Consider Your Options Before You Choose a Commercial Truck or Van

Picking the right vehicle or setting up an effective fleet is an important part of a lot of businesses. With so many different commercial vehicles available, however, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what you need and then pick the right one. There are a lot of different factors to consider—and the exact nature of your business will play a big part in this—but figuring out certain things can help you narrow down your options and make the right choice.

You need to know exactly what your vehicle will be for—passengers have very different needs than boxes of cargo. With that in mind, you can then consider the different options available to you, especially if you are planning on transporting cargo. Making deliveries across town or loading up on lumber can be quite different from needing to transport a thousand pounds from one state to another. By figuring out all of these things ahead of time, you can save yourself a lot of time and money by getting just the right vehicle the first time and keeping your business running.

Passengers vs. Cargo

This may seem like a silly thing to point out, but sometimes it is best to start off with an easy decision and then go from there. Before you even start looking at commercial vehicles for sale, think about whether you need something for transporting passengers or cargo. This will, clearly, depend on the nature of your business, but figuring this out can help you narrow down your options quite a bit.

In the case that you might need both, then consider something like a van with removable seats. There are some vehicles that will let you pull out the seats or fold them down enough to create a lot more space for cargo when you do not have passengers inside. You might also consider a crew cab for a commercial truck instead of a regular cab, which will give you more room for people up front. Ultimately, however, you will get the best overall performance by choosing a commercial vehicle dedicated to one type of use.

Passengers – How Many?

If you need commercial vehicles for passengers, then you need to think about how many people you will typically be transporting. Also consider the absolute maximum you will need to transport. It’s all well and good to have a 10-passenger van if you will only ever need to transport 10 people at most. But if there is any chance you might need more, then always choose an option that gives you that ability.

Some commercial vehicles will let you choose between different amounts of passengers. The 2018 Chevrolet Express Passenger Van, for example, comes with seating for 12 people standard. There is an option, however, for seating for up to 15 people; so knowing the maximum that you need before making a purchase is important.

Passengers – Luxury vs. Efficiency

As you look at different passenger-oriented commercial vehicles, you should also consider the kinds of features you want inside. Most large passenger vans are pretty skimpy in terms of luxury features and options—they are usually designed to be efficient and moderately comfortable. If you plan on only transporting a few people and want to focus on luxury, then consider a consumer vehicle, like the sophisticated 2019 Chevy Suburban, to get the job done with more options for interior luxury features.

Cargo – Volume and Size

If you determine that you need commercial vehicles for transporting cargo rather than passengers, then it is important to consider just how much you need to fit inside your vehicle. This has a huge impact on your selection since there is no reason to buy a van or truck that cannot fit what you need. Keep in mind both the basic dimensions, such as the length and width of what you need to fit and total volume—especially if you need to load up a lot of boxes.

When making these kinds of calculations, always be liberal with your estimates. If you think you’ll need about 100 cu.ft. of interior volume space for your cargo, then you should pick a vehicle with 120 cu.ft. or more. You’re better off having a little extra room for the unexpected, than finding yourself unable to transport what you need.

Cargo – Total Weight

While it is important to make sure any commercial vehicles you choose have enough room to carry what you need, it is also vitally important to get one that can handle the weight. This will depend a great deal on your business and needs—transporting flowers across town is very different from hauling a load of lumber. Just like with the dimensions, always give yourself extra leeway when considering your weight requirements.

Remember to consider both the payload value and any towing capacity you need. Payload refers to the total weight you can load up in the vehicle, which includes you and any passengers. Towing capacity is what you can haul behind you in a trailer. These values can change quite a bit: the 2019 Chevy Silverado Chassis Cab, for example, has four different models and each can handle very different amounts of weight.

Cargo – Truck vs. Van

If you are hauling cargo, whether for deliveries or materials you need on the job, then you have more freedom in your choice of commercial vehicles compared to a business for passengers. You should take a good look at both trucks and vans and see what would work best for you.

Trucks like the 2019 Chevy Silverado Chassis Cab or the 2018 Chevrolet Express Cutaway give you a lot of payload and size. You can load up a large box onto the frame and make these kinds of commercial vehicles ideal for moving, transporting building materials, or hauling dirt. The flexibility that these trucks afford is hard to beat.

Vans like the 2019 Express Cargo Van are ideal if you don’t need to slap a large box onto the rear of your vehicle. These commercial vehicles are somewhat more limited in size but still work for a lot of professionals including electricians, plumbers, transportation and delivery companies, and HVAC professionals. Shelves, compartments, and other accessories can be added inside these vans to make them ideal for different uses, and they can be fitted with exterior features like ladder racks and a rear hitch for towing.

Cargo – The Low Cab Forward Option

If payload size is the most important option for you, such as for a moving company in need of new trucks, then a low cab forward truck is a great choice. These are commercial vehicles like the 2019 Chevrolet Low Cab Forward, which gives you multiple options for different weight requirements. Most of these are available with either a regular or crew cab, making them ideal for big jobs where you need more than two people to ride along in the truck.

There are seven different models of the 2019 Chevy Low Cab Forward available, with a maximum payload of more than 15,000 lbs. Most of these come with diesel engines standard to give you the power you need to haul so much cargo. These trucks have a cab over design that gives the driver terrific visibility, which is very important when moving so much weight through city streets. This is also ideal for routine pick-ups and deliveries since it is easy for the driver and others to get in and out of the vehicle quickly.