Advice & Guides
Hire, buying and running it properly: trailers and towing, tools, plant, vehicles, storage, removals, clearance and the trades. Plain answers, UK law included.
Rising Damp, Penetrating Damp and Condensation Told Apart
Taking Card Payments for Hairdressers: A Practical Guide
Class 4 or Class 7 MOT: Which Does Your Van Need?
Whether your van needs a Class 4 or Class 7 MOT comes down to one number: its design gross weight (DGW). The figure that matters is not what the van actually weighs on the day of the test, but the…
Man and Van: What One Van Really Holds
A typical man and van uses a medium or long wheelbase panel van, but volume is only half the story. Weight is an equally hard limit, and the two rarely run out at the same time. Understanding both…
How to Find a Good Local Garage
Finding a good local garage starts with the right tools: the DVSA publishes an official finder at gov.uk/find-mot-test-centre that lists every authorised MOT test station in England, Scotland and…
What Hairdressers Pay in Card Fees: A Worked Example
tag. I need to work out realistic hairdresser card takings. Let me use: - Example A: £45,000 a year in card takings (small sole trader) - Example B: £90,000 a year in card takings (busier salon) At…
Lawn Mower Types Compared
Lawn mowers fall into five broad categories - cylinder, rotary, hover, ride-on and robotic - and the right choice depends on lawn size, terrain, the finish required and, for trade users, the safety…
Do You Need a Written Contract With a Tradesperson?
You are not legally required to have a written contract with a tradesperson, but Citizens Advice strongly recommends getting one for any medium or large job. A contract does not need to be in legal…
How Often Should You Service a Van?
Most vans should be serviced at least every 12 months or at the mileage interval set by the manufacturer, whichever comes first. For vans that work hard, that baseline is often not enough, and the…
Can You Drive a Hired Minibus on a Car Licence?
Whether you can drive a hired minibus on a standard car licence in the UK depends on four things: when you passed your driving test, the weight and size of the vehicle, whether any payment is…
Tyre Load Index and Speed Rating Explained
Every tyre sold in the UK carries a sidewall code that combines two safety-critical figures: a load index number and a speed rating letter. Together, these form what the British Tyre Manufacturers'…
HIAB Lifts: What to Plan for Before the Lorry Arrives
A HIAB lift involves more preparation than simply booking a lorry and waiting at the kerb. Get the groundwork wrong and the vehicle may arrive to a site it cannot legally or safely use, turning a…
Specs and comparisons
Check the numbers before you hire or buy, then see who near you has one.
1014 product fact sheets
Weights, sizes, power and payloads for the trailers, plant, tools and vans UK firms hire and sell.
259 makes
Who builds what, where they are from and which models they are known for.
Size guides
Skips, storage units, containers and vans: the dimensions and what fits in each.
Side-by-side comparisons
Two models or sizes, every shared figure lined up and the differences spelled out.
Popular comparisons