Top tips to make the most of your van hire

Need to transport furniture to your new home or office? Been shopping on Facebook Marketplace or eBay and need to collect something? Perhaps you’ve renovated the garden and want to take unwanted items to the tip?

Here at PSD Vehicle Rental, we specialise in van hire in St Helens and cover the surrounding areas, including Warrington. We will do everything we can to make the process as straightforward as possible by providing a van that’s thoroughly checked and valeted before you drive it.

However, there are a few things you can do when loading it to ensure you utilise the space efficiently and get the most out of your van hire.

Allow us to offer a few tips to help you organise items in your van – minimising trips and enabling you to transport goods with confidence.

·         Select your van size

First of all, you need to decide on a suitable vehicle for your van hire in St Helens.

At PSD, we supply seven popular van classes, including:

• compact vans
• short wheelbase vans
• long wheelbase vans
• extra-long wheelbase vans (jumbo)
• 3.5 ton tippers
• 3.5 ton box tail lifts
• 7.5 ton box tail lifts

You must consider your load carefully, as driving with items hanging out the back or over the sides is illegal, and you could be charged for dangerous driving.

If you’re unsure how many items you’ll be transporting, it’s a sensible idea to go up a size. This way, you’ll be able to fit everything in and close the doors.

·         Load larger items first

Once you’ve decided on a van size, the next step is to load it with the biggest and bulkiest items.

Pushing them up against the van’s cabin will help distribute the weight evenly, making vehicle handling easier and safer.

Slotting items together (i.e. fitting a chest of drawers between the legs of your dining table and wedging a footstool between your bed and bedside tables) will help to free up space and stabilise your goods, preventing any unnecessary movement when you set off.

For items that are closely compacted, we suggest wrapping them in bubble wrap or padding them out to prevent scratching.

·         Stand long or narrow items on their side

Mattresses, mirrors, wardrobes, and other items that are long or narrow should be on their sides against the walls of your van.

Loading them this way will prevent them from taking up valuable floor space in the back – allowing you to squeeze more in.

Propping them up against the side of the van prevents them from wobbling and breaking along the journey.

·         Use soft items to protect other items

Soft furnishings, such as rugs, duvets, and curtains, can easily be folded up and squashed into the boot of a car. However, it’s worth seeing if there are any items that you could cover and protect in the van.

For example, wrapping soft items around a metal wardrobe rail or curtain pole will prevent them from clinking every time you drive around a bend. It will also free up space by packing two things as one – allowing you to get the absolute most out of your van hire in St Helens.

·         Stack storage boxes on top of each other

Putting everything in boxes and labelling them is a great idea if you’re moving house. Not only will you be able to tell what’s inside each box without opening them, but it’ll make it easier for you to decide which room to put them in when unloading the van.

You could slide boxes beneath tables and chairs to utilise the space efficiently, but most vans don’t have a rear window, meaning you can pile boxes up to the ceiling.

Although this space can be difficult to reach, it’s likely to save you the hassle of making endless trips back and forth, which also saves on fuel and is better for the environment.

·         Fill tight spaces with fragile items

If you need van hire to transport delicate items, you don’t want them to roll around too much when you get on the road.

Consider loading anything fragile or expensive onto the van last to ensure heavier objects don’t damage them.

Depending on their size, you may be able to squeeze them into tight spaces between larger items on your hired van. Bear in mind that if there isn’t enough room (or you don’t trust they’ll be safe) in the back of the van, you can always use the passenger footwells in the cabin to transport cherished possessions.

Arrange your van hire in St Helens with PSD today

With a comprehensive fleet of high-quality vans at our disposal, we’re confident we can provide the perfect van for your needs – whether it be for private or commercial use.

When you come to PSD Vehicle Rental for van hire in St Helens, you’re guaranteed a professional yet affordable service. Our team has excellent knowledge of the vehicles available, and will take your specific requirements into account to help you to select the ideal model.

To make the process of hiring a van as simple and stress-free as possible, we offer a free delivery and collection service.

We offer flexible rentals, too – meaning you can hire one of our reliable vans on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis!

For more information about our van hire services in St Helens, or to enquire about hiring one of our vans, feel free to give us a call on 0345 222 1022.