Probably the most important consideration for fleet operators today is that of safety. If you operate a fleet, you now have to comply with a plethora of rules and regulations, and these can vary depending upon where you need to go. Both national and local government bodies, together with big employers, take safety extremely seriously.

However, there is one advantage for fleet operators in that, if you do comply with all the rules and regulations, then you stand a much better chance of winning contracts.

If you need to take an HGV into Greater London, then you need it to have Class V and Class VI mirrors which provide a better view around it to spot pedestrians and cyclists. It also has to have side guards, as these help to prevent a cyclist from being dragged under the vehicle. If the vehicle does not have these, then a fixed penalty notice of £50 can be issued, which is not huge, but nonetheless unwelcome, but this can increase to £1,000 in a magistrates court. You can also be reported to the Traffic Commissioner which can revoke your operating licence.

Direct Vision Standard

If a vehicle is over 12 tonnes it also needs a Direct Vision Standard. This measures how well the driver can see from inside the cab. If a vehicle is non-compliant, the fine in this case is £550 for each breach. Certainly, it is possible to retrofit things such as the windows in the lower half of the doors, but that can be costly. Other things include camera systems, audible left turn warnings, and rear warning signs, but again there is a big cost involved.

Not only that, but these requirements are now being rolled pout in other cities as well as London, as they jump on the bandwagon of fines and penalties.

All of which means that, when you want to hire a van in Gloucester, or anything larger, you should consider hiring from us at T G Commercials if you are not in a position to upgrade your fleet or only need to go into London, or wherever, occasionally.

When you need to hire a van in Gloucester, the simple fact is that all of the vehicles in our huge fleet are bang up to date and fully compliant with all the latest regulations. So, you can then drive safely to wherever you need to go, secure in the knowledge that you are not going to be receiving any fines simply for being there in the first place.