Very often people need to hire a car when touring places and it would be that they would be at some of the most remote areas of the world. It does help to have a check list prepared so as to understand the market as far as a hired car is concerned and to ensure that the best step forward is taken each time. Laid out below are some of the common steps or check points that would ensure a memorable holiday as well as a ride together.
- Understanding the fuel policy
One of the prevailing practices by vehicle lending companies is to ensure that the car tank is topped up prior to the ride or rental. It would then be the responsibility of the car user to ensure that the tank is filled when returning the car as well. Most of the time, severe penalty clauses are written into the hire agreement in case the customer fails to return the car filled up with petrol.
When in doubt of the matter, it is best to ask the management if they do have a top-up policy in place. It would then be a natural affair to follow the policy and even if there is nothing written into the hire agreement, it would only be fair to return the tank to the capacity that it is filled up too.
- Documentation
Normally the first thing that someone wanting to hire a car should ensure is that the agency must be licensed to be in the business. It is customary for the establishment to display the license in the lobby to ensure that customers are aware of their status. In case such a display is missing, there is no harm in asking to have a look at the license copy. It is better to be safe than sorry.
The other affair with documentation is the papers to the car that is being taken on hire. Most hire transport company does provide a set of certified copies of the necessary paperwork needed to take a vehicle onto the roads. In case the hire out is being done in a foreign country, then the next thing to ensure is that the driver has the license to the place of the journey. In case the person intending to drive does not have his papers in order for the country of journey, then it is most apt to ask a chauffeur be provided at the clients’ cost.
- The all important insurance
Most countries across the world would not allow vehicles to be taken onto the road unless proper third party insurance is taken out. But since insurance costs money, most car rentals do not provide other than the bare minimum of insurance cover.
Before starting out using the hired car ensure that there is enough insurance coverage to cover the needs of the family or people traveling together. In case only third party insurance is provided, then a more comprehensive coverage can be initiated by paying a suitable premium to the insurance company. This is standard practice with most vehicle hire agents right across the globe.
- Check the car
It is important to ensure that the car in question has been well looked after and that any deficiencies are either rectified or made on record. The start would be a walkabout inspection around the vehicle with a careful inspection of the interiors to ensure that there are no torn seats or the odd bump on the vehicle.
Things like the spare tire or the tool kit are to be inspected for serviceability as far as possible. A failure to carry out the basic inspection would mean that the return of the car could be a time for arguments as to what was in the car in the first place. It would be right to check the level of the fuel and to make a record of it in the presence of the company representative.
- Understanding the route to be taken
If ever there were a critical element in hiring out a vehicle then it has to be that the customer needs to know where they are traveling to in the first place. The type of vehicle needs to be in match to the road conditions and also the climatic conditions. For instance, if there is going to be a hot climate foreseen, then it is only natural that a car with a bare minimum of air conditioning is provided for.
Conclusion
Having enough money to hire out a car is one of the main prerequisite to hire out. But at the same time, it is important to understand the regulatory norms that exist in a particular country and region as well. Most hire agencies would provide for an agent to convey the passengers in case they are not able to conform to the requirements that are needed for the hire of the vehicle.
Love traveling.
