Summer is fence and deck season across the North West, and anyone weighing up van hire in Warrington for a garden project quickly finds that long timber and panels do not suit an ordinary panel van. Flatbed van hire for fencing and decking is the answer, because an open load bed lets you carry awkward, oversized materials that simply will not slide through the back doors of a box van. From our depot at Tilley Street beside Asda at the Cockhedge centre we keep more than seventy vehicles on the road, and the open-sided options come into their own the moment you need to move feather-edge boards, gravel boards, posts or decking joists from the merchant to the job.
Why an Open Load Bed Changes the Job
Fencing and decking materials are long, often heavy, and frequently delivered in bundles that are easier to load from the side than to thread through a rear door. An open deck means a forklift at the builders’ merchant can place a banded pack straight onto the bed, and you can strap it down and go. Our flatbed sits within the 3.5 tonne class you can drive on a standard category B car licence, so there is no special entitlement to worry about. The open sides also make unloading at the other end far quicker, because two people can lift boards off from whichever side the van is parked rather than dragging everything the length of an enclosed body. For bulky garden timber, that ease of access is the whole point, and it is the single biggest reason regular landscapers and keen gardeners favour an open bed over a panel van once a job involves anything longer than a couple of metres.
The van built for long timber
Our flatbed dropside van is the natural choice here, with drop-down sides that fold away to give clear access along the full length of the bed. That makes loading three-metre fence posts, decking boards and bagged aggregate a genuinely straightforward task rather than a wrestling match. The dropside walls keep loose materials contained while you drive and then fold flat again when you reach the job, so you get the containment of sides when you want it and the openness of a flatbed when you do not. For a fencing or decking run it gives you the best of both, and it is the vehicle to ask about when you call to book.
Keeping within the weight limit
Timber, gravel boards and bags of postcrete add up in weight surprisingly fast, and a deck’s worth of treated joists is heavier than it looks. Our guide to gross vehicle weight explained sets out how the limit works and why it matters before you load. It is sensible to check roughly how much your materials weigh against what the van can legally carry, and to split a very large order into two trips rather than overloading on one. Postcrete and ballast in particular are dense, so a modest-looking stack can use up a lot of the available payload. Planning the load with the weight in mind keeps the van safe to drive and avoids any trouble on the road home.
Strapping a long, open load safely
An open load demands proper securing, because there are no doors holding anything in. Use the lashing points to strap bundles down firmly, make sure nothing overhangs in a way that could catch or become a hazard, and place the heaviest packs low on the bed with lighter materials on top. Long boards should be tied at more than one point so they cannot pivot or slide, and any small or loose items are better bagged and stowed where they will not blow out on the motorway. Take a slow walk around the load before you leave the merchant, and check the straps again after the first few miles, as bundles can settle once the van is moving.
Close to the trade merchants
Warrington and the surrounding villages are well served by builders’ merchants, and customers around Burtonwood van hire and the western edge of town are handily placed for a quick materials run. A short hop from merchant to garden keeps an open load on the road for the minimum time, which is always preferable with long timber. Plan your collection for when the merchant is quietest if you can, have your strapping ready before the forklift loads you, and think about where the van will park at the job so you can unload close to where the materials are needed. Those small efficiencies turn a fencing or decking collection into an easy morning’s work.
Booking your flatbed
Booking ahead is the simplest way to secure the flatbed on the day your materials are ready, and on selected vehicles a reservation made at least two weeks in advance qualifies for the advance discount shown on our van hire special offers page. We open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 4pm and close on Sundays, there is no deposit on most vehicles, and you bring your photocard licence and a DVLA check code at collection rather than a credit card. Leave your own car in our free secure parking while you are out, and pick short or long term hire to match the project. To check the flatbed is free for your fencing or decking job, call our Warrington team on 01925 396 222.
