With the recent data from the Freight Transport Association (FTA) showing that half of all vans on the roads over three years old are unroadworthy, Europcar is urging businesses to consider van hire as a cost-effective, flexible, and most importantly, safe alternative to running a fleet of older vans.

The FTA study found that there was an almost 50% failure rate on first time MOTs for vans, which Europcar believes demonstrates it is not always best for a business to run its own fleet of vans.

As the industry changes, van rental can offer a solution which not only provides newer vans for use, but is also more flexible for a changing market, reports Europcar.

Ken McCall, managing director of Europcar UK Group, said: “These figures from the FTA go to illustrate something that has been known within the industry for a long time – businesses are holding onto vans for longer, without having them properly maintained.

“This is a false economy for businesses at a time when costs are all important – as eventually the vans will either breakdown or fail their MOT.

“Rental provides the answer. Vans that are on average under nine months old and maintained to the highest standard are available at short notice, providing a flexible fleet of vehicles for usage which can actually save businesses money.”

Listening to the changing needs of its customers, Europcar has recently undertaken a rapid expansion in its van network and portfolio of products.

These innovations include increasing the number of locations where vans are available to 172 across the UK, extending operational hours and offering a discount of 25% for overnight rentals. 

The core make-up of vans on the Europcar fleet has also been enhanced to ensure it remains the leading provider of vans in the UK.

“While it may seem counter-intuitive to some businesses to hire all or part of their van fleet rather than own, the market is changing, and owning and maintaining a costly fleet of vans is no longer the default option,” concluded McCall. 

“Europcar has recognised this change in the behavior of businesses and evolved its van fleet accordingly, taking innovative steps to ensure our vans not only offer a supplementary service to fleets, but are actually a viable alternative.”