Fleet Hire for Contractors: One Supplier for Every Machine

Fleet hire means getting all the machines a job or a business needs from one supplier, on one proposal, with one point of contact. For contractors working across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, that might be a groundworks package of excavators, dumpers and compaction, an estate package of tractors and implements, or a warehouse package of forklifts and scrubbers. This guide explains the three ways we structure fleet hire, how billing works, and what to send us so we can put a proposal together quickly.

Why use one supplier for your fleet hire

Juggling several hire companies means several sets of terms, several invoices, delivery slots that don’t line up and nobody with the full picture of your job. Putting it all through one supplier simplifies most of that.

• One proposal covering every machine, delivery and collection.
• One contact: on long-term contracts you get a named account manager who knows your project.
• Co-ordinated deliveries so machines arrive in the order the work needs them.
• Fewer invoices to check and pay.
• Easier changes: add, swap or off-hire machines with one message.

Our fleet runs across construction, agriculture, groundcare, warehouse, events and trailers, so mixed jobs can usually be covered in one place.

It also helps when something goes wrong. If a machine breaks down on a job where several suppliers are involved, you can spend hours working out who to call and whether a replacement will fit with the rest of the kit. With one supplier, one call sorts it, and we already know what else is on site and how the programme fits together.

Three ways to structure fleet hire

Each Flex Hire tier covers one machine at a time. If you need several machines on site at once, you can hold more than one Flex account, and we can talk about bundled pricing. Details are on the Flex Hire page and the long-term rental page.

Typical fleet packages

Every package is built around the job, but these give an idea of how machines are commonly combined.

Groundworks and drainage

All from our construction range: A Sunward SWE 60UF for bulk digging, a SWE 18UF for tight work and drainage runs, a Mechbadger tracked dumper, a Weber MT SRV 620-II rammer and CR 3-III reversible plate, with an Indespension 10ft plant trailer to move the smaller kit between sites.

Landscaping and sports grounds

From our sports and landscaping range: A Captain 26HP compact tractor with loader, a Conagri MEGA overseeder and fertiliser spreader, a Selvatici drainage aerator, a GL&D chipper and a Tracspider carrier for moving materials without marking the turf.

Farms and estates

From our agricultural range: The John Deere 6155R with a SaMASZ Mammut topper or Nardi FAST ripper, a Venieri 1.63D pivot loader for the yard, AODES quads or a CORVUS UTV, and the Bailey 10-ton low loader for moving machinery.

Events and seasonal operations

From our events range: Airrex indirect diesel heaters sized to the marquee, a Zenessis 25kVA 3-phase genset (other sizes available) for lighting and catering, CORVUS and AODES UTVs for crew and kit movement, and a Tracspider Elektro Joe for quiet, low-impact carrying across the showground.

Warehouses and facilities

From our warehouse and cleaning range: An EP EFL 253 or CESAB B420 electric forklift, an EP ESL 122 stacker, EP F4 pump trucks, a Sunward 0807DC scissor lift and Eureka floor scrubbers for keeping the floor clean through a busy period.

Illustrative example: one contractor, three sites

This is a made-up example to show how a multi-site package can be structured, not a real customer. A groundworks contractor has three jobs running at once: a housing plot near Exeter, a drainage contract in north Cornwall and a farm yard extension on Exmoor.

• The housing plot runs for around six months with the same kit throughout: a Sunward SWE 60UF, a Mechbadger tracked dumper and compaction plates. That fixed requirement suits a long-term rental with a monthly rate and routine servicing.
• The drainage contract needs a SWE 20F for a few weeks, then a trench roller and rammer for the reinstatement. A Flex Hire account at the right tier covers the swap from one machine to the next.
• The farm yard needs a Dragon 400 crusher for a fortnight to recycle the old concrete, plus a SWE 35UF to feed it. That is a straightforward multi-machine hire on weekly rates.

One proposal brings all three together, with the account manager co-ordinating deliveries so the crusher arrives once the yard is broken out, and the drainage kit swaps on the right day. The contractor deals with one supplier and one set of terms instead of three.

How a fleet proposal comes together

From first message to machines on site, the process is straightforward.

1. You send the brief: the machines or the work, the sites, start dates and expected durations, through the contact form or a WhatsApp message to start the conversation.
2. We check the detail: we may ask about access, ground conditions, operators and how settled the programme is, so the package fits the job rather than a guess.
3. We recommend a structure: multi-machine hire, long-term rental, Flex Hire, or a mix across different parts of the work.
4. You get a written proposal: itemised machines, rates, delivery and collection, and the terms that apply. Proposals are usually turned round the same day.
5. We schedule deliveries: once agreed, each machine is booked to arrive in line with your programme.
6. We review as you go: as the job changes, machines are added, swapped or off-hired, and the account manager keeps the picture up to date.

Billing and accounts

For standard hires, payment is due before delivery. Regular customers can apply for a credit account, with invoices payable within 30 days. Long-term rental contracts can be set up with one monthly figure covering every item, and Flex Hire comes as a single monthly invoice covering hire, delivery, servicing and collection. All rates are quoted excluding VAT. For written quotes, invoice queries and account set-up, email info@conagri.co.uk.

