How to Choose the Best Cargo Van Ramp for Your Business?

We get it, buying your first cargo van is a big decision. At first glance, the many varieties of vans across multiple manufacturers can seem completely overwhelming, like trying to count grains of sand on a beach. Luckily, you’ve stumbled upon this helpful guide on one of the most crucial parts of any delivery or shipping business: the cargo van.

A great place to start when searching for your very own cargo van is to examine what van type would best accommodate your needs, what load height would best fit your situation, and how much cargo your perfect van needs to be able to hold. Using these criteria, you can narrow down which make or model best suits your business and then discover the perfect HandiRamp cargo van ramp to enhance your business even further.

WHAT IS A CARGO VAN

Before we dive into discussing the optimal cargo van for your business, let’s first discuss what a cargo van is and its advantages over other classes of commercial delivery vehicles.

A cargo van is a commercial vehicle where the vast majority of the space is reserved for cargo as opposed to passengers. While a minivan is capable of transporting a fair amount of cargo, it has rows of seating and is specifically designed with passengers, not cargo, in mind. There are a wide variety of cargo vans available to purchase from multiple different manufacturers, each with slightly differing specifications and distinct capabilities. Three of the most popular models of cargo van are the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, the Ram Promaster Cargo Van, and the Ford Transit cargo van.

One of the largest alternatives to a cargo van is a straight truck or more specifically a box truck. Box trucks are also commercial vehicles primarily intended for transporting cargo, but they are generally much larger than a cargo van, not as maneuverable, and less driver-friendly. These vehicles get their name from the large compartment — or box — where cargo is stored that is separate from the main cabin and the drivers. In order to have their larger cargo capacity, box trucks are considerably taller, longer, and wider than a cargo van, with many coming in lengths of up to 26 feet and greater weight capacities. Box trucks also come in multiple variations from different manufacturers and are also compatible with HandiRamp cargo van ramps.

Besides size, one of the largest differences between a cargo van and a box truck is the ease of use. Cargo vans are considerably easier to drive and operate and are capable of easily reaching areas much less accessible to box trucks. For instance, utilizing a box truck for any deliveries or operations in tight or densely packed urban areas would be challenging, while most cargo vans would have little trouble operating in cities. For the most densely populated areas, many manufacturers also have a slightly smaller model of cargo van specifically built for easily maneuvering small city streets and compact parking. The Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, and Ram Promaster City are some of the more popular city variations of cargo vans.

Even outside of urban areas, larger box trucks are more difficult for your business to operate than cargo vans. While a separate commercial license isn’t required to operate most box trucks, they are still much more difficult to drive than cargo vans. Box trucks can be much more cumbersome and difficult to maneuver because of their increased size. Drivers have to take extra care when turning or switching lanes so as to not miss and hit smaller vehicles, wider turns are often required, and reversing into parking or unloading areas is also harder due to impaired visibility around the back of the truck. In comparison, the process of operating a cargo van is almost identical to driving any standard car.

Most box trucks also have a very high load height that requires either a lift-gate or ramp system to load and unload cargo. In fact, with an average load height of 48” to 52”, the load floor of a box truck is often twice as high as a cargo van.

Even within just the category of cargo vans, there are multiple types suited for a range of different settings and purposes. Two of the most common specialties are the larger capacity sprinter vans and the slightly more compact city van that’s best suited for maneuvering cramped urban areas while still maintaining utility. And best of all, HandiRamp cargo van ramps are compatible and greatly beneficial for all of the following kinds of cargo vans.

SPRINTER VANS & OTHER LARGER CARGO VANS

In general, the term ‘sprinter van’ usually refers to one specific model of van, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, but the term can also be used synonymously for cargo van. Most sprinter vans tend to be slightly larger than the standard cargo van and have higher ceilings. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is easily one of the most popular and customizable cargo vans, while the standard Ford Transit and Ram Promaster could be considered sprinter vans because of their elevated roofs and larger capacities.

The Mercedes-Benz model can attribute its success and notoriety to its combination of a larger cargo area with a maintained sense of reliability and versatility. The sprinter could be best utilized by businesses that have a concurrent desire to transport larger shipments or deliveries and retain the ability to make frequent daily deliveries. For instance, a mattress delivery service would benefit from the taller cargo ceilings, which would allow for the storage of large cargo like a mattress, but also be able to easily make more frequent mattress deliveries than a similar business employing an oversized box truck would be able to.