Transporting sports equipment by van: a practical guide

Transporting sports equipment has its own rules

Sports equipment is irregular, expensive and hard to stack. Hockey bags, poles, goals, gym mats, gym machines or the complete kit of a whole team for a match. Transporting sports equipment by van works well, but it calls for a different way of thinking from moving boxes.

Dimensions first, then weight

The limit tends to be length and height, not payload. Depending on the model, the payload is roughly between 1 100 and 1 450 kilograms, and you'll only use that up with really heavy machines. Measure the longest item you're taking — a javelin, a pole, a goal — at home and compare it with the load dimensions in our fleet.

Team trips

Clubs most often travel in two groups: people and kit. The van carries the bags, kit and equipment, and the players travel separately. You'll find it works out more comfortably than cramming bags into five cars.

Equipment that can be taken apart

Goals, stands and umpire chairs are transported dismantled. Taking them apart at home takes half an hour and saves you from having to go for the biggest van. Photograph the parts as you dismantle them, and putting them back together on site will go faster.

A one-off trip or regular use

Think in advance about what it's for. For a one-off tournament, it's enough to choose a van based on the longest item. A club that transports kit every weekend will rather stick to the same model, so that people know what fits where and how it's stacked.

Preparation before loading

Photograph expensive equipment before loading it. For bikes, machines and electronics, a photo is the simplest way to prove their condition before the journey. The same goes for the van — you photograph it at pick-up via the web app.

Have straps and blankets ready. You can't load properly without tie-down straps. Old blankets or sleeping mats will serve as padding between items that could rub against each other.

Think about who will do the loading. A gym machine or a trampoline isn't a one-person job. Arrange help in advance — we don't offer vans with a driver or movers; you drive and load the van yourself.

Mileage within the Czech Republic is unlimited and the motorway vignette is included in the price, so a trip to a tournament across half the country doesn't come with extra charges. The vehicles, however, are driven exclusively within the Czech Republic.

How to load different types of equipment

Long poles and implements

Carry javelins, poles, oars and similar items along the wall and always tied down. A loose pole acts like a battering ram when you brake. If they're longer than the cargo area, don't try to force them in diagonally — choose a bigger van instead.

Bags and soft equipment

Hockey and football bags make ideal filler. Stack them on top and in the gaps between rigid items; they hold the rest of the load in place. Carry wet or sweaty kit in closed bags, not loose.

Machines and heavy items

Take gym machines and trainers apart if you can. Put the screws and fixings in a labelled bag and tape it to the main part. Heavy parts belong on the floor against the front wall, never on top of other equipment.

Balls, mats and bulky items

Stand gym mats upright along the side wall. Carry balls in a net or a sack, otherwise at the first bend they'll roll all over the cargo area and you'll be searching for them under everything else.

The journey and handover

Check the load after the first few kilometres

Straps slacken once you get moving. After a few kilometres, stop in a safe place and tighten them. It's two minutes' work that saves a scratched machine or broken equipment.

Drive with the load in mind

A loaded vehicle takes longer to brake and leans more on bends. Increase your following distance and brake smoothly. The vehicles run on diesel and have a manual gearbox, so they can't be driven on a licence restricted to automatics.

Bikes and two-wheeled equipment

Transport racing bikes upright and separated from the rest of the load. Put a blanket between the frame and the wall and tie the bike down so it can't fall over. A carbon frame will get scuffed even by a soft bag if it rubs against it the whole way.

Check what's been left behind

After unloading, go through the whole cargo area. Small items such as pads, balls or the changing-room keys easily slide against the wall and only turn up a week later.

The return

The van is returned with a full tank to the same location. We operate around the clock, so you can come back from a tournament even late at night. Companies and clubs that travel regularly will find the PROFI programme useful.