Hired one when I moved house last October from Salford van hire, had pretty much the same questions:

Heres what I was I told if memory serves me correct.

I didn't need a tacho as It wasn't business hire.

There was only one gear box in the 7.5t I hired. Was pretty easy to drive as well, standard 6 speed. I think you have the 2nd gears on 17/18 tonners.

I scrapped into the C1 Cat by 2 years :)

I thought it was 70 on the motorway up to and including 7.5t

Thanks

Lee

In terms of speed limits for a 7.5 tonne vehicle, the differences are :

Single carriageway : 50 mph (cars 60 mph)

Dual carriageway : 60 mph (cars 70 mph)

Though it's unlikely you'll come across a 7.5 tonner these days on a for hire basis that doesn't have a limiter fitted (56 mph)

You do not need CPC or tacho for personal, non-commercial use.

Now : you say that you are perfectly comfortable driving large vehicles, but you don't seem to have driven anything of this size before (if you had, then I'd have expected you to know about 4 over 4 gearboxes, speed limits, etc)... do bear in mind that these things are usually 2 feet wider than the widest of ''normal" cars or vans, the handling and braking is very different too.

Just because your licence allows you to do something, doesn't always mean it's a good idea.

I'm already thinking about the best route because the hire company will drop the vehicle off but I live down a narrow little lane that you can't get a big truck along! Will have to make other arrangements there.

My experience of larger vehicles (other than Lutons and the like) was driving a truck and trailer for my rowing club. Was stopped next to a double-decker at one point and comfortably several feet longer at each end, not including the overhang from the boats. I know width is more the issue with these trucks but without blowing my own trumpet to much I should be fine.

My Dad also got me a HGV lesson for my 16th birthday but that's probably not too relevant now....

Before you get too involved, have you tried some of the smaller, but professional outfits, likely to appreciate shall we say the discreet approach, and let them move you.

I ask because SWMBO used to own and drive her own removals lorry, and when we moved here she contacted a couple of local companies, one of which did our move for us (2 x trips with Mercedes transit sized Luton van) with 2 really nice young chaps, for little more cost than we could hire and fuel a 7.5 tonner for....she knew the game so arranged it as move alone no packing/unpacking required and obviously we helped the lads.

By the time you've factored in the extra CDW they'll surprise you with at the desk when you collect, and then the fuel it will use if you go barrelling along at full pelt, you might not be any better off DIYing, and thats not including the puncture on a rear inner which one of their regular customers had on another lorry, but they happen to discover on yours just after you leave the premises.