Details to confirm before a truck or lorry quote
Describe the load by weight, dimensions and packing, whether palletised, loose or crated. Ask the recipient whether unloading will be by forklift, at a loading dock or by hand, and whether their site has height, length or weight limits for delivery vehicles. Provide driver licence details and say whether the hire is for business use, so the team can confirm driver and operator requirements with you before booking.
How the right vehicle is confirmed
Let the job, not the headline size, guide your choice of truck. Ask about gross weight, body length, whether a tail lift is needed, load security, turning space and whether timed delivery windows affect which vehicle can be supplied. The range on offer includes the Ford Luton 3.5 Tonne Box with Tail Lift, 3.5 Tonne Tipper Transit Truck, 3.5 Tonne Recovery Truck, 7.5 Tonne Box Truck With Tail Lift and 7.5 Tonne Curtain Side Truck, depending on dates, driver details and availability. Make, model, transmission, seats, payload and licence position are all confirmed at quote stage, so treat the listed vehicles as a guide to the kind of hire available, not as a guaranteed reservation of a particular model.
Confirming Who Will Receive the Goods
If someone else is receiving the delivery, their arrangements should be confirmed before the hire is booked. Note the recipient's name, a direct phone number and the hours during which they can accept goods, and agree how they will be notified of your arrival. If the delivery window is tight, write down the earliest and latest acceptable times so the schedule reflects both sides. It is also worth recording who will sign for the items and what they should check before signing, if anything. Where the route includes several stops, list each recipient separately with their own contact details and windows. Questions about the receiving site's procedures, such as where deliveries are taken, belong with the site itself. What you are assembling here is a contact sheet that travels with the job.
Recording Site Instructions for the Driver
Every site has its own way of doing things, and yours should be written down. Before the hire, ask each site involved about gates, barriers, opening hours and any booking requirement for delivery slots, and record the answers. Note whom the driver should phone on arrival and whether there is a specific entrance for large vehicles. If a site requires notice before a vehicle turns up, capture that requirement alongside the address. Hours can differ between the gate and the office, so it is worth checking both where relevant. Pass the compiled notes to the team with your enquiry, and keep a copy for whoever drives. Instructions that live in one person's head tend to go missing; instructions on paper stay with the plan and can be checked by anyone involved.
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Things to check before booking
Before your hire is confirmed, go over the key points: whether the vehicle is available, driver requirements, mileage, insurance, delivery or collection arrangements and any extras you have asked for. For truck hire, also establish whether the work involves pallet freight, site access, use of a tail lift, timed drops, long-distance mileage or any driver and operator checks before anything is agreed. A useful request gives the date, length of hire, rough route, delivery or pickup address, expected passengers or load, and any special requirements that might affect which vehicle is suitable.