Fosseway Tool Hire Centre Warwickshire & Gloucestershire

How Tool and Plant Hire Works

Having spent a couple of weeks working at Fosseway Hire I thought I would do a little blog post about how tool and plant hire works.

The Hire Process

Information on what happens when you hire equipment from a tool hire depot.

Collected or Delivered

Tools and plant can either be collected from the hire centre or delivered to the agreed address.

Tools and Plant Collected by the Customer from the Hire Centre

The following briefly explains what happens when a customer calls in at a hire centre to hire an item.

The Tool Hire Customer

There are basically 4 types of customers for tool hire companies

The customer who just arrives at the depot wanting to hire equipment for the 1st time.
- When customer number 1 comes in to the depot to hire an item they are asked to provide a form of id, provide full contact details and are registered in the system.
  The cost of the product they are hiring is produced and they are asked to pay a deposit that basically allows for extra weeks hire.
  A more accurate invoice is completed when they return the item, the actual cost is deducted from the deposit they previously paid and any balance is refunded to the same card they used when making the payment. If they have used the equipment for longer than they have paid for they are asked to pay the extra amount.
The person who has hired before is logged in the system and occasionally hires equipment.
- Similar to customer number 1 but the customer will already be registered in the system and not have to provide ID again (occasional checks are made)
  The same deposit and payment procedures apply as with customer one.
The cash account customer who has an account but generally pays for each product they hire.
- Customer number 3 is basically a full account customer who has passed the account application process but who prefers to pay for items as and when they have them, these tend to be already known by the hire staff team, no deposits are required, but full payment is taken when they off-hire and return the item.
The full account customer.
- Customer number 4 has a full account, is already known by the hire staff team, all equipment hired is recoded, off hire dates are recorded, invoices are generated and payment is requested on a monthly basis.

To find out more about account applications see – Fosseway Hire Account Application

Tools and Plant Delivered to the Customer

All of the points mention in “Tools and Plant Collected by the Customer from the Hire Centre” apply but delivery details and pricing need to be taken in to consideration.

The customer is asked what item they are hiring, when it is to be delivered, where it is to be delivered and approximately how long they will require the item.
The system is checked to insure the item is in stock, nor previously booked out and is available for hire on the date required.
The size of the item being delivered determines which vehicle will be used to deliver it, smaller items like wacker plates, mowers, pumps can be delivered on pickups, larger items like 1.5-ton mini diggers require truck and trailer, larger items like dumpers, larger mini diggers, rollers, etc. require larger lorries.
With the size of vehicle required determined, the delivery charge is calculated based on a radius of our hire centre, as demonstrated in these examples;
- A small item delivered on a pick-up truck to delivery band C may cost £10 each way
- A larger item delivered on a truck and trailer to delivery band C may cost £14 each way
- A small item delivered on a pick-up truck to delivery band E may cost £15 each way
- A larger item delivered on a truck and trailer to delivery band E may cost £19 each way
- A item delivered on a Lorry to delivery band C may cost £25 each way
- You will be told the delivery charges when booking a delivery

The item is delivered to you on the agreed date, off loaded by our staff, driven on to your premises and you are provided instructions on how to operate the equipment

Our driver will photograph the equipment after being dropped off to ensure it has been delivered to you in full working, non-damaged condition.

You can phone the hire centre after you have finished with the equipment and this is classed as the Off-Hire time.

We arrange to collect the item – This may not be the same day, but you are not charged any extra above the Off-Hire time.

Our driver will arrive on site, check the item, photograph it, record if any damage has occurred, load the equipment and return to our yard.

On arriving back at the hire yard, the item will be unloaded, the amount of fuel used recorded, the fuel tank refilled and the item will be parked in the inspection bay.

Your invoice is prepared based on number of days you actually hired the equipment, the amount of fuel used, any accessories used, any wear or tear used (ie. how much blade used if hiring out stone saws).

Payment of invoice is determined by what type of customer you are (see above)

In the tool hire yard

The day-to-day ongoings in the tool hire yard

Preparing the Tool Hire Equipment – Small tools

This is for a typical small item like a wacker plate which the customer returns to the yard

An item is returned to the yard after being hired out.
The item has a visual check whilst customer is still there, fuel levels are recorded, any damaged registered.
The item is placed in the off-hire bay and a red tag attached to it.
The unique code (which every product has) is noted down, entered in to the system and off-hired, paperwork is either prepared for the customer then, or if an account customer sorted out later.
After the equipment has been off hired it is taken to the inspection bay.
A closer visual inspection takes place, fuel levels are topped up, oil levels are checked, air filters are checked, pull cords are checked and it is then tested to ensure it starts, runs properly and stops properly
After passing inspection, the equipment is taken to the cleaning bay for a good jet washing.
Once it has been fully inspected and cleaned, the red tag is removed, a copy of the safety instructions is printed out, placed in plastic waterproof bag and attached to the equipment
The equipment is then logged in to the system as having passed all inspections and is taken to it’s place in the hire centre ready to be hired out again

Preparing Plant Hire Equipment

Plant hire process is very similar to the above but it has usually been picked up from the customer by a member of the Fosseway Hire team

They would have done all visual checks before loading on to the trailer, once arriving back at the depot the Fuel tank is filled and the amount used recorded.

The hour’s used gauge is recorded and the machine is driven in to the yard and parked facing away from the depot.

The reason it is parked facing away is so that we know it has been returned and not been inspected yet

Once cleaning, inspection and recordings have taken place it is then parked in the yard facing towards the hire centre, which indicates it is clean, inspected, full of fuel and ready to be hired out to the next customer.

SHIPSTON DEPOT 01608 - 661677

Unit 1, Tilemans Park, Tilemans Lane,
Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, CV36 4GX

BOURTON DEPOT 01451 - 810885

4 Willow Court, Bourton Business Park,
Bourton On The Water, Gloucester, GL54 2HQ

The premier Tool Hire company in Warwickshire, North Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. We are delivering in your area.

CV33 - Harbury, Offchurch and Leamington Spa, CV37 - Alveston, Ettington, Long Marston, Alderminster and Stratford-upon-Avon, GL55 & GL56 - Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Hill, CV35 - Kineton, Claverdon, Barford, Wellesbourne, CV47 - Burton Dassett and Southam, OX15 - Brailes, Banbury, Hook Norton and Tadmarton, CV36 - Blackwell, Idlicote, Long Compton and Shipston-on-Stour, GL54 - Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Northleach, Chedworth, Winchcombe and Cheltenham, OX18, OX7 & WR12 - Burford, Bruern Abbey, Enstone, Chipping Norton and Broadway Plant Hire Gloucestershire

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