How do you identify the main criteria to obtaining recognition as a ‘white van man’? Perhaps the obvious kick-off point is to own a white van, that said, you could still be excluded from the fraternity. Perhaps I can shed a little light on my own experiences, which list what I feel would guarantee entry into the ‘privileged ‘club.

Complete disregard for other road users

Now, this is vitally important if you wish to become a member of this club. It cannot simply be a slight bending of the rules or a deliberate misinterpretation here or there. Total anarchy is necessary or nothing! If you are going down a narrow road, to quote an example, you cannot somply let another approaching vehicle go safely by you. It is necessary to try to force the oncoming vehicle to stop and let you through, or totally run them off the road. If you can manage to do this without the slightest pang of guilt, then you are well on your way to earning your spurs.

Dominate your steet with your vehicle

Councils up and down the country have woken up to the prospect of making shed loads of money by changing eveyone for parking. So space in the street outside your house is now at a premium, and even with a permit does not guarantee you a slot near to your house. But where does ‘white van man’ fit into this? Our bloke probably owns more than one or two vehicles and parks the van outside his house too, consuming more space than anyone else in the street. If you can do this and not care about the neighbours, then you will definitely earn your stripes!

If you wish to qualify as a ‘white van man’ check out commercial vehicle leasing has provided a simple way of getting hold of a van. LDV van leasing and Citroen van leasing are just some of the options out there to choose from.

Thousands of Honda employees have returned to work at the company’s Swindon plant after the troubles of the car industry forced its closure four months ago. All 3,400 of the returning workers will be taking a pay cut until 2010 but are glad to be back at work with their jobs secure after spending the last four months worrying about the possibilities.

The factory was forced to close while the company decided on the best way of dealing with the problems caused by the global recession and the effect the economic downturn has had on the number of car sales and contract hire agreements. The motoring industry has been hit hardest of all and almost all car manufacturers are having difficulty staying afloat, but the situation at Honda and how they have recovered could stand as an example to other companies who are still struggling. Their decision to temporarily close the Swindon factory has given them opportunity to discuss and make decisions about the company’s future as well as complete maintenance work that had been in the pipeline for a while. The production lines were stripped and rebuilt during the months the factory was closed, and the entire plant was redecorated, wherever possible using existing employees with the relevant specialist skills or training. 

But not everything is good news. 1,300 workers from the Swindon factory chose to opt for voluntary redundancy when the factory closed, many of whom are still out of work. And though the workers now have peace of mind that their jobs are safe, their pay has been cut by 3%, or 5% in management roles, for the duration of the next 10 months. The reopened factory is currently only running at 50% capacity, with a predicted total production of 113,000 vehicles in 2009, less than half of the original 228,000 estimate.

In short, it’s a small victory but the company is not out of the woods yet, Honda car leasing and sales figures will have to increase significantly over the next few months if they want to avoid any further disasters. The Swindon factory is due to start production of the new Honda Jazz model in September, which should help to boost sales and work towards securing the long-term future of the plant. Not to mention as the economy begins to recover buyers will be taking advantage of low car prices as across the board from Honda to Mercedes, car leasing and purchase prices are cheaper than ever.

For great deals on van leasing and van contract hire

General Motors, one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, has filed for bankruptcy with the American government. For as long as cars have been around, General Motors (GM) has been one of the three largest producers of cars in America and one of the largest in the world. Now the motoring industry is really struggling, and of the three biggest car manufacturers in America two have already been forced to ask the government for protection from their creditors. But what effect will this all have on us?

Well, for car buyers in the UK, the answer is probably not a lot. If you have a car that was made by GM, there’s no need to worry about the future of your car and any parts you may need, as the company is still in business and hasn’t ceased trading. After receiving protection from the American government, they hope to be through the worst of it in as little as three months. Further to this, the European branch of GM, which consists of the British brand Vauxhall and the German Opel, has been bought by a Canadian company who have said they will do all they can to protect the 5,500 UK jobs at stake.

