Can I hire a van? Restrictions and considerations

You may be a seasoned driver with a six-figure mileage under your belt – perhaps even more. But does this mean you can simply pull up and rent a large van, low-loader or Luton?

Well, it's not a straight "no". However, it's also not a given that anyone with a driving licence can rent any vehicle they please.

So, let's have a look at what the determining factors actually are. With a little help from our van hire experts, you'll be loading up and hitting the road in no time.

Van weight and licence restrictions

There are different types of driving licences in the UK.

Most of us passed our driving test in a car with a manual transmission and don't have to drive heavy goods vehicles for work. That's why most of us have a Category B licence.

Category B is the standard car licence. It allows you to drive any automatic or manual car and most small vans – although the definition of "small" is quite broad, as we'll see.

If you hold a Category B licence and you passed your test after 1 January 1997, you're allowed to:

• Drive vehicles with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 3.5 tonnes or less
• Drive vehicles with up to eight passenger seats (as long as they meet the MAM above)
• Tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3.5 tonnes

Things are a little different if you passed your test before 1 January 1997. If so, you can drive any combination of vehicle and trailer with a combined MAM of up to 8.25 tonnes.

Now, before you go and hire the nearest monster truck, we need to explain this "MAM" thing.

Maximum authorised mass does not mean the weight of the vehicle itself. It refers to the total allowed weight of the vehicle and all its cargo.

For instance, a Luton van might have an unladen weight of 2.5 tonnes but a MAM of 3.5 tonnes. This means you're allowed to drive the van on a Category B licence and carry up to one tonne of cargo. Simple.

Now, if this all seems a bit confusing, don't worry. The good news is that the vast majority of vans you'll find to rent in the UK have a MAM of 3.5 tonnes or less and so can be driven on a Category B licence. That includes sizable Luton vans – so you should have no trouble handling most haulage jobs.

However, there are exceptions – so it's worth checking.

If you need to drive a larger vehicle, you'll need a Category C licence. This comes in various flavours – but the short version is that Category C allows you to drive vehicles with a MAM of over 3.5 tonnes.

Age and penalty point restrictions

When you hire a van, there may be a few extra conditions compared to a car rental that could rule out certain groups of people. This includes younger drivers and anyone who has excessive points on their licence.

These conditions vary from hire firm to hire firm – and are largely based on whether a driver is eligible for insurance cover on the firm's policy.

Here's an easy checklist of our qualifying conditions for van rental:

• All drivers, including named drivers, must be at least 21 years of age. 
• We cannot insure anyone with more than six penalty points on their licence. For anyone aged between 21 and 24, this reduces to three penalty points.
• Anyone who has a driving ban or their licence revoked within the last 10 years is ineligible for insurance cover.

Picking up your hire van

So now you know if you're eligible to rent, what does the pickup process look like?

If you've rented a car with us before, then you'll know we have a quick and easy pick-up process. You'll just need to present a few documents to confirm your identity:

• A valid UK driving licence. If you have the old-style paper license, you'll also need to bring a valid passport with at least six months left before the expiry date.
• Two proofs of address dated within the last three months. These can include utility bills, council tax statements and bank or credit card statements. They must be addressed to the renter at their current address. 
• A DVLA check code. You'll need to generate this yourself ahead of collection. You can do this by visiting the UK Government website.

Remember that this step can be done in advance. Simply send copies of your documents by email to info@mvhrental.co.uk

By this point, you're ready to collect your rental van from MVH. What does the rest of the process look like?

It's not identical to car rental. There are two key differences to be aware of once you're booked in and ready to collect the keys.

1. Van deposit policy: drivers aged 21 to 25 will need to make a deposit of £500. For those over the age of 25, this is reduced to £250. Note that these charges apply to the main driver only, not any named drivers on the policy. 
2. Van mileage limits: all our vans are offered with a daily mileage limit of 250 miles with a cap of 2,400 miles per 28-day period. (That's a lot! In fact, that's Land's End to John o' Groats nearly three times).

Great – you've done it! Now you're ready to hit the road in your new van rental.

But just before you get started, here's a short guide to being a competent and courteous van driver that may help you out on the road.

First-time van drivers: things to be aware of

1. Getting comfortable in the cockpit. It's different! You'll be seated a lot higher and probably in a more upright driving position than the one you're used to. You'll access the controls from a different angle too – and have a different view of the road and road users around you.
   
   
2. Blind spots. They're bigger and there are a few new ones, so get to know which parts of the vehicle have reduced visibility. The obvious one is to the rear as you probably won't have a rear-view mirror. Over-the-shoulder blind spots are also larger and passing vehicles may be out of sight for longer. 
   
   
3. Most vans come with a manual gearbox and diesel fuel system. Remember this when filling up. Adding the incorrect fuel to an engine can be catastrophic and will at best slow your trip down while you wait for a mechanic.
   
   
4. Taking wide turns. The longer your vehicle, the more you'll drag the rear axle when taking turns. This means your back wheels follow inside the path of your front wheels. Be careful when taking tight turns or corners and avoid clipping curbs, bollards or parked vehicles with the rear side panel of the van.
   
   
5. Loading and unloading. Planning your load will save you time and protect your cargo. Be efficient with space: always keep heavy items low and be sure to tie down loose cargo.

Looking for friendly, affordable van rentals in Newcastle? MVH Rental has a large fleet of vans available for short or long-term hire, including options for commercial customers. Get in touch today to start your journey.