Linde Material Handling UK has closed its Hoddesdon depot after 30 years and replaced it with a new depot at Swanley, as it accelerates its drive into the short-term truck rental market.

The new depot, which is close to the M25, will also be offering a nationwide delivery service for its short-term truck rentals, with all trucks undergoing extensive checks.

The company has also launched a ‘pay as you go’ option for local short-term rentals, allowing customers to pay by the hour.

Craig Williamson, Linde Material Handling UK MD, said: “With our new depot positioned so close to the M25, it presents the perfect base for our growth ambitions in the short-term rental market which is a vitally important and growing part of our business in the UK.

”We look forward to serving the evolving needs of local and national companies from our new facility in the town.

“Short term rentals have proved extremely popular for supporting customers when they have business peaks, such as the retail sector in the lead up to Christmas, as well as for one-off specific requirements where investment in a dedicated fleet does not make commercial sense.”

The new depot, which employs 60 people including workshop and field service engineers and administrative staff, was officially opened by Mayor of Swanley, Councillor Rita Wood (pictured centre) alongside Craig Williamson (pictured right) and Dean Vann, LMH UK senior director South (pictured left).