For consumers looking to purchase a new car in times like these, it could well be that leasing or contract hire could be a better option than buying outright, as it gives you more freedom of choice and wouldn’t leave you in the lurch later if the manufacturer did go out of business. Certainly if you are worried about buying a car by one of the main manufacturers tied to one of the companies that is at risk such as Vauxhall or Ford, car leasing could put your mind at ease.

Whether you’re looking for a handy little car about town or a fancy new BMW, car leasing gives you a wider choice of vehicles including those that may otherwise have been out of your price range for buying outright. Your agreement takes into account your projected mileage and wear and tear, so your car won’t decrease its financial value over the course of the contract and at the end of your contract you can simply trade it in for the upgrade of your choice. With the car industry in such a state of disaster, leasing could be the most effective method to ensure that any future disasters don’t affect you too much!

For great deals on van leasing and van contract hire

Thousands of employees at Honda’s Swindon factory have been allowed back to work after the plant was forced to close for four months due to financial troubles. All 3,400 of the returning workers will be taking a pay cut until 2010 but are glad to be back at work with their jobs secure after spending the last four months worrying about the possibilities.

The factory was forced to close while the company decided on the best way of dealing with the problems caused by the global recession and the effect the economic downturn has had on the number of car sales and contract hire agreements. The motoring industry has been hit hardest of all and almost all car manufacturers are having difficulty staying afloat, but the situation at Honda and how they have recovered could stand as an example to other companies who are still struggling. Tamporarily suspending production at the Swindon plant has allowed them time to make important decisions about the future of the business as well as perform long-planned maintenance work. The production lines were stripped and rebuilt during the months the factory was closed, and the entire plant was redecorated, wherever possible using existing employees with the relevant specialist skills or training. 

But it’s not all good news. 1,300 workers from the Swindon factory chose to opt for voluntary redundancy at the time of the closure, many of whom are still out of work. And although the employees returning to work now know their jobs are secure, they have agreed to a pay cut of 3%, or 5% for those in management positions, for the duration of the next 10 months. The reopened factory is currently only running at 50% capacity, with a predicted total production of 113,000 vehicles in 2009, less than half the original intended number of 228,000.

In short, it’s a small victory but the company is not out of the woods yet, Honda car leasing and sales figures will have to increase significantly over the next few months if they want to avoid any further disasters. The new Honda Jazz model, due to start production at Swindon in September, should help to boost sales and give a clearer picture of the long-term future of the Swindon factory. Not to mention as the economy begins to recover buyers will be taking advantage of low car prices as across the board from Honda to Mercedes, car leasing and purchase prices are cheaper than ever.

For great deals on van leasing and van contract hire

General Motors, one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, has filed for bankruptcy with the American government. For generations General Motors (GM) has been one of the big three car manufacturers in America as well as one of the world’s biggest car companies. Now the motoring industry is really struggling, and of the three biggest car manufacturers in America two have now been forced to seek protection from their creditors by declaring themsleves bankrupt. But what effect will this all have on us?

Well, for those of us in the UK, the answer is probably not much. If you have a car that was made by GM, you don’t need to worry about the possibility that you might not be able to get parts for it in the future, as the company is still in business and hasn’t ceased trading. With the financial protection of the US government, they predict the company will be reconstructed in as little as three months. Further to this, the European branch of GM, which consists of the British brand Vauxhall and the German Opel, has been bought by a Canadian company who have said they will do all they can to protect the 5,500 UK jobs at stake.

For consumers looking to purchase a new car in times like these, it could well be that leasing or contract hire could be a better option than buying outright, as it gives you more freedom of choice and wouldn’t leave you in the lurch later if the manufacturer did go out of business. Certainly if you are worried about buying a car by one of the main manufacturers tied to one of the companies that is at risk such as Vauxhall or Ford, car leasing could put your mind at ease.

Whether you’re looking for a handy little car about town or a fancy new BMW, car leasing gives you a wider choice of vehicles including those that may otherwise have been out of your price range for buying outright. Your contract allows for your estimated mileage and normal wear and tear to the vehicle, so your car won’t decrease its financial value over the course of the contract and when your agreement ends you get to swap the car for the new model of your choice. While the car industry is struggling to stay afloat, it could be the best way to make sure that any future disasters don’t affect you too much!

For great deals on van leasing and van contract hire