Collecting materials from a builders' merchant: planning the purchase and loading

Collecting materials from a builders' merchant starts with a list

Collecting materials from a builders' merchant has two weak spots: weight for loose materials and length for profiles and boards. Both are sorted out at home over a list, not at the collection counter. Bags of mortar will use up the payload before you've filled half the floor. Battens and pipes, on the other hand, need a load length that only some vans have.

Add up kilograms, not items

For bagged goods, add up the weight from the labels. Bags tend to be twenty-five kilos each, so pallets of adhesive and cement reach a tonne faster than you'd expect. The payload varies by model; it's usually 1 100 to 1 450 kg. You'll find the details for each van in our fleet.

Check the load length

Planks, battens, plasterboard and waste pipes come in standard lengths that won't fit in a short van. Before you order, compare the length of the material with the length of the cargo area. The longer van versions can take even three-and-a-half-metre profiles; a shorter van will force you to cut the material down at the shop.

Tell the shop what you're coming in

The warehouse staff just need to know that you're collecting yourself and in which vehicle. They'll then stack the bags on the pallet differently and won't hand you a load that won't fit in the van. Also ask whether there's a forklift at the collection point and until what time it's available.

Find out how to access the collection point

At some places you drive straight between the racks; at others you're weighed on a weighbridge and wait in a queue. Ask about height restrictions and which way you enter the site. You'll save yourself reversing with a full van in a narrow aisle between pallets.

Split the purchase if there's a lot

Two sensibly loaded trips are better than one overloaded one. Mileage within the Czech Republic is unlimited, so the extra kilometres cost you nothing. An overloaded vehicle, on the other hand, brakes worse, and that's both a safety and a legal problem.

Plan your time outside the peak

Builders' merchants are usually busiest on Saturday mornings and on weekdays right after opening. Tradespeople load up at the same time and you can wait up to half an hour at the collection point. If you're flexible on timing, come in the afternoon. You can pick up the vehicle at any time — we operate around the clock and pick-up is contactless via the web app, so you don't have to fit in with a rental branch's opening hours.

How to load the materials

Weight belongs over the rear axle and towards the front

Stack bags on the floor in a low layer along the whole length, not in one pile at the back. Distributed weight keeps the vehicle balanced. A tall pile by the rear doors, on the other hand, makes the steering light and, when you brake, the whole lot leans against the doors.

Long materials along the full length of the floor

Lay profiles, battens and pipes along one wall right up to the bulkhead. Never push them over the seat backs into the cab. In a collision, every batten becomes a spear. Tape the ends together so the bundle doesn't spread out sideways.

Boards upright and leaning

Carry plasterboard, OSB and large-format boards on their edge, leaning against the side wall. A board laid flat will break under its own weight when you go over a kerb. Put a blanket between the board and the wall so the edges don't get crushed.

Use straps even for a short trip

Most damage happens in the first five minutes of driving. Tension the straps over the load to the anchor points in the floor and, after a few hundred metres, stop and tighten them. Loose bags settle and the strap slackens.

Unload in order, not all at once

Before you open the rear doors, think about what will come out first. Materials are stacked where they'll be used, not in a heap by the gate. Bags of binders also mustn't be left outside in the rain, so have a covered spot ready for them before you arrive.

Loose materials and cleaning

Loose sand doesn't belong in a van

A box van doesn't tip, so you'd have to shovel out loose sand or gravel. Buy them in bags, or have them delivered by tipper straight from the builders' merchant. A van is ideal for bagged goods, boards and profiles.

Protect the floor in advance

An old tarpaulin or cardboard on the floor will save you half an hour of cleaning. Spilt cement is hard to sweep out of the cargo area, especially if water gets into it along the way. The van is returned clean, so protecting it pays off twice over.

Fuel and return

You pick up the vehicle with a full tank and return it full to the same location. All the vans run on diesel and have a manual gearbox. The motorway vignette is included in the price, so a trip for materials outside Prague doesn't complicate anything. Look for details in the FAQ section.