Towing and rough ground
Pickup truck leasing
A double cab pickup carries a team, tows a substantial trailer and copes with ground a van cannot, and limited companies and LLPs lease one from FleetMe on business contract hire. Its tax treatment changed in 2025, so check that before ordering. Sole traders hire over terms up to 12 months.
Get my pickup quote →Updated 14 October 2026 · your agreement is with FleetMe
A pickup is bought for three things a panel van does not do well: it tows properly, it gets across a rutted site without grounding, and the bed takes dirty, wet or awkward loads you would never put inside a van. What it is not is a cheap way to carry volume, and since 2025 it is not the straightforward tax choice it once was either.
Towing and ground clearance, the two real reasons
Towing is where a pickup separates itself. A double cab with a proper towing specification will pull a plant trailer, a mini digger or a twin-axle tipping trailer that would be beyond a panel van, and it will do it with the ride height to get onto a site that has not been surfaced yet. That combination is why groundworkers, fencing contractors, agricultural businesses and plant hire firms keep buying them. The limits that matter are the towing capacity of the specific vehicle, the combined weight of vehicle and trailer, and what the driver's licence permits for that combination, all three need checking against the actual vehicle and driver rather than assumed from the class.
The bed is open, which cuts both ways
An open bed takes loads a van interior should never see: wet spoil, fencing posts, a generator, anything that would ruin a lined load bay. It also means nothing is secure or dry unless you add something. A hardtop canopy or a roller shutter restores security and weather protection and costs you height clearance and a little payload; a simple load cover does less of both. Whatever you choose, specify it at quote stage so it forms part of the vehicle we supply and the price we confirm in writing, rather than fitting it afterwards to a vehicle that belongs to us. Payload on most double cabs sits around the one-tonne mark, and the guide figures for the pickups we supply are on their vehicle pages.
The 2025 tax change, and why it matters to a long term
This is the part that catches people out. The tax treatment of double cab pick-ups with a payload of one tonne or more changed in 2025, and they are now generally treated as cars for capital allowances, benefit in kind and certain deductions, with transitional treatment for vehicles bought, leased or ordered earlier running to no later than 5 April 2029 (HMRC, 2025). VAT is a separate question with its own test. The reason it matters more here than on most vehicles is the length of a lease: a four-year term signed on an assumption about tax treatment is a four-year commitment to that assumption. Read our benefit in kind guide for the detail and the dates, then confirm your specific vehicle and use with your accountant. We supply vehicles and confirm prices in writing; we do not give tax advice.
Sourced to order, priced on application
A pickup truck is not one of the vehicles we hold a standing rate for, so there is no guide price on this page and we will not invent one. We source it against your specification (body, length, tail lift, payload) and quote it individually. Tell us what the work needs and we will come back with a written figure.
The vehicles we do price as standard, with their monthly rentals, are on the stock list.
Not a limited company?
Business contract hire is for limited companies and LLPs. If you trade as a sole trader, or you want the vehicle in your own name, what we can supply is vehicle hire of up to 12 months instead. Incorporating is the step that opens up business contract hire over terms up to 12 months.
Get a written quote
Tell us the vehicle, the mileage and how long you need it for. We come back with a written quote, and we aim to do that the same working day. We confirm which agreement applies before anything is signed.
- ✓ Your agreement is with FleetMe
- ✓ We confirm your quote in writing
- ✓ Business rentals quoted ex VAT, with VAT shown
Enquiry received, one step to go.
We can put a guide figure together from what you’ve told us. To confirm the vehicle, the monthly rental and a delivery date in writing, we need your business details and the underwriting information.
Next step · about 5 minutes
Complete your business application
It’s pre-filled from your answers. Nothing is committed until we confirm your quote and you sign.
Continue to my application →No obligation · About 5 minutes
Prefer to leave it there? We’ll still be in touch about your enquiry.
Common questions
Are double cab pickups still taxed as vans?
Not generally. Double cab pick-ups with a payload of one tonne or more are now generally treated as cars for capital allowances, benefit in kind and certain deductions, with transitional treatment for earlier orders running to no later than 5 April 2029 (HMRC, 2025). VAT has its own separate test. Confirm your specific vehicle with your accountant.
How much can a pickup tow?
It depends on the specific vehicle and its towing specification, and the combined weight of vehicle and trailer matters as much as the headline figure. Check the licence entitlement for the combination as well, because that is a separate limit from the vehicle capability.
Pickup or crew cab van?
A pickup for towing, rough ground and loads you would not put inside a van. A crew cab van for secure, dry load space with the same number of seats. If you are not towing and not crossing unmade ground, the van is usually the more practical buy.
Can I have a canopy or roller shutter fitted?
Yes, and it is best specified at quote stage so it is part of the vehicle we supply. Anything fitted later has to be agreed with us in writing first, along with what happens to it at hand-back.
Can a sole trader lease a pickup?
As an individual, a sole trader takes vehicle hire of up to 12 months rather than a lease. Business contract hire over terms up to 12 months is available to limited companies and LLPs.
Business van leasing →
How the monthly rental is built, what is included and what is not, and who it is for.
Van size and payload guide →
How to work out what you can legally carry before you choose a body.