What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

The big, household-name van rental fleets do not have a monopoly on wisdom or on a proactive approach to customer service.

Smaller businesses can come up with bright ideas too – which is why What Van? has given its rental company of the year award to County Car & Van Rental.

It has 629 light commercials, trucks and passenger vehicles on its books, far fewer than the thousands and thousands boasted by the big battalions.

“We’re possibly the first rental company in the UK to publish a written fair wear-and-tear guide for daily rental,” says project executive Sara Orritt. “It has helped our customers by reducing the amount of damage that is chargeable.

“We have always abided by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s fair wear-and-tear guide for leased vehicles, but we felt all customers deserved the same consideration,” she continues.

“Furthermore, the rental guide gives a comprehensive list of prices for certain types of damage, so there are no surprises.”

This year has seen the firm expand its fleet. In doing so it has recognised that not everyone wants an ordinary panel van; some customers have more bespoke requirements that need to be satisfied. It is now offering seven-seater crew-cab tippers as a consequence, among other more specialised vehicles. Also available is a big-capacity so-called ‘Jumbo’ Ford Transit, with six seats and a roomy cargo area.

The company has also recognised an increasing problem for the road transport industry: the growing shortage of drivers with the necessary licence entitlement to drive certain larger classes of vehicle.

“This has been a particular issue for fleets that need to operate 17-seater minibuses,” says Orritt. “We have therefore adapted our offering to include drivers for these vehicles, with excellent feedback received from many clients as a result, including St John Ambulance.”

The retention rate for corporate customers is more than respectable – County has worked hard to hang on to them while not neglecting efforts to attract new business. Those efforts have paid off.