Once you have decided to start a man and van courier service, you will need to choose the right van to meet your needs. If you are uncertain about the long term viability of your business or you would prefer to try a few delivery jobs before you decide to commit, you may initially prefer to hire a van.
When you decide to buy, the type of van you choose will dictate the type of jobs you do. If you intend to offer standard delivery services, it would be unwise to buy a larger van than you need for everyday purposes. Unless you plan on offering a specialist large item services or removals as well, it is likely to be more cost-effective to buy a van that is the right size for your everyday needs.
It is against the law to overload any vehicle, so you must ensure that the van you buy has sufficient carrying capacity. For specialist jobs, you may need to hire a larger van. Overloading puts additional strain on the van’s engine, gearbox, brakes and axles. This will increase its servicing costs and reduce the useful life of the vehicle.
When choosing the engine size, you should consider the type of journeys the van will make. If your driving jobs are likely to involve a lot of driving on motorways for long periods at high speeds, a larger engine may be more fuel efficient than a smaller one. Vans with smaller engines will probably save you fuel if you drive mainly on city roads, and hybrid vehicles use an electric motor as well as a conventional engine in order to further reduce fuel consumption.
Whichever van you choose, loading it efficiently will help you save on fuel costs. Using a smaller, fully loaded van is often far more fuel efficient than running a larger one that is only partly loaded. To prevent wasted capacity, many man and van services use online courier marketplaces to make sure they get enough return loads to keep their vans full.