The benefits of rental
September 1st 2006

Renting allows companies to handle the changes of tomorrow today, says BT Rolatruc.

For many organisations renting materials handling equipment offers the perfect solution to their operating needs. It enables companies to avoid the uncertainty of truck running costs, as well as eliminating the need to tie up capital which could be better used in other areas of the business. With the flexibility that comes with renting, companies have the opportunity to change their equipment as frequently as their operation changes and because they don't own the truck, the worry of equipment reliability and equipment disposal is removed. With the right package the result is a hassle free, cost effective operation.

Not all Rental Packages are the same Within the market place there are many variations of "rental" packages, and many different terms used lease, contract hire, contract rental, finance lease etc.

A good rental plan should provide the ideal solution with financial support and total service backup.

Unfortunately, not all rental schemes are the same, some are often simply lease contracts with service support bolted on offering very little or no flexibility.

These contracts will normally be with a finance house and not the supplier of the equipment. The result is a contract where you are in a relationship triangle with your supplier as well as the finance house.

Unfortunately finance providers will have little interest in any problems that arise through equipment breakdown, or a change in requirements through operational change. Should you wish to terminate early you can expect to incur charges which can, in most instances, be quite significant.

When entering into a contract with a materials handing supplier it is important to check the content before signing.

There are five important key checks you should ask your supplier:

Who is the contract really with the supplier or a finance house?

Are you able to review your payments in the event of unexpected changes in utilisation?

What flexibility exists to allow for your equipment to change during the contract period?

What performance guarantees are offered?

What are the implications of early termination?

Make sure you are happy with the contract and are fully informed of the type of financial support and level of back-up contained within the service plan. The last thing you want to be doing is paying rent on a truck that has been out of action for a week due to breakdown, or have unforeseen high charges at the end of the contract.

Why Choose BT? BT Rolatruc is one of the UK's leading suppliers of warehouse and counterbalance trucks, with over 45 years experience in the supply of products and services. They provide direct support through 780 fully trained staff to over 24 000 powered trucks. As the first company in the industry to be awarded the ISO 9002 certification nationally, BT Rolatruc set their quality standards high.

They pride themselves on their reputation for complete customer solutions, including fleet rental and after-sales care, and know that excellent after-sales support is a very significant factor for the productivity of their customers.

As part of their total service solution package BT offers a complete range of rental plans which can be tailored to create the most flexible solution for your operation.

The BT CORE FLEET PLAN will be shaped to meet the more predictable part of your truck activity. The plan offers fully inclusive monthly rental charges, which combine the truck with routine servicing, parts and breakdown costs.

Although the plan has a minimum 3 year term, equipment can be upgraded or changed should your requirements change.

To allow for the less predictable elements of your business, the BT FLEXIBLE RENTAL PLAN adapts with the changing needs of your operations.

Equipment provided is generally based on fully maintained, pre-used trucks from BT's rental fleet.

If you own your own fleet you could benefit from the BT PAYBACK RENTAL PLAN. BT will give you a lump sum for your existing fleet and agree predictable monthly charges with the option to phasein replacement BT equipment.

By selecting the ideal combination of rental plans from BT you are able to successfully manage your truck-related activities to enjoy both flexible capacity levels and manageable, predictable costs.

With a BT Genuine Rental agreement you make straight-forward monthly payments covering the rental and all maintenance and repair costs. These payments will remain the same regardless of your workload within the defined usage profile.

Because you are dealing directly with the manufacturer you have the reassurance of a total performance guarantee with scheduled service visits and rapid response to breakdowns.

BT also offers the further reassurance of a money back guarantee underpinning their high levels of service should they fail to keep their promises.

BT has worked with their customers over a number of years in order to develop a range of high quality rental plans designed to meet their customers' needs.

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