How it works
Your company pays. The driver drives. The van comes back full.
Here is each step of a Fleetstead rental, the fuel policy, and what we expect at pickup and return. The same terms are in every rental agreement.
From request to return
Your company requests and pays
Your company tells us which driver, which class of van, which facility and what dates. Payment is up front, by card or bank transfer, or charged to a payment method your company keeps on file with us. Fleetstead bills the company, not the driver.
Your company also agrees in advance to the post-rental charges on the fee schedule: fuel, late return, cleaning, damage, tolls and tickets, lost keys.
The driver picks up at the lot
The van is staged at the lot named in your confirmation. The driver signs in on their phone, confirms the license and insurance on file are still current, accepts the driver statement that comes with each rental, and does the pre-trip, which is also the record both sides rely on at return:
- Walk-around photos: front, rear, both sides, odometer, fuel gauge, dash and cargo area. Anything already scratched or dented gets its own photo so it is on the record.
- Tire pressures, using the gauge in the van and the target posted for that van.
- Oil check before the engine starts.
- Then the rental agreement, signed on the phone.
Plan on a few minutes. Key handoff instructions come with the confirmation.
Run the route
The van is tracked for the whole rental. Your dispatcher can see where it is and the day's trips. If fuel drops below a quarter tank at any point, it is recorded and shown to the company against that driver. Low fuel damages the fuel pump, so we treat it as a maintenance issue, not just a fee.
Return full
Back to the same lot by the agreed time, tank full. The driver takes the same set of photos plus the odometer and fuel gauge, notes anything to report (warning lights, noises, tires, cleanliness) and confirms the return. The fuel reading is checked against the van's telematics; the fuel result is shown right away and any charge goes to the company with the evidence.
Fuel policy
Out full, back full.
Vans are delivered full and must be returned full. Fuel level at return is taken from the van's telematics and cross-checked against the driver's fuel gauge photo. If the two disagree by more than five percentage points, an owner reviews both and decides.
Why the bottom tier is steep
Running below a quarter tank overheats the in-tank fuel pump and shortens its life. The bottom fee is a deterrent, not a refuel charge.
Low-fuel events
Any time a van reads below a quarter tank during a rental, it is recorded, the owners are notified, and it appears in the company's record for that driver. Repeated events can lead to a driver being blocked from renting, at the owners' discretion.
Fuel at return
| Fuel level at return | Charge |
|---|---|
| Full (95% or more) | $0 |
| Below full, at or above 3/4 | $25 |
| Below 3/4, at or above 1/2 | $40 |
| Below 1/2, at or above 1/4 | $60 |
| Below 1/4 | $100, or the cost to fill the tank, whichever is higher |
Fee schedule v1. The version referenced in your signed agreement controls. All amounts before tax. Full fee table on the pricing page.
Expectations
At pickup and at return.
Short list. It is the same list the agreement spells out.
On time
Return by the agreed time. There is a short grace period, stated in your agreement; after that, late fees apply. More than 24 hours late is billed as another day plus a late fee. A van that is not returned and whose driver is unreachable after 48 hours is treated as unauthorized use: we recover it using its tracking and bill the recovery costs.
Same lot, keys as instructed
Bring the van back to the lot it was picked up from and park it where the confirmation says. Follow the key instructions in your confirmation. A lost or unreturned key is billed at replacement cost plus an admin fee.
Clean enough
A sweep and a light wipe is normal and costs nothing. Excessive dirt, trash, spills or odor that need a detail carry a cleaning fee, and so does evidence of smoking or vaping.
Report what you noticed
Warning lights, noises, tire issues, anything off. Reporting it at return is free. An issue that was not reported and that an inspection would have caught can carry a fee.
Authorized drivers only
Only the driver named on the rental drives the van. Towing, off-road use, and personal use outside route work (where restricted) are not allowed without approval. Misuse can end the rental without refund.
Tolls, tickets, impound
Tolls, parking tickets and camera citations during the rental are passed through at cost plus an admin fee per item. A tow or impound caused by the driver is billed at actual cost plus an admin fee.
Damage
Photos decide, not memory.
The driver and the company are responsible for damage during the rental that is not in the pickup photos, up to the responsibility cap stated in the agreement. An owner assesses it from the pickup and return photos and, where needed, a repair estimate. The company receives the photos and the estimate before any charge is made.
- Tires: damage beyond normal wear (sidewall, curb damage, running flat) at replacement cost.
- Glass: at repair or replacement cost.
GPS and tracking
What tracking means for you.
- Every van carries a GPS tracker. By signing, the driver and the company consent to tracking and to trip data being shared with the company.
- Trips, stops, fuel level and engine faults are recorded while the van is rented.
- Tampering with or unplugging the tracker carries a fee per incident, and the rental may be terminated.
- Tracking is also how a van that is not returned gets recovered.
The full telematics disclosure is part of the rental agreement.
Questions about the process?
Ask before you book. Owners answer the inbox.