Customizing your business hire van: Your van as your brand

You might need to customise your van for compliance, your job requirements, or as part of your brand. For many industries, the condition of your van can make the difference between losing or winning business. The fact is that when your vehicle is out on the road it is a part of your brand. As a result, correctly spec’d and professional-looking vans are an important part of your business.

Can you customise a business hire van?

The short answer is yes. Most vehicle hire companies can provide customisation options. The extent of customisations and extras will usually depend on the length of your contract. It is also reliant on the size, experience and flexibility of your chosen vehicle hire company.

Ad Cap Customisations

Some customisations are required to be made by the manufacturer of the vehicle. In the automotive industry, customisations required to be made by the manufacturer are often referred to as ad cap. For ad cap customisations, it is worth speaking to your chosen vehicle hire company to see whether they are possible.

Semi-Cap Customisations

Other customisations can be fitted at a workshop. At Northgate, we refer to customisations that can be done by a workshop as semi-cap. ‘Semi-cap’ customisations can either be included in the cost of your contract or as an additional extra. When working with an experienced workshop with the right facilities, most semi-cap customisations can be done for business hire vans.

Why customise or worry about the appearance of your van?

First Impressions/Customers

To your customers, the condition of your van can be a reflection on the quality of your service. Dirty, damaged or old vans are unlikely to make a good impression. Imagine you are your customer – what would give you more confidence about the service a company can provide?

A. Well maintained van from a world-leading manufacturer that is professionally liveried
B. Poorly maintained van without any branding

Liveried vans are an effective advertising opportunity

As a 24/7 advertisement for your business, liveried vehicles can be a cost-effective way to raise brand awareness. Companies that make use of any branding opportunities will be more recognisable and look more professional to customers. It can also help to contribute to business opportunities directly.

Tracking the advertising impact of your liveried vehicles

By including a unique website page, social media page/hashtag, or number for customers to call on your vehicles, you can better track the impact of your branding on your bottom-line. In fact, regardless of whether you will be tracking performance or not, including a phone number or website details on your van is good practice – as you probably already know.

Making the most of extras and customisation…

Fit for purpose

You should always start by choosing the right type of vehicle for the job. There are plenty of ways to customises a van make to make the job you need it for easier. For example:

• Does your van make use of interior racking to ensure your tools are neatly organised?• Does your van make use of interior racking to ensure your tools are neatly organised?
• Do your doors have slam locks to ensure your van is secure when you close them – even if you forget to lock them? This can be especially useful for couriers.
• Does your van have a steel bulkhead so that you can store heavy or sharp objects safely?
  
  

Common vehicle customisations/specs

Below, we have listed some commonly requested customisations:

Internal:

• Locks – e.g. Deadlocks or Slamlocks
• Ply-lining
• Steel bulkheads
• Racking - internal rack

External:

• Tow Bars
• Chevrons – Fully Chapter 8 compliant
• Pipe carriers/holders
• Beacons & Hazard Lights
• Racking – Side or roof

How can Northgate help?

You can choose from a range of customisation options on all of our hire vehicles. In fact, we have Ireland’s largest LCV fleet and a selection of vehicles from the world’s leading manufacturers for you to choose from. Here are some of the other benefits:

• Using our network of 4 branches and 21 service partners across Ireland, you can work with our van experts to find a vehicle that’s fully equipped to meet your needs.
• Using our network of 4 branches and 21 service partners across Ireland, you can work with our van experts to find a vehicle that’s fully equipped to meet your needs.
• With a fleet of over 4,500 LCVs, no matter what van you need (small, medium, large or specialist) we are fully capable of meeting your business needs.
• You will gain access to vehicles that are regularly refreshed and that look professional. Newer vehicles mean less vehicle downtime.

See the many benefits of hiring your business vans through Northgate:

Are you interested in a flexible  or long-term business van hire?