Falkirk occupies an interesting geographical and logistical predicament. Being so near both Edinburgh and Glasgow means locals and outsiders alike overlook the fact it's an independent town in its own right with its own logistics difficulties. Whether you're house moving, hauling stock to a market stall, or shifting a piece of furniture across the Forth – eventually, you'll need a van you don't necessarily own, van hire excess insurance.
This is one of those things you only learn the hard way: the cost of van hire in the Falkirk and surrounding area can swing considerably from day to day. Weekend hire of any van will obviously be harder to get, but midweek, when demand is considerably less, booking a Tuesday off is more likely to get you a far better deal on the exact same vehicle at a local hire firm near Callendar Park and the surrounding area.
For many, size is a far bigger issue than they anticipated. A short wheel base always looks fine until the 32-piece pine fitted wardrobe isn't quite fitting through the back of it, and you find yourself doing half a dozen attempts at various angles, in the summer, working up a proper sweat. Take real measurements of your load and then measure it again. Check it a third time and add some extra room – nobody's boxes ever stack as you'd imagine.
Needless to say, on average, local companies know the local roads far better than one of the multinational chains. Falkirk's town centre one-way system will almost always catch out a driver who doesn't know the layout – just ask any van hire proprietor and they'll have a story about someone inadvertently ending up in Bonnybridge or even all the way up to Bo'ness.
Insurance is without doubt the thing to pay that little bit more for and regret skimping on later. An "excess" will eventually be paid to a significant degree because of a scraped wing mirror from a narrow gap in an IKEA or similar car park – spending a little extra here will more than cover this.
Fuel policy should also be checked, since it differs between firms. Ask before you drive off and have it back on the required usage: be it refilled, or charged a standard fee to do it.
Weather is, to many in Scotland, also a major part in the rental decisions – Scottish rain does not care if the van is hired on or around a planned moving day – especially not what condition the interior might end up in in terms of any moisture retained, and certainly not something as basic as road grip or clear visibility on either its windows or side mirrors in poor conditions.