Here at Smart Platforms, we specialise in hiring self-drive vehicle-mounted cherry pickers. Cherry pickers, also known as MEWPS, booms, powered access, or simply platforms, are machines with one purpose – to undertake work at height. ‘Cherry picker’ is a blanket term that describes several machines, from scissors lifts to self-propelled booms to spider lifts.
Self-drive, on the other hand, is a flexible form of vehicle rental. You can hire many vehicle types on a self-drive basis. You might hire a van to move furniture, a minibus for a weekend away, or a car for short or long-term use. Our vehicle-mounted access platforms are where cherry pickers meet self-drive hire.
We have depots in the following areas: Hemel Hempstead, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Dartford, Bristol, and Southampton. From these locations, we cover the spine of the country. You arrive at one of our depots (you can leave your vehicle with us if you choose), run through the paperwork and details in the office, complete a handover familiarisation with an engineer, and drive away to your site. Our self-drive truck mounts are under 3.5 tonnes and are drivable on a standard car license.
What are the benefits of renting a self-drive cherry picker?
The first is flexibility. Other MEWPs must be delivered, with a minimum hire requirement of three days or more. They can sometimes sit on site for days after the hire finishes and cannot be moved easily between locations. Our self-drive truck-mounted cherry pickers put you in the driver’s seat. Do you only need the cherry picker for one day? No problem. Do you have multiple sites to attend in a short space of time? Excellent. Fold the machine away and drive off to the following location.
At Smart Platforms, you can hire from as little as one day. Our day is 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. However, you can change this to a 24-hour hire by adding a PM collect or AM return. This addition can be handy if you have an early start or late finish. Furthermore, you may find that you’ve been using a machine for a day or two and could benefit from more reach. All you have to do is give us a call, book an alternative, and swap for a different model.
The second advantage of hiring a cherry picker on a self-drive basis is cost. Do you have a job that is only one or two days? Then only pay for one or two days. Do you want to hire the machine for the week, Monday – Friday? Great, the fifth day’s consecutive hire is free. Do you need the platform for the weekend? Then collect Friday afternoon and return Monday morning. That said, we can arrange preferential rates for long-term hires.
The third advantage of hiring a self-drive cherry picker is the choice. We offer a range of machines, from 10m to 27m. Anything over 27 metres comes with an operator. For a list of our operated machines, click here.
You might choose our Z10, an up-and-down MEWP which is excellent for street lighting. Or our panelled 12m van if you need the storage. You could use our S18 for signage. Our Z21 and Z23s have fly jibs, making them perfect for roof work. Or perhaps you’re a tree surgeon who wants the most reach possible, so you might choose to hire the S27.
Our range of self-drive truck-mounted access platforms has you covered, and you can pick the machine that best suits your needs. If you only need a 10m, then only pay for a 10m, which is £99 + VAT per day.
So why not buy a MEWP rather than rent one self-drive?
Putting aside the initial purchasing cost of a cherry picker, there are two good reasons to rent self-drive:
The first is the maintenance and support offered by our team of engineers. You’re not simply hiring a self-drive MEWP; you’re hiring one serviced and certified by industry professionals. Even if one of our MEWPs has only been on hire for an hour, it is subject to a 30-point PDI. All machinery breaks down occasionally, even when it’s well looked after. In this unlikely and unfortunate event, you can call our engineer support line day and night.
The luxury of renting a self-drive cherry picker from Smart Platforms is that we have a fleet of them. We specialise in self-drive vehicle-mounted rental, which means we know them inside out and have replacements if necessary.
The second advantage is the wealth of experience available when you contact our offices. Multiple factors determine which cherry picker is best for a job, and we will discuss this with you, using our industry experience to supply you with the best tool for the job. We will discuss your job with you in detail and complete a site survey if necessary.
Are they difficult to operate?
Everything’s easy once you know how to do it. At Smart Platforms, we do everything possible to ensure you are comfortable using our cherry pickers. When you arrive at one of our depots, engineers qualified to supply a handover familiarisation will give you a full demonstration of the machine. There is no time limit on this, no rush, and we will ensure you leave our depot comfortable with the control functions. We also have step-by-step guides in the vehicle cabs and QR codes near the controls with walkthrough videos. Then, of course, we’re only ever a phone call away.
You will soon find that hiring a cherry picker from Smart Platforms is very straightforward. Our depots are approximately 5 minutes from England’s major motorways, making it convenient to pick up your cherry picker on the way to your site. You can use your own fleet insurance or take out our collision damage waiver to cover you on the road.
Whether you’re new to access rental, or you’ve hired machines in the past that have been delivered to site – why not give self-drive a go? No other type of access rental gives you quite the same amount of control over your day. If you would like to see our complete list of self-drive hire rates, then please click here.