Insurance is not automatically included in our hire. Before the first delivery, check that your plant or contractors’ all-risk policy covers hired-in equipment for the total value of the fleet you’re taking on, not just a single machine. If you need cover, our partner insurance4plant arranges plant hire insurance, and we can provide equipment values for your insurer on request.

What to include in a fleet enquiry

Use the form on our contact page for any hire involving several machines. The more detail you give, the sharper the proposal.

• Company name and a contact who can make decisions.
• The machines you need, or a description of the work if you’d like us to specify them.
• Site postcode or postcodes, and which county the work is in.
• Start dates and expected duration for each machine.
• Access and ground conditions on site.
• Whether you’d like a long-term contract, Flex Hire or straightforward multi-machine hire.

Questions we may ask

To get the package right, we may come back to you on a few points: how firm the programme is, whether any machine must arrive before a particular date, whether sites have restricted delivery hours, what ground the machines will work on, and who your operators are. On farms and rural sites, we will often ask about lane widths and gateways. Answering these early saves changes later.

We usually reply within two hours on business days, and long-term proposals are often turned round the same day. Larger or more complex contracts may take a day or two.

Operator competence and site compliance

Our hire is self-drive unless otherwise agreed, so on a multi-machine package your business is responsible for making sure every operator is trained and competent on the machine they use. Many main contractors and sites expect cards such as CPCS or NPORS for excavators, dumpers, telehandlers and forklifts, and trained operators for scissor lifts. HSE’s guidance on training and competence for work equipment sets out the general duties.

Plan the paperwork alongside the machines. If your site induction needs copies of documents for the plant coming in, such as records for lifting equipment, tell us when you enquire so they can be organised before delivery rather than holding up the first morning. Make sure operators know the daily checks for each machine and who to call if something goes wrong.

Managing a hired fleet day to day

A few simple habits keep a hired fleet under control and avoid surprise charges.

• Keep a hire register: list every machine, its site, start date, hire type and expected off-hire date. Review it weekly.
• One person off-hires: nominate who contacts us to off-hire, and record each off-hire reference. Charges run until a reference is issued, and telling a driver on site doesn’t count.
• Daily checks: fluids, leaks, tracks and safety devices checked every morning by the operator.
• White diesel only: red diesel is not permitted in hired plant, and contaminated fuel brings disposal and refuelling charges.
• Security: remove keys at the end of each day, park machines out of sight from the road where possible, and immobilise them. Report any theft to the police and to us immediately.
• Report damage promptly: damage must be reported to us straight away and within 24 hours of discovery.

Planning deliveries across a programme

On a multi-machine job, the order things arrive matters. There is no point having a compaction plate and dumper on hire for a week before the excavator has opened up the ground. Give us your outline programme and we’ll stagger deliveries so each machine turns up when the work is ready for it, and comes off hire as soon as it isn’t.

Our depot near Okehampton, in the middle of Devon, gives good access into Cornwall to the west and towards Exeter, Somerset and Dorset to the east. Transport is priced by distance from the depot, so combining deliveries to the same site on one run can make sense.

Moving kit between your own sites

Some contractors prefer to shuttle smaller machines between their own jobs. Our trailers range includes the Ifor Williams 18ft flat bed and tilt bed, the Brian James 9ft plant trailer and the Indespension 10ft plant trailer with ramps, so trailers can sit on the same proposal as the machines. Drivers need the right licence entitlement and a towing vehicle rated for the loaded weight, and every load must be properly secured. Larger machines are usually better moved by us, and the transport is quoted with the proposal.

When fleet hire makes more sense than owning

Owning a core of machines you use every day can be right for an established contractor. Fleet hire fills the gaps: extra machines for a busy season, specialist kit for a one-off contract, or a full package when you win work in a new area. It also keeps servicing, breakdowns and storage off your books for the machines you don’t need all year round.

A common pattern is to own the two or three machines that work every day and hire everything else. Review your utilisation once a year, ideally before the busy spring season, when you can see the previous year’s hire register in full: if a hired machine is on site almost every week, it may be worth moving it onto long-term rental or Flex Hire.

Seasonal peaks in the South West

Demand for different machines rises and falls through the year, and planning around that avoids disappointment. Spring and summer are busiest for construction and landscaping, with excavators, dumpers and compaction in demand. Late summer and autumn bring agricultural and estate work, from topping and ripping to drainage while ground is dry. Winter storms create sudden demand for chippers, generators and telehandlers, and the summer event season needs heaters for evening functions, generators and UTVs. If you know a big contract is coming, talk to us early so the machines are lined up.

Support during the hire

Support matters more on a fleet than on a single hire, because one stopped machine can hold up the others. Long-term and Flex customers have routine servicing included, and long-term customers get priority when they need extra machines or a replacement. If a machine breaks down, call or WhatsApp us; we assess the problem and arrange a repair or replacement, whichever gets you working again sooner.

Where a breakdown is down to a genuine fault or fair wear and tear, it is repaired at no charge and hire is suspended while the machine is genuinely out of use. As projects change, you can extend, add or swap machines with a message rather than a new round of paperwork.

Most UK hire is supplied under terms based on the Construction Plant-hire Association model conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Start your fleet hire enquiry

Send us your project details through the fleet enquiry form, or WhatsApp or call 07841 036064 (Mon to Fri, 7:30am to 5:30pm) to talk it through. We’ll come back with a proposal that covers every machine on one plan.