A Additional Driver
Where one or more drivers are added to the rental, the second and subsequent driver is referred to as the additional driver. There may be an extra charge for each or all additional drivers.
Airport Surcharge At certain airport locations, an extrta charge may be quoted at the time of reservation.
B Barn Doors The twin rear doors common on most vans – each one opens to the side to the side, just like traditional barn doors. Great for getting tall objects into the rear of the van.
Box Van A van with a square, box shaped body – giving the appearance of having been mounted on top of the van’s chassis, rather than being an original part of the van. These types of vans are also referred to as Luton vans.
C CDW Collision Damage Waiver. Covers the cost of repair if the vehicle is damaged during the rental. Quoted for at the time of reservation as an option.This is also known as Vehicle Damage Cover.
Check-out/Pick-up The time and location at which the rental starts Check-in/Return The time and location at which the rental ends.
Crew Cab A van or pickup with a crew cab has two rows of seats. The front row, (including the driver’s seat and 1 or 2 passenger seats) and a second row, allowing a further two or three passengers to travel in the cab.
I IRF Incident Report Form. Filled in with rental office staff if there’s new damage to the vehicle or any penalties (eg speeding) notified against the vehicle upon it’s return.
L Load Space The cargo carrying area of a van Long Wheel Base (LWB) The wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear wheels – the longer it is, the more you can fit in. LWB vans therefore have a much larger carrying capacity.
Luton A Luton van is a 3.5t van with a box body that extends over the cab. These have a bigger, more flexible load space than a panel van (see below) and are ideal for furniture and household moves.
M Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) The maximum laden weight is the legal maximum total weight (vehicle plus cargo) allowed. Medium Wheel Base (MWB) Medium Wheel Base – halfway between SWB (short wheel base) and LWB (long wheel base) in length.
O One-Way Renting a vehicle at one location and to returning it another is referred to as a one-way rental. P Panel Van A standard van, with a paneled body that is similar to a car body. (eg Ford Transit) Payload The maximum load weight a van can carry – e.g. a payload of 900kg Product The rate, and other rental conditions, which is applied to a reservation and rental.
R Refuelling Service A service offered at check-in allowing a customer to return a vehicle which does not have a full tank of fuel.
Renter The person, not necessarily the driver, responsible for payment on a Rental Agreement.
Rental Agreement (RA) The legally binding contract, signed by the Vehicle Co and the renter at the time of check-out, which shows the terms of the rental. Rental Day Normally, a 24-hour period which starts at the time of check-out, however can also apply to a rental period which is of several hours’ duration.
Rental Duration/Length The total number of rental days, however can also apply to a rental of several hours’ duration.
Rental Qualifications The conditions imposed by a rental location, or country, in order to satisfy their legal requirements. Details of these can be obtained from vehicle Co.
Roller Door A vertically sliding roller shutter door as an alternative to Barn Doors S SIPP Standard Interline Passenger Procedures. Vehicle category codes.
Short Wheel Base (SWB) The name given to shorter vans – usually not much longer than a medium-sized car. The wheel base is the distance between the front and rear wheels. A short wheel base van will be easier to park and manoeuvre in small spaces but will have a smaller load space.
Side Loading Door (SLD) Side Loading Door – a sliding side door on the near side of almost all panel vans. Useful for loading from a pavement, or when there is not room to open the rear doors. Can be very useful if access is required to the front of a load space without emptying the rear. Equally can speed up loading and unloading if several people are involved.
Single Cab A van or pickup with a single cab that has just one row of seats. (ie driver’s seat and one or two passenger seats.)
T Tail Lift A platform operated hydraulically, which enables unloading and loading of bulky or heavy cargo at the rear of the vehicle.
Tailgate At the rear of a pickup, dropside or tipper van or truck, the load area will be enclosed by a vertical panel. This is the tailgate. Most tailgates are hinged at the bottom to allow them to open outwards and provide flat access to the load area. On tippers, the tailgates are hinged at the top and can be unfastened at the bottom. This means that when tipping, the tailgate swings away from the load area, allowing the load to slide out underneath the tailgate, onto the ground.
Tipper A tipper is a van or truck with a load area that can be mechanically raised up at an angle to allow the load (usually sand, gravel, etc) to be “tipped” out onto the ground behind the vehicle, thus saving it being unloaded by hand.
Truck A term generally used to describe goods vehicles of 3.5t maximum laden weight upwards. Not usually used for vans.
U Unladen Weight The weight of a van (or any vehicle) without any passengers or luggage/load.
V Vehicle Theft Cover This insures you for the cost of replacing the vehicle – or parts of it – if it gets stolen (an excess applies here).
Wheel Base The distance between the front and rear wheels of a van. Used to indicate the size of the van – i.e. the longer it is, the larger its load space will be.
X Extra Long Wheel Base (XLWB) With a load space in excess of 4 metres in length, these panel vans were developed initially to take a full sized roll of carpet. They are now popular with people who appreciate the maximum load (3.5 tonnes) and the cavernous load space. Examples include the Mercedes Sprinter and the Ford Transit Jumbo.