How We Research and Write Our Guides
Giant Van publishes removal guides, cost calculators, and service comparisons used by thousands of people planning a move in the UK. This page explains how we produce that content, where our data comes from, and the standards we hold ourselves to.
How Giant Van Works
Giant Van connects people who need to move items with vetted, insured drivers across the UK. Customers enter their collection and delivery postcodes, describe what they are moving, and receive a fixed price within 60 seconds. There are no callbacks, no site visits, and no hidden charges.
Behind that price is a system built on real cost data. We track fuel prices, congestion patterns, parking restrictions, and property access difficulties across every major UK city. Those variables feed directly into our pricing engine so that the quote a customer sees reflects the actual cost of doing the job, not a rough average from a national survey.
We built this platform because the UK removals market has a transparency problem. Too many companies give vague estimates over the phone, add fees on the day, and make it hard to compare options. We decided to fix that by publishing prices, vetting movers properly, and insuring every booking as standard.
Our 7-Point Mover Vetting Process
Every driver on our platform must pass all seven checks before they can accept a single booking. Failing any one check means rejection. We do not operate a points system or allow movers to compensate for a weak area with strength in another.
- 1
Vehicle inspection
We inspect every vehicle for roadworthiness, cleanliness, load security equipment, and protective blankets. Vans must hold a valid MOT and commercial insurance. We reject vehicles that show signs of poor maintenance or inadequate load protection.
- 2
Insurance verification
Every mover must hold goods-in-transit insurance and public liability cover. We verify policy documents directly with the insurer, not just the certificate. Cover must be current and adequate for the job types the mover accepts.
- 3
Driving licence and identity check
We confirm each driver's identity, right to work in the UK, and driving licence validity through the DVLA checking service. Provisional licences are not accepted. We record licence category and check for relevant endorsements.
- 4
Customer feedback review
We examine the mover's history of completed jobs, customer ratings, and complaint records. Anyone with a pattern of late arrivals, damage claims, or poor communication is rejected. We apply the same standard to new applicants and existing members.
- 5
Response time assessment
We track how quickly movers respond to booking requests and customer messages. Consistently slow responses or failure to confirm bookings within the required window leads to removal from the platform.
- 6
Professional conduct interview
A member of our operations team speaks with every mover before approval. We assess their understanding of safe handling, loading best practice, and customer service expectations. This is not a formality. We reject applicants who cannot demonstrate competence.
- 7
Ongoing monitoring
Vetting does not end at approval. We run continuous checks on insurance renewals, licence validity, vehicle condition, and customer satisfaction scores. Movers who fall below our standards at any point are suspended and given a window to resolve the issue before permanent removal.
How We Set Prices
Our pricing engine uses real booking data from completed jobs on the Giant Van platform. We do not estimate. Every price shown to a customer is built from the actual cost of labour, fuel, vehicle wear, insurance, and platform fees for that specific route and load size.
We adjust prices in real time based on distance, access difficulty (stairs, no parking, narrow streets), time of day, and seasonal demand. Peak periods such as end-of-month weekends carry a transparent surcharge that is shown before checkout, not added afterwards.
We benchmark our rates against published industry guidance from the British Association of Removers (BAR) and the National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS). If our prices drift outside those bands, we investigate and correct. The goal is fair pricing for customers and fair pay for drivers.
Our Data Sources
Every factual claim on Giant Van is backed by a verifiable source. We do not publish numbers we cannot trace back to raw data. The main sources we draw on are:
Giant Van booking data
Anonymised records from completed bookings on our own platform. This is our primary source for pricing, route times, and service availability.
Council and local authority sites
Parking restrictions, controlled parking zones, congestion charges, and access rules for every city we serve. We check these before publishing city-specific guides.
ONS and government statistics
Office for National Statistics household expenditure surveys, DVLA vehicle data, and HMRC mileage rates. We use these to validate cost-of-living and transport cost claims.
Direct quotes from movers
When writing comparison content, we obtain real quotes from removal companies. We do not fabricate example prices or use hypothetical scenarios.
Industry body publications
Rate guidance, quality standards, and consumer advice from BAR, NGRS, and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
Trading Standards and consumer law
Consumer Rights Act 2015, Sale of Goods Act, and Trading Standards enforcement notices. We reference these when writing about customer protections and complaint procedures.
Industry Standards We Follow
The UK removals industry is guided by several professional bodies. We align our practices with their published standards and reference their guidance across our content.
The British Association of Removers (BAR) sets the benchmark for professional conduct, insurance minimums, and customer complaint handling. BAR members must carry adequate goods-in-transit insurance, maintain vehicles to a defined standard, and follow a code of practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
The National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS) operates a parallel accreditation scheme with its own inspection regime and customer charter. We reference NGRS standards when writing about storage services, packing quality, and complaints procedures.
Where our guides discuss regulations (insurance requirements, vehicle weight limits, consumer contract rules), we cite the relevant legislation directly: the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Road Traffic Act 1988, and the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995.
Quality Control
Every piece of content goes through a three-stage review before publication. The writer produces the first draft using verified data. A second team member fact-checks every claim, price, and regulation reference against the original source. A final editorial review checks clarity, accuracy, and tone.
We maintain a 90-day review cycle for all published pages. Guides that reference prices, regulations, or service availability are flagged for early review if the underlying data changes. When we update a page, we record what changed and why in our internal changelog. The visible "last reviewed" date on each page reflects the most recent editorial check.
If a reader spots an error, they can report it through our contact page. We investigate every report and correct confirmed errors within 48 hours. Corrections are noted on the page where they apply.
Editorial Independence
Our editorial team operates independently from our commercial operations. Content decisions, including which topics to cover, which companies to mention, and what advice to give, are made by editors, not by sales or partnerships.
We do not accept payment from removal companies in exchange for favourable coverage. We do not run sponsored content disguised as editorial guides. When we compare removal services, we apply the same criteria to every company, including Giant Van itself.
This matters because removal services are a significant household expense. People making these decisions need information they can trust, not marketing copy dressed up as advice. Our commitment to editorial independence is what makes our guides worth reading.
For full details, see our team page and editorial standards.
Sources
The following organisations and publications inform our content. We cite specific pages and documents inline where relevant.
- British Association of Removers (BAR)
Industry code of practice, insurance minimums, complaint handling.
- National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS)
Accreditation standards, storage guidance, customer charter.
- Which?
Consumer advice on choosing removal companies, complaints, and rights.
- Trading Standards (via CTSI)
Enforcement guidance, approved trader schemes, consumer protection.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Household expenditure data, regional cost-of-living indices.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
Statutory consumer protections for services and goods.