Renting a truck for the first time can be a confusing experience. There are a lot of rental companies around, all offering different services, vehicles, rates, and more. Choosing the right truck for you is important when considering your budget, your needs, the length of rental, and so much more. However, it might seem like a daunting prospect: how long should you rent this removal truck for? Do you need a special license? How will you get everything stored correctly? Renting any type of vehicle comes with special terms and conditions and other need-to-know information, and you must be aware of these before you sign a lease contract. At Southern Cross Truck Rentals, we want you to have an easy truck rental experience, which is why we design our rental agreements with you in mind. Read this blog to find out everything you need to know about truck rentals.
Southern Cross Truck Rentals (SCTR) is a rental company with a difference. We aim to provide reliable, clean, and fully-serviced trucks to people and businesses, seven days a week, for short and long-term hire. We want to be able to share our expertise and knowledge with you. Read this blog for our guide on where to start and everything you need to know about truck rentals.
Compare Rental Companies
There are many companies in and around Australia. These truck rental companies are all different, so it’s important to consider these differences before signing up for an agreement with one. Consider any upfront fees, different contract types, as well as more technical aspects like paying per kilometre, and so much more.
It’s important to learn and understand these elements prior to signing any type of lease. It’s also necessary to read reviews online for any impartial comments about what it is like to rent from different companies. Try and look on sites like Google for example, rather than the website itself. These reviews are unfiltered so you know that they are honest and unbiased.
At SCTR, we strive to make the rental process as simple as possible for our customers. That is why we design each agreement with you in mind and make a unique contract for every customer we have. Whether you need a driver, a specific truck, a return process, or anything else, we can create something that works for you. While we have a lot of this information on our site, we also would be happy to talk it through with you on the phone whenever you need it.
Consider Your Type of Vehicle
There are many types of trucks that would be available for hire. When looking at your truck type, consider what it is that you need. If you rent a truck that is too small, it is likely that you’ll need to do multiple trips, which would be time-consuming and potentially cost more in the long run, particularly if you are running to a tight schedule. However, larger trucks are more difficult to drive, and some need a special license. These are all important elements to consider when hiring a truck. At Southern Cross Truck Rentals, we have a wide range of vehicles available for hire. This is because we understand that there are different truck sizes for all kinds of situations. Some of our truck options are:
- Delivery vans
- Pantech trucks
- Tautliner Trucks.
Our vans range is a great option for those with fewer items that need to be transported. This could be great for a small company looking to manoeuvre a few items, or a single person hoping to move house.
Pantech trucks are a larger option for those that have more items they need to move from one location to another. With different sized options available, you can ensure that your personal and professional items can move from one unit to another safely and securely in one journey.
Our Tautliner trucks are the largest option we have available at SCTR. These are ideal for those moving offices or business spaces or large families requiring ample space to move all their belongings.
Talk Through Your Options With the Rental Company
Talking with a rental truck expert would be a great way to help you make your decision. Every company is an expert at their own fleet of trucks and would be able to provide valuable advice to you if you call ahead and discuss your options. It’s wise to book a truck in advance so that you have plenty of options of vehicle and time to consider what kind of truck you’d like to hire. You’d also need to consider if you need any added extras, like packing tools, as well as potentially a driver hire along with your vehicle rental. These are all options that many companies provide, so make sure to ask ahead of time so that you get the best package deal for you.
At SCTR, we are happy to talk through all types of trucks that you might need. We also provide driver hire for our larger vehicles, so that you can feel safe and comfortable while renting a truck from our company.
Assess the Safety Measures
It’s important to consider all safety aspects when renting a truck. There are certain things to consider like insurance and breakdown cover. Ask your rental company whether these are included with your lease, or if it’s a paid add on that you need to purchase at the time of signing the lease.
You may also consider a driver hire. These can likely be hired with any type of truck, but are particularly important for larger trucks so that you feel safe while renting your truck. Larger trucks often can only be driven with a specific license, so if you don’t have this, you’ll need to assess other options.
Finally, consider the fleet itself. Research whether the rental company regularly maintains the trucks as well as invests in new vehicles regularly. Obviously, newer and well-maintained trucks are less likely to run into trouble while on the road.
At SCTR, we are happy to provide insurance for all our rental trucks, no matter how long the lease period is. Plus, we have 24/7 emergency roadside assistance for all of our rental agreements, so that you’re always protected should something happen. Our truck rentals all come with a driver hire option, which we are happy to include in the rental agreement. Finally, our fleet is constantly maintained, and we regularly invest in new vehicles as and when they are needed.
Good Customer Service
We cannot overstate the importance of good customer service when it comes to truck rental providers. You are hiring a vehicle, so you need to feel safe in the knowledge that you can easily access it with the customer service team if you have any queries, concerns, or need help of any kind. Plus, in the case of an accident, emergency, or breakdown, you know that help will be provided as soon as possible.
Truck rental can be a tough process. It’s likely that you may not have hired many trucks before, and need a simple and easy process to go through. When looking at rental truck companies, you need to consider different companies, and look at their types of offerings. Plus, look at reviews and see what other people have been saying about the company itself. Consider the additions that come with any rental, like insurance, breakdown cover, driver hire, and packing items, too. All of these factors will make your rental process easier.
With Southern Cross Truck Rental, we want your truck rental experience to be as pain-free as possible. Give one of our friendly team a call today to see how we can help with your rental truck needs in Sydney and beyond!