Working away? Here’s why flexi van hire is the perfect solution for contractors

As a contractor, working away from home is often just part of the job. Whatever the reason, working away can bring a few practical challenges, especially when it comes to getting yourself, your tools and your equipment where they need to be.

If your usual work van is already being used for jobs closer to home, taking it away for a longer project isn't always practical. Equally, buying another van just because you have a contract that requires you to work away for a few weeks or months can be a big commitment for something that may only be temporary.

At Intack Self Drive, we regularly speak to contractors and businesses looking for a more flexible way to get the right vehicle for a specific project. That's where our flexi van hire service can be exactly the solution you’re looking for. With the option to hire a van for a minimum of 28 days and continue for as long as you need it, you can have a reliable vehicle available for the duration of your work without committing to buying or leasing another van.

If you're heading away for work, here are some of the reasons flexi van hire could be the right fit for your business.

You don’t have to buy a van for a temporary project

One of the biggest questions when you’re taking on work away from home is how long you’re actually going to need the extra vehicle. A contract might be agreed for a few months, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the work will continue once the project is finished. You could have another job lined up afterwards, or your workload could return to normal once you’ve completed the contract.

That can make buying another van a difficult decision. You’re committing your business to a vehicle that will continue to cost money long after you’ve finished the work that originally made it necessary. Flexi hire gives you a way to increase your capacity without having to make that decision straight away.

At Intack Self Drive, our flexi hire starts from just 28 days, so you can have a van for the duration of the project and continue the hire if the work carries on. When you no longer need it, you can return it rather than being left with a vehicle that no longer has a place in your fleet.

Keep your existing van where it is

Working away can also have an impact on the rest of your business. If your usual van is already being used for local jobs, taking it several hours away for a long-term contract could leave you trying to manage everything else without the vehicle you normally rely on. This can be difficult if you’ve got other customers to visit, materials to collect or members of your team who still need to get from one job to the next.

Hiring another van means you don’t have to disrupt the work that’s already happening. You can use the hire vehicle for the contract you’re working on while your existing van stays available for your usual jobs. It gives you a bit more room to manage a busy period without having to make a permanent change to the way your business operates.

The right vehicle can make working away easier

The type of work you’re taking on can also determine what sort of van you need. You might normally have everything covered with a standard panel van, but a larger project could mean carrying more tools, equipment and materials than usual. If you’re working away with other members of your team, you may also need a crew van rather than a vehicle designed for one person.

At Intack, we have a large and varied fleet, so you can choose a vehicle around the job you’re taking on rather than making a permanent decision based on a temporary change in your workload. Our vans range from smaller commercial vehicles and Transit Customs through to crew vans, Lutons and larger vehicles, giving you options when the requirements of a project are different from your usual day-to-day work.

You can avoid adding unnecessary mileage to your own van

Long-distance work can put a lot of extra miles onto a vehicle. If you’re travelling several hours to a site and back again, heading home at weekends or moving between different locations during the project, that mileage can quickly add up. Your existing van might be perfectly capable of doing the work, but using it for a long-term project away from home means putting additional wear and tear onto the vehicle you rely on for everything else.

Having a separate hire van gives you another way to manage those journeys. Rather than taking your usual work vehicle away from home for weeks or months, you can have a vehicle that’s there specifically for the project. Once the work is finished, you can return the van and carry on with your normal fleet without having made a permanent change.

Less to worry about while you’re away

When you’re working away from home, there is already plenty to organise. You’ve got the project itself, your team, tools, materials, accommodation and travel to think about, so having another vehicle to maintain and manage can add another layer of responsibility.

With our flexi hire service, servicing and maintenance are included, along with the manufacturer’s warranty and 24-hour breakdown cover. That means you have support in place throughout the hire period rather than having to deal with every aspect of running another vehicle yourself. As a contractor working away from home, having the reassurance of a built-in contingency plan should anything happen can make managing the practical side of the job much easier.

A flexible option when the work takes you further afield

Taking on a contract away from home doesn’t necessarily mean you need to make a permanent change to your fleet. If your existing vehicles are already working hard and you need something extra for a project, flexi van hire lets you increase your capacity without committing to buying another vehicle.

At Intack Self Drive, our flexi van hire service is available from a minimum of 28 days; after that, you can keep the van as long as you like with no set return date to work into your schedule. We have more than 500 vehicles in our fleet, including a wide range of commercial vans, so we can help you find something that fits the job you’re taking on.

If you’ve got a project coming up and need a van to keep things moving while you’re working away, you can browse our available flexi hire vans online or give our friendly team a call on 01254 57811. We’ll be happy to help you find the right vehicle for the job!