The unique advantages of Northgate's business van customisations

What is Northgate’s Semi Cap?

Van customisation decisions can be a significant part of running a business fleet. They aren’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Sometimes, a plain white van is not suitable for your business, and we can fulfil the specialist requirements you need.

We tailor our solutions to meet your needs, so you get a business van capable of handling your daily operations.

At Northgate, we refer to customisations done by a third-party supplier through Northgate as semi-cap. No additional equipment can be fitted to a Northgate vehicle directly by the customer. “Semi-cap” customisations can either be included in the cost of your contract, invoiced upfront, or as an additional extra paid upfront. 

 

What’s the difference between Northgate’s Ad Cap and Semi Cap?

“Ad Cap” refers to customisations required to be made by the manufacturer rather than your vehicle hire provider.

 

The benefits of Semi Cap

Liveried vehicles are a great way to raise your brand awareness without breaking the bank, acting as a 24/7 advertisement to make your business more recognisable and look more professional to customers.

Whether for compliance reasons or advertisement, your van(s) are a big part of your brand image, and the condition of your van can be the difference between losing or winning business.

By customising vans, businesses can optimise cargo space, streamline organisation, and improve accessibility to tools and equipment. Additionally, whilst heavily branded vehicles could be targeted by criminals, there are theft-deterrent additions to counter-act this, such as advanced alarm systems and dead locks. Ultimately, investing in business van customisations maximises your fleet’s functionality and productivity whilst enhancing your overall brand presence.

 

Common vehicle customisations

The type of customisations you choose for your business van will depend on the type of industry you operate in and the unique requirements your fleet needs to perform their daily operations.

We can tackle any van customisations you require. Here are some popular options:

Internal:

• Locks – e.g. Deadlocks or Slamlocks
• Steel bulkheads
• Racking

External:

• Tow Bars
• Chevrons – Fully Chapter 8 compliant
• Beacons & Hazard Lights
• Pipe carriers/holders
• Racking – Side or roof

 

The convenience of Northgate van customisations

Northgate understands your diverse business needs with our tailored van solutions and expert advice on customisations that improve your fleet functionality and security. Our van customisations bring a range of benefits rooted in our commitment to quality, and customer-first approach, and can applied to EVs and ICE vehicles hassle-free.

You can opt to pay for the customisations outright or have the cost added to your hire rate and spread over the rental term, so no payments catch you by unawares.

You can choose from a range of customisation options on all our hire vehicles with a selection of vehicles from the world’s leading manufacturers for you to choose from. Here are some of the other benefits:

• Using our network of 68 branches and 51 workshops nationwide, you can work with our van experts to find a vehicle that’s fully equipped to meet your needs.
• With a selection of over 50,000 vehicles in the UK alone, no matter what van you need (small, medium, large or specialist) we are fully capable of meeting your business needs.
• Access to newer vehicles that are regularly refreshed and that look professional. Newer vehicles mean less vehicle downtime.

 

Getting the most out of your van customisations

Making the most of business van customisations involves strategic planning and attention to detail to align your customisations with your business needs, preventing unnecessary spending. To do this, it is best to plan ahead by conducting a complete fleet and customer analysis to see which areas of your fleet operation would benefit the most from van customisations. For example, if you’re seeing an uptick in van thefts then investing in dead locks would be increasingly beneficial.

 

Drive efficiency with Northgate’s vehicle hires

With the increased flexibility of our hire options, you can flex your fleet size to meet seasonal demands and maximise the utilisation of your fleet – no dormant vehicles hampering your financial health!

Additionally, you can easily transition to hire with We Buy You Rent. Release capital tied up in depreciating assets and let us ‘carry the cost of ownership’ across our range of flexible hire options, giving your cashflow a boost.