Car Blog

Like you, we understand that one commercial vehicle isn’t the same as the next. With so many variations available, the pick up truck or van you choose should be closely matched to your profession. Here’s a short selection of some of the most popular Mazda pick ups we service and some snippets of what Mazda says about them.

What Mazda say about the BT-50 pick up truck:

“The BT-50 is a versatile pick up truck that takes rocky roads and heavy loads in its stride. Positioned as an athletic alternative to an SUV, the Mazda pick-up can be a rugged workhorse or weekend warrior, because it is built to handle all kinds of loads and can withstand harsh terrain. Mazda say that although the BT-50 is a pick up truck, it handles like a car and is incredibly easy to drive, even when you leave the road behind.

Mazda also say that the BT-50 pick up truck won’t be outclassed for comfort and also features an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) for safety.

These pick up trucks come with a choice of common-rail turbo diesel engines and Mazda boast a class-leading towing capacity of up to 3,000kg for the BT-5- pick up.” continue reading…

Like you, we understand that one pick up truck, van or light commercial vehicle isn’t the same as the next. With so many variations available, the vehicle you choose should be closely matched to your profession. Here’s a short selection of some of the most popular Mitsubishi light commercial vehicles we service and some snippets of what Mitsubishi says about them.

What Mitsubishi say about the L200 pick up truck:

“The L200 range of pick up trucks brings a whole new concept of car-like space and comfort in the shape of a truck. Since Mitsubishi launched this double cab pick up truck in 1997, they have become legendary leaders of the pack. The new L200 represents a design revolution, says Mitsubishi, with a brand new engine, new suspension, steering and drive-train packed into the most stunning, spacious, manoeuvrable, comfortable, car-like pick-up yet. continue reading…

Like you, we understand that one white van isn’t the same as the next. With so many variations available, the van you choose should be closely matched to your profession. Here’s a short selection of some of the most popular Nissan vans we service and some snippets of what industry commentators say about them.

What independent commentators say about the Nissan range of vans:

“Servicing the light commercial vehicle sector has been transformed for Nissan in recent years, thanks to its partnership with Renault.

The Nissan range of vans is produced by parent company Renault. By simply making some minor cosmetic changes, Nissan has a competitive range of light commercial vans without the R&D costs associated with developing their own range. The Nissan Interstar van is a large panel closely resembling the Renault Master. As well as the Interstart there is the smaller Primastar van, which services a slightly different sector. The Nissan Primastar is based on the Renault Trafic van. Meanwhile, Nissan has more recently launched the Kubistar. Like the other vans in the range, the Nissan Kubistar borrows from its Renault counterpart, but gives Nissan a popular and competitive base for operating within the UK commercial vehicle market.” continue reading…

Like you, we understand that one white van isn’t the same as the next. With so many variations available, the van you choose should be closely matched to your profession. Here’s a short selection of some of the most popular Suzuki vans we service and some snippets of what independent commentators say about them.

What independent commentators say about the Suzuki Carry van:

“Servicing the urban and light load market, the versatility of the Suzuki Carry van makes it an ideal solution. The Carry is a value for money alternative to a full-sized panel or car-derived van, whilst its compact size makes it ideal for parking in tight spaces and business use in and around town.

Although having compact external dimensions, the purpose built Suzuki Carry has a deceptively large load area, because unlike car based competitors, the Suzuki Carry doesn’t suffer from wheel arch intrusion. The five wide opening doors have also been designed for easy loading. With its 1.3 engine the Suzuki Carry van should also prove cost-effective to run, making it a practical alternative to more traditional panel vans or car-based vans.” continue reading…

Like you, we understand that one white van isn’t the same as the next. With so many variations available, the van you choose should be closely matched to your profession. Here’s a short selection of some of the most popular Toyota vans we service and some snippets of what Toyota and people in the industry say about them.

What independent commentators say about the Toyota Hiace van:

“Whilst the Toyota van range is rather limited, it offers the Toyota reputation of reliability. The Toyota Hiace is available in both short and long wheelbase models with gross weights of either 2.8 or 3 tonnes, top payload of 1,170kg to 1,180kg and a four-cylinder 2.5-litre D-4D diesel engine producing either 95 or 117 bhp. The Toyota Hiace’s has a 7m3 cargo area that can be accessed through the rear doors or a sliding nearside door.

Standard interior features include a height-adjustable driver’s seat, armrest, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, electric heated door mirrors, electric windows, CD player with MP3 input and a driver’s airbag.” continue reading…

Like you, we understand that one white van isn’t the same as the next. With so many variations available, the van you choose should be closely matched to your profession. Here’s a short selection of some of the most popular Vauxhall vans we service and some snippets of what Vauxhall says about them.

