An early start on a cold day brings a few extra jobs before you even pull away, and driving a hire van on frosty mornings asks for a little more time and care than the same trip in milder weather. If you are collecting for an early job and have arranged van hire in Warrington on a morning when the windscreen is iced over and the roads are still white, the difference between a calm start and a stressful one is almost always down to preparation. A taller, heavier van behaves differently from your car in the cold, and knowing that before you set off keeps the first hour of the day on track.
Getting Going Safely on a Cold Morning
The temptation on a frosty morning is to clear a small porthole in the screen and go, but a van’s larger glass area makes full visibility even more important than it is in a car. Give yourself time to clear the whole windscreen, the side windows and both mirrors properly, let the demister do its work and check the lights are clean and clear before you move. None of this can be rushed when you are running to a fixed collection or delivery slot, which is the real reason to set off earlier than usual rather than trying to make the time back on the road. Our depot opens at 8am Monday to Saturday, so if you are collecting first thing on a cold morning, build in a few extra minutes at both ends of the journey.
How a Loaded Van Handles on Ice
Frost and ice change how any vehicle stops and steers, and a van is no exception. A loaded van carries more momentum and needs a longer distance to pull up than a car, so leave a much bigger gap to whatever is in front and brake gently and early rather than late and hard. Steering and accelerator inputs should be smooth, because sudden movements are what break traction on a slippery surface. Worth remembering too is that bridges, flyovers and exposed stretches freeze before ordinary roads, so the open sections around Warrington stay treacherous longer than sheltered town-centre streets. For the deeper detail on winter driving technique, our guide on how to stay safe in snow and ice goes further than there is room for here.
Choosing a Van You Are Comfortable With in Winter
If the conditions are poor and you are not used to driving something larger, it helps to take a van you will feel settled in. A long wheelbase high roof van gives plenty of load space for a winter job while still being straightforward to handle, and our team can talk you through the controls and visibility before you drive away so nothing is a surprise once you are out in the cold. Every van on the fleet sits within 3.5 tonnes and drives on an ordinary category B car licence, so you are not taking on an unfamiliar class of vehicle on top of difficult conditions.
Be Ready Before You Collect
A frosty morning runs more smoothly when the paperwork is already sorted, so bring your photocard driving licence and your DVLA check code so we can confirm your entitlement quickly and get you on your way, and our note on what to bring when you collect your hire van covers the rest. There is no deposit to find on most of the fleet and secure on-site car parking while the van is out, and our central depot at Cockhedge is easy to reach whether you are in town or coming in from Winwick van hire or Westbrook van hire. If the weather is genuinely severe, it is always worth asking whether the trip has to be made that day at all.
To check availability for a winter hire or talk through which van suits the conditions, call us on 01925 396 222, or get in touch through the contact us page and we will help you plan a cold-weather collection that goes smoothly.
