal choice if you occasionally need the vehicle.
Repair and maintenance
The end goal of any business is to cut costs and increase profits. Luton van ownership challenges this objective as you’ll need to plan for regular maintenance and MOT tests and cater for unexpected repairs. In addition, the vehicle’s depreciation should also be included in your cost of ownership.
But with Luton van hire, you won’t need to worry about repair, maintenance, depreciation, or MOT. All these are responsibilities of rental companies, therefore easing the burden of ownership.
Convenience and flexibility
Luton van hire offers more flexibility in accessing the vehicle when you need it without bearing the ownership responsibilities. If you occasionally need the vehicle or just doing a one-off relocation, hiring is the most cost-effective and convenient option. Plus, Luton van rental companies like Bobs Luton Vans allow you to choose the size and specification that best suits your requirements.
On the other hand, Luton van ownership gives you ready access at all times without going through the processes of rental companies. However, you’ll be stuck with the same size and specifications of the vehicle even when your requirements change. You may eventually need to opt for a Luton van rental if your van doesn’t meet your needs at that particular moment.
Long-term vs short-term solution
If your objective is to own a Luton van for business that can serve your personal needs in the long run, considering a purchase may be suitable. On the other hand, hiring provides a short-term solution with less commitment.
Initial costs
Luton van rental cost includes an initial deposit, followed by equal monthly instalments for the period of hire. This can be more manageable for most business startups that are trying to get hold of every capital. The cost of buying a Luton van, on the other hand, is much higher and requires a large initial investment. On top of this, you will also need to pay for insurance, MOT, road tax, and maintenance costs. If you buy through Luton van finance, there are other financing fees involved.
From this Luton van hire vs. ownership comparison, it’s easy to deduce that hiring is much more convenient and cost-effective. If just getting started with your business, hiring allows you to save more of your capital and direct it to support other aspects of the business.
What’s The Cost of Luton Van Hire?
Now that we’ve established Luton van hire is the most cost-effective, how much can you expect to spend?
The cost of hiring a Luton van isn’t fixed and will vary with the rental company you’re dealing with. Most rental companies apply pricing algorithms to help figure out how much a Luton van hire should cost. Still, it doesn’t matter how complex the system is, it can’t factor everything to offer the best price.
Issues such as unexpected weather changes or demand surges can also increase the prices significantly at the last minute. Besides these, several other factors will dictate how much it’ll cost you to hire a Luton van.
Market forces
When business is booming and suddenly the demand for Luton vans increases, yet the supply remains constant, the rental companies will increase the price. On the converse, when the vans are too many than the market needs, the cost of hire is reduced to attract customers.
Make and model of Luton van
It’s without a doubt that a high-end Luton van such as the New Peugeot L3 Dropside Crew Cab will cost more than an average Nissan NV400 Luton. The bigger, more spacious, and powerful Luton vans will cost more to hire than the smaller ones.
But again, the forces of supply and demand will come into effect here as well. For instance, if more people are hiring the Peugeot L3 Dropside than the Nissan Nv400, the price of the former will increase.
Luton van hire duration
How long you intend to hire the Luton box will also greatly affect the price you pay. Rental companies make it such that the longer your rental period, the cheaper it will your rate per day becomes. This leaves you in a state of limbo, “Should I book for four days rather than three?” In most cases, it’ll appear that the price difference is worth factoring in your decision.
Your Luton van hire cost for day one will cost a bit more compared to subsequent days. But if you choose to increase the number of days, your price eventually increases but with a small margin. That’s why it’s crucial to plan and know how long you’ll need the Luton van rental. If not certain, you’re better off hiring for more days than paying a heftier extension fee later.
Market competition
Just like it’s a tradition to compare prices when shopping, you should do the same with Luton van hire. Comparing prices from different rental companies can significantly determine how much you pay. Rental companies also keep an eye on their competition’s moves. If they see prices being slashed, they’ll also lower theirs to attract more business.
Seasonality and location
Seasonality and location affect the car rental prices as well as those of Luton van rental. Prices tend to spike in popular areas that flock with tourists or during the peak moving seasons. So, if you plan to use the van during such high-traffic seasons, book your Luton van rental early in advance.
What Are The Requirements For Hiring Luton Van?
When going for a Luton van hire, it’s not just about budgeting the cost and choosing the right size that meets your needs. You also have to meet certain legal requirements as well as rental companies’ policies.
Driving licence
To drive a Luton van with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes, you need at least a Category B driving licence. Examples of vans in the classification include Ford Transit Luton, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Luton, and Volkswagen Crafter Luton. These Luton vans have a payload ranging between 800kg and 1,200kg. This, combined with their unladen weight, should not exceed 3,500kg.
However, if you intend to hire and drive a heavy-duty Luton van weighing more than 3.5 tonnes but less than 7.5 tonnes, you’ll need a Category C1 driving licence. Some of these include Iveco Daily Luton, Renault Master Luton, and MAN TGL Luton. For any other with GVW higher than 7.5 tonnes, you’ll need a Category C driving licence.
Age limit
While the minimum age requirement for a standard Category B driving licence is 17 years, the same doesn’t apply when hiring a van. Most rental companies have 25 years as the minimum age to hire a Luton van.
Insurance
Luton van rentals are often covered by insurance, which extends to your hire package. Most vans also have a Collision Damage Waiver policy that puts a limit on the amount of liability in case of an accident to the amount of excess. Most rental companies in the UK have £1,000 as the excess amount.
Some rental companies may offer optional insurance protection to cover you against this excess. That means if an accident occurs and the liabilities are more than the excess figure, you’ll still be covered.
Full tank policy
Most Luton van rental companies also implement a fuel tank policy. This means that when collecting the van, it will have a full tank, and you should return it in the same state. You’ll be allowed to refuel within a 10-mile radius when returning the vehicle to the rental company.
With everything set, ensure you choose a rental company with a fleet of modern Luton vans. This ensures that you enjoy advanced safety features such as stability control systems, ABS brakes, steering wheel airbags, and stereo systems.
Enjoy the Cheapest Luton Van Hire Cost at Bobs Luton Vans
Ready to get behind the wheels of a Luton van for the first time? Bobs Luton Vans offers the largest collection of modern Luton van rentals at unbeatable prices. Choose from a wide variety of load space, payloads, and advanced safety features to meet your business or transportation needs. Call 01513477677 or schedule a call back to get started with your Luton van hire today.