Can you switch rental vehicles during a long-term hire?

When you take out a long-term hire, by definition it generally means planning ahead for weeks or even months at a time. So, it makes sense that there are some instances in which the car or van that choose at the start may not necessarily still be the correct choice a bit further down the line. There can be all sorts of reasons for that – jobs can change, contracts can grow, and personal or business circumstances can move in different directions.

If that’s the case though, don’t worry! If you’re wondering whether you can switch vehicles during a long-term hire, you absolutely can – and we do everything we can to make the entire process as straightforward and easy as we can here at Intack Self Drive.

How we can manage vehicle changes during a long-term hire

It’s not a complicated process – you may already know what car or van you want to switch to, in which case it’s just a case of letting us know, and we can get the process started. Alternatively, if you need any help or advice, one of our team will be happy to assist there, too. You can tell us what has changed in your work or personal plans, and we can match you to something that fits better - potentially based on factors like the types of jobs you’re doing, the loads you’re carrying, and the routes you’re driving.

Then, we can go through your agreement, confirm the options available, and iron out a couple of the finer detailed with you. We can then help to plan the switch as best we can around your schedule, so the change doesn’t disrupt your day. Finally, we’ll make sure the new vehicle is prepared before you arrive. That means it’s serviced, fuelled, cleaned, and ready to drive away as soon as you need it. In short, everything we do is designed to ensure that the change feels easy for you!

4 common reasons for switching vehicles

There are lots of reasons why your requirements might change during a long-term hire, and we’ve helped customers with a wide variety of them over all our years in operation here at Intack Self Drive. These are some of the most common situations where some people choose to switch.

You may need more space for bigger jobs

A short wheelbase van can be a strong choice when you start out, largely because it’s quite so versatile – but sometimes you may find it’s not that suitable for some of the largest jobs or bulkier loads. So, you may decide it makes sense to move up to a larger vehicle instead. Doing this can give you the load space to handle everything in fewer trips, and it can open the door to more contracts by giving you the capacity to take them on.

You may want a smaller and more manageable option

A large van is perfect for larger loads, but it can be trickier to manoeuvre in smaller spaces, and if you’re consistently not filling it to capacity, you may decide it’s not as cost-effective as a smaller van – in which case it makes sense to downsize to something smaller. That enables you to enjoy easier driving, better fuel efficiency, and potentially less hassle with parking or navigating narrow roads.

You’re looking for different in-cab features

Spending long hours on the road can be tough, and the vehicle you’re in makes a big difference. You might be looking for something with roomier in-cab storage for example, or connectivity features to stay in touch when you’re out on the road. Sometimes it may be something as simple as a reversing camera, if you think there’s a good chance you might otherwise struggle in the environments in which you plan to be driving. Whatever the case, we’ll always accommodate as far as we can!

How does flexibility make long-term hire easier?

Flexibility makes life easier in a range of ways, which is why it’s always a top priority of ours here at Intack Self Drive. We provide more than 450 vehicles to choose from, so you’ve got plenty of choice for the one that feels right for your work. And of course, if you need a bit of help working out exactly which one might suit your requirements, one of our friendly team is always here to help.

Obviously, ideally we want you to choose the right vehicle at the beginning of your hire, but we also understand that circumstances change, so we’ll always try and help you switch your vehicle if you need to. Flexibility is so important to us that we’ve even built an entire service around it – namely our flexi hire service, which gives you even more freedom to adapt. This option allows you to keep a vehicle for as long as you need and hand it back when you no longer do, without the same level of commitment as a traditional long-term hire. It gives you room to adjust around your business cycles, seasonal demand, or personal plans.

In every case, our goal is to give you the flexibility that keeps your hire useful, manageable, and aligned with what you’re actually doing. Whether it’s choosing from our range at the start, getting advice along the way, or making a change mid-hire, we’re here to make sure the vehicle you’re driving always supports your needs. If you’ve got any questions, you can find some answers on our FAQs page, or you can even just give us a call on 01254 57811 – our team is always happy to help! Alternatively, if you’re ready to hire a van today, head on over to our van hire page. Let’s get you on the road!