Trends in commercial van upfitting and how to capitalise on them

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/telegraph-connect/small-business/Renault/renault-kangoo-van.jpg  

The demand for van upfitting is growing day by day and customers select a pickup or service body truck for a mobile service application. Few commercial van options are available in the North American Market – three full-size vans and one compact van. And this number is increased more than doubled to 10 van models. These models provide a wider range of roof heights, wheelbases, payload capacities and engines for fleet managers to choose from. 

We noticed that most of the customers switching from pickup trucks to vans because there is more demand for vans especially small vans and euro-style full-size vans. Below are given some new trends that are popular in commercial van upfits. 

Rightsizing the van to the job

Fleets give more importance to their business and focused on selecting the right size van. With greater options, they choose a more effective tailor vehicle that increases efficiencies and lower operational costs. How to upfit a van:

  • Expand upfit offerings that fit each van model
  • Offer modular or adjustable cargo management systems so that technicians can personalize the upfit according to their customer needs. 
  • Reorganize the cargo area inside the high roof vans and create a new upfit design that increases efficiency and productivity. 

Taking weight out of the upfits

New vans are bigger in size with more cargo area and you can fit a lot more gear in it. More stuff in the van increases the risk of overloading. So in these trends, lighter weight materials are used to increase legal payload capacity. Upfitters use lighter material to reduce overall upfit weight, depending on the customer’s functionality, durability and budget requirements. How to upfit:

  • Offer lighter weight options depending on the requirements
  • Help customers to assess the cost-benefit of light-weighting in the form of increased productivity, payload capacity and reduce acquisition costs. 

Higher demand for ergonomic upfit

A number of fleet managers are growing and managers are looking to equip their vehicles with upfits that improve ergonomics to protect their technicians health. The upfit products are designed by taking ergonomics in their minds.  Drop-down ladder racks, which are especially helpful with taller Euro-style vans because it enables workers to load and unload ladders from the side of the van, while standing safely at ground level, instead of having a strain and lift to load a heavy ladder onto a standard roof rack. How to upfit:

  • Educate customers about ergonomics options such as drop-down racks, grab handles and contoured bulkheads. 
  • Research on how the vehicle is intended to be used in the field to uncover new ideas for designing upfit that help in improving workflow and ergonomics.

Increased demand for mobile power

We’re seeing a trend toward fleets wanting van interiors that offer a more productive mobile workplace, with increased demand for power ports to run laptops, charge mobile devices, and operate electric tools. How to upfit:

  • Expand the product offerings and upfit according to the customer’s mobile power needs for commercial vans in terms of electrification and air power. 
  • Help customers to make the right choice between maximizing onboard power while minimizing the system’s weight and impact on cargo capacity. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hire a refrigerated van fleet to access great service at minimal cost

Image
Vehicle acquisition makes up a huge part of business fleet costs, particularly when that fleet operates within a cold chain. In this blog, we examine why   refrigerated truck rental   holds the key to acquiring high-quality service at a low cost. Why choose refrigerated vans? First thing’s first - which vehicle model is best for your business needs? Needless to say, there is a healthy demand for refrigerated HGVS. However, for many small businesses operating a cold chain, refrigerated vans can pose the best solution. Refrigerated transport is often used for relatively small loads - such as online food shopping, events catering, or fresh produce deliveries to small stores. In each of these situations, a refrigerated van may be the most suitably sized vehicle. On top of this, congestion on the roads is getting worse. Research by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) found that vehicle traffic has increased by 5% since 2000, while the length of the road netwo...
Read more

Anheuser-Busch to add 21 BYD electric delivery trucks to California fleets

Image
It seems Anheuser-Busch is set on trying every type of alternative-fuel-powered delivery truck available. In 2017, A-B announced it had ordered 40 electric Tesla semi-trucks. In 2018, A-B said it ordered as many as 800 hydrogen Nikola Motor Company semis. And in 2019, A-B says it is adding 21 battery-electric semis to its distribution fleet, this time from Chinese manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD). The introduction of the electric trucks is part of a collaboration between A-B, BYD, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), and ENGIE Services U.S. It's called the Zero-Emission Beverage Handling and Distribution at Scale project, and it aims to "demonstrate how to reach zero-emissions across the range of activities at AB distribution facilities with minimal modifications to fleet logistics." A-B claims this will be the largest Class 8 electric truck deployment in North America. The trucks and their charging gear will be used at four...
Read more

Refrigerated Vans for Deliveries and Trailers for Storage

Image
Several news articles published this past spring described the good work of a well-known online supermarket that donated refrigerated vans to local food charities. What the company did was both honorable and very helpful to the charities in question. News reports explained that the purpose of the donations was to give food charities the means of delivering more fresh foods – like perishable fruits, vegetables, and meats – to recipients rather than just canned and dry goods. That is a great goal to pursue. Hopefully the food charities are not using the vans for storage as well. In short, refrigerated vans are for deliveries while refrigerated trailers are for storage. There really is no comparison when you are looking at a cold storage solution for more than a couple of hours at a time. Trailers Offer More Capacity One of the first things to note about refrigerated trailers is that, compared to refrigerated van hire, they offer more c...
Read more