Driving a van for the first time

You may feel the van strange and intimidating at first, especially if you are hiring a large van, like our Luton style van or extra-long wheel base van.

All of our vans are fairly “easi” to drive and go – all of which have power steering and great ride height vision.

Please take a moment to browse some van driving tips:

Mirrors & vision

All of our vans have no rear-view mirrors as there are no windows to the rear – please ensure you adjust wing mirrors prior to leaving our yard. Please use your mirrors, if in doubt get out and check your clearance.

Familiarise yourself with the workings

Ensure you are aware of lights, wipers and all internal controls, this will help you concentrate on your journey and remember which side your fuel filler is on.

Parking & turning

Keep wider to the centre of the road, but be careful not to stray onto the opposite side or over the white lines.

Is your space big enough first of all? Don’t try and squeeze into a space as it’s highly likely damage may occur.

You may need to take a wider angle to turn into your space so please bear this in mind when you start to turn and use your mirrors as we have already pointed out, they are there to help.

Check either side and if you need to get out of the van to ensure there is nothing to the rear (don’t leave keys in the van – this is asking for trouble not to mention illegal) do so.

Check your speed

Van speed limits MAY be lower than cars so please see our speed limit guide also, but a general rule to follow…

• Built up areas (usually round town driving) 30mph, however there are lots of 20mph zones now enforced.
• Single carriage way (usually routes in / out of town) 40mph rising to 50mph in some areas.
• Duel carriage way, vans are restricted to 60mph (where the limit is set at 70mph)

For a more in depth guide please visit the gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-a-van#check-if-you-can-drive-a-van