How Luton Van Hire Can Support Your Business Endeavours

An iconic design of van that has been around for almost 100 years, the Luton van (suitably named after the town of Luton in Bedfordshire - where it was originally designed) is a considerately designed van that offers practical storage solutions to a range of individuals or businesses and their requirements.

If you run a business, then you, too, may find a Luton van offers convenient support for your business operations and endeavours. To find out more about how this could be the case, then keep reading as we discuss in more detail what a Luton van is, how they may be used and what businesses in particular may benefit from using them.

What is a Luton Box Van?

A Look at Their Configuration

So, what are the features of Luton vans and what differs them from other van types? In regards to its main body, the Luton is a type of box van, meaning it encompasses a large, enclosed cargo area that is box-shaped (hence the name) that sits on top of a chassis cab.

These are designed to offer ample storage, with their large boxy shape offering a convenient loading space that isn’t impacted by the wheel arches and sits taller than the cabin of the van, thus offering more space than a regular cargo van.

A Luton van takes this storage opportunity the extra mile, as it extends the body of the box over the top of the cab - a space that’s known as the Luton box. This box offers additional storage space that otherwise is not typically available nor utilised in other van types, and is convenient for storing smaller items so as to maximise the space available for larger items to be stored in the main body of the van.

The Luton box is often reinforced for protection, as it’s more exposed than the main box. Nowadays, they are also often designed to be sloped down towards the driving cab from the roofline, rather than straight, as this helps to keep the van more streamlined and reduce resistance whilst driving.

Another well-thought aspect of their design is the use of strong yet lightweight materials, such as reinforced plastic or fibreglass, to make the distinctive body of a Luton van. This allows the payload of the van to be maximised whilst still protecting any assets and items that are stored inside it while driving.

Considering that they’re often raised higher off the ground compared to regular cargo vans, many Luton vans are also configured with a tail lift, which helps to make loading and unloading even easier.

Typical Uses of a Luton Van

Thanks to the abundant storage capacities that they offer, Luton vans are commonly used for a wide variety of needs. Some of their common applications include:

• Home and office removals

• Goods transportation

• Clearance services

• Haulage

Whilst the above list includes some of their most common uses, they aren’t limited to these - instead, they offer the flexibility to suit a wide range of needs and uses.

Which Businesses May Benefit from a Luton Van?

Gardeners/Garden Centres

Luton vans are great for gardeners or garden centres, as they’re the ideal size for transporting a range of garden items, such as:

• Large garden pots

• Outdoor furniture

• Trees

• Outdoor cooking appliances

These items can be difficult to deliver or transport in regular cargo vans due to their size, weight and, in many instances, fragility. Not only that, but the extra space over the cabin offered by Luton vans is ideal for storing any necessary smaller items, such as garden tools and essentials.

Furniture Companies

Luton vans are ideal for carrying furniture and other large household goods, such as fridges or washing machines. As such, they make for the perfect delivery van for furniture companies. Furthermore, since many of these vans can be configured with tail lifts, this streamlines the loading and unloading progress, making for easier, more efficient furniture deliveries.

Caterers

Like many other van types, Luton vans can also be subject to specialist conversions to suit specific requirements. One such conversion they’re suitable for is a catering conversion.

They offer plenty of space to install necessary refrigeration, cooking and hygiene equipment, along with offering generous workspace and manoeuvrability inside the van, whilst the Luton box is great for practically storing additional items - whether that be personal belongings, additional equipment, spare resources or serving ware (e.g. disposable plates, takeaway boxes, napkins etc.).

Removers

The generous payload and load space offered by Luton vans makes them the perfect solution for removal companies.

They’re able to fit a large range of interior items, from larger pieces of furniture to smaller belongings, all without exceeding the available payload. This allows home or office removals to be streamlined and efficient with easy loading and unloading.

Benefits of Luton Van Hire

Economical Solution

As a business owner, monitoring your cash flow is a key part of your finances, allowing you to keep an eye on both your incomings and outgoings.

By hiring a Luton van for business use, you can account for an accurate and consistent monthly cost to factor into your cash flow forecast each month. This can be much easier to monitor compared to buying a van outright, whereby you’d have to factor in road tax, insurance, breakdown cover and more.

Not only that, but making monthly payments to hire a van is often a much more manageable solution than having to pay one large sum to buy a van. Furthermore, as soon as you buy one, then it will begin to depreciate in value, whereas hiring a van means you won’t be affected by this.

Furthermore, if you do hire a van exclusively for business use, then you may also be eligible to claim back VAT on the cost of doing so.

Reliable Vehicle

When you hire a vehicle, including a Luton van, you will be provided with a modern model that meets stringent safety standards and requirements. As such, you can drive with peace of mind that you’ll be in a van that you can rely on, rather than worrying about potential faults or breakdowns that can subsequently have an impact on your business due to otherwise avoidable downtime and expenses.

Not only that, but many vehicle maintenance responsibilities will be covered by the hire company, taking an additional consideration off your plate.

Flexible Options

Another great thing about van hire is the flexibility it offers - a particularly great benefit for businesses that have ever changing requirements!

For example, if you require the use of your hire van for longer than initially planned, then you can arrange to extend your hire period, or perhaps you no longer need the extensive amount of space offered by a Luton van and instead would benefit from a smaller vehicle, then you could downsize to a smaller vehicle without significant financial repercussions.

Regardless of your needs, hiring your van offers much more flexibility than purchasing one.

Additional Benefits

Many vehicle hire companies will offer generous additional benefits alongside the benefits of hiring that are listed above.

For example, here at Chief Vehicle Rentals, we offer corporate fleet management and accident management services for businesses who use our vehicle hire services. If you require Luton van hire for your business, then our corporate fleet management offers both long and short-term hire to suit your needs, with unlimited mileage allowance and even discounted rates.

Our vehicles are also fitted with cameras and trackers for additional peace of mind for you as a business owner - especially if you’ll be entrusting your employees to drive any hired vehicles.

3.5 Ton Box Vans for Hire in Devon & Birmingham

So, does a Luton box van sound like an ideal vehicle to support your business endeavours? We offer 3.5 ton Luton vans with tail lifts, available for hire at competitive prices for customers in Torbay, Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

As well as Luton vans, we also offer a range of alternative van hire solutions, ranging from compact vans to extra-long wheel-base (XLWB) vans.

To discuss your van hire options or to learn more about our corporate fleet and/or accident management, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with a friendly member of our Torbay or Birmingham branch today - we’re always happy to help!