What Vauxhall say about the Astravan:

“A true driver’s van offering superb comfort. The Astravan is servicing those who appreciate performance and handling, as well as owning a solid, dependable and UK built van.”

What Vauxhall say about the Corsavan:

“The Vauxhall Corsavan is a sporty van with a muscular rear and purposeful front end. The Corsavan services those who wish to make a clear statement when they arrive, but need a true purpose-built van with a serious payload capacity.”

What Vauxhall say about the Combo:

“The Vauxhall Combo, servicing those who demand both space and versatility, was winner of the 2008 Van Fleet World ‘Best Light Van’ award. Vauxhall say that the Combo is the perfect solution for light commercial vehicle operators.” continue reading…

What Affects the Cost of Van Insurance?

Ultimately there are many factors which can affect the cost of insuring your van (or vans). Detailed below are a list of key factors which insurers will consider when pricing up your policy:

1. How many vans are to be covered in the policy
2. The weight of the van (s)
3. The make and model of the van (s)
4. Your geographical location
5. The age and experience of the van drivers
6. Whether or not the van drivers are named (or an ‘any driver’ van insurance policy is required)
7. The security of the van(s) – e.g. whether alarms, immobilisers or trackers are installed
8. Claim history
9. What the van will be used for
10. The excess continue reading…

Couriers are usually regarded as “high risk” for motor insurers. Van drivers statistically have a higher accident rate than private vehicles, their exposure on the roads is far greater than that of a private motor car, therefore dramatically increasing the chances of a road traffic incident. The vehicles are more often than not owned by a company or fleet and drivers are less likely to worry about the damage they may cause to the vehicle.

Courier van drivers, also referred to as the ‘White van man’ are notoriously known for being involved in road traffic accidents. Couriers can be up against tight pick up and delivery time slots, and some are even incentivized on the amount of collections and deliveries they make. This can encourage the drivers to race around town and hence are prone to more incidents. Insurers take this into consideration when quoting this type of risk and the premiums quoted are a reflection of the claim statistics.

Some of the common accidents that van couriers typically experience include:

• Scrapes & Scratches – which commonly occur to the paintwork of the car or van.
• Chips & Breaks – from broken lights to chips in the windscreen
• Wear and tear – the durability of the van to wear and tear that occurs within the courier industry. One can typically expect:
  • The replacement of tyres
  • The replacement of brake discs/pads continue reading…

Man and Vans website is extremely well-designed and easy to navigate. The yellow and black colour scheme conjours the right mood and atmosphere of a removals service (ie no nonsense, clean-looking and strong). One of the most interesting features of the website is the blog, which is updated very regularly and full of interesting and thought-provoking as well as titillating) subjects and information. One of the funniest and informative messages was one which warned customers about the dangers of trusting your possessions in the hands of cowboy man and vans services. Accompanying this was a hilarious image of a white van with the words Removals, and Call Us, etched into the side of the vehicle in what appeared to black marker Pen written in a rather childish hand. This is just one example of the equally informative and amusing nature of the man and vans blogs.

The most recent installment tells the reader about a new game from the fetchfido.co.uk creators, which allows you to drive a white van yourself and experience (allbeit not a true to life experience) some of the trials and hurdles facing a white van driver. I tried out this game myself and although it was certainly amusing, I wouldn’t recommend it as a training programme for any budding white van drivers! The cartoon figure inside the van, remains for the most part hidden from view, aside from a pair of slightly offensive fingers which emerge intermittently to make rude signs at other vehicles on the road. There are also exclamations of words like Muppet and other less sanitary phrases that I wouldn’t dare mention here! continue reading…

Temperature controlled vehicles or the refrigerated vans are very useful vehicles in certain cases. If you need to hire a refrigerated van, you should hire one that is most modern, clean and well maintained. Here follows the necessary steps you should take before hiring a refrigerated van within the UK.

Who needs refrigerated vans

We have already discussed about the types of works done by the refrigerated vans. On the basis of the services provided by the freezer vans mainly major supermarkets, food manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and local retailers use the refrigerated vans. Apart from these, the refrigerated vans are also useful for fishmongers, butchers, bakeries and sandwich producers as well as other trades such as foodservice, pharmaceuticals etc.

Choose the good company

At first, try to find out a really good quality refrigerated van rental company. Choose a company that provides refrigerated van hire throughout the United Kingdom and has a tradition of providing swift, friendly and satisfactory professional service. Hire the company that has nationwide collection and delivery. There are really some good companies that provide vehicles depending on the diverse needs of individual users and small to medium businesses and offer a fast, flexible, efficient, quality service. Experience is a must continue reading…