Driving and Loading a Van
Many of the people who rent a van from Thrifty Van Rental Cork, it is their first experience of either driving a van or loading a van. This short guide provides some tips about driving a van safely and how best to load the van.
Driving a Van
Driving a van is a very different experience to driving a car. The driving position is considerably higher and you sit very close to the front of the vehicle. There may not be any rear view mirror available in many of the vans on our fleet which is something that takes time to get used to. Drivers of vans will have to be much more vigilant on the road, particularly in relation to motorbikes and cyclists.
Above all, you will be driving a vehicle that is much bigger and wider than what you normally drive and as such corners will have to negotiate differently than you would in a regular car. The main cause of damage to vans happens when a vehicle clips a wall / gate when the driver doesn't approach the turn with enough width. The speed at which you take turns also has to be adjusted. The centre of gravity in a van is much higher than in a regular car, and your cargo could easily be disturbed or even damaged if the van tilts too much while going around bends.
Loading a Van
While loading a van may seem like an easy thing to do, there are considerations that should be kept in mind. Careful packing of the van will improve the stability of the load and also save space. Cardboard, blankets, newspaper, cushions, pillows and bubble wrap are ideal to pad any areas of the van you are worried about, and to stop the possible movement of the boxes during the journey.
It is advisable to load the larger and weightier items into the van first and to place them against the front wall of the van. This will make sure these items are stable during transit and also placed close to the centre of gravity of the van. Pack smaller items around these larger items to both use up space and secure them. Keep in mind that the sliding door will more than likely be used to unload these bigger items so make sure that your cargo is packed in such a way as when the doors open it doesn't fall out.
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Thrifty Van Rental Dublin, Old Airport Road, Cloghran, Co Dublin, Ireland.
TEL: +353 1 844 1944 FAX: +353 1 844 1915
Email: rent@vanrentaldublin.com Copyright © 2006 Thrifty Van Rental Dublin All Rights Reserved