Should I Use a Truck and Trailer or a Cargo Van and Ramp for My Landscaping Business?

Before leaving for the last road trip I took, I made sure the rental car would be suitable for all needs and scenarios that could arise on the trip. While storage was needed for luggage and food, space for people to sit comfortably while on the road was also required. And even though a minivan might’ve had space for people and cargo, it certainly wouldn’t’ve been able to handle any dirt roads or rough terrain. Just like any other savvy traveler, I needed a vehicle that outperformed other options and matched my situation.

Your landscaping business is no different. Before heading out for a day’s work, you need to be assured that your vehicles can handle all the personnel and equipment required to get the job done right. Your two major options for ferrying cargo between job sites are pickup trucks and trailers or cargo vans, and this blog will show you how a cargo van with a HandiRamp van ramp is the best possible option to do so.

Types of cargo van

Before delving into the comparison between your two vehicle options, you should first fully understand what a cargo van is and what models there are. A cargo van is a commercial vehicle with large amounts of space usually reserved for cargo as opposed to a passenger van which mainly accommodates passengers. Sounds straightforward enough, however many different manufacturers offer cargo vans with different specifications and specialties to cater to any individual business’s needs.

The main divisions of cargo vans are sprinter vans and compact/city vans. The term sprinter van is most often in reference to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, but other larger vans with higher roofs and greater capacities could also be categorized as sprinters. City or compact vans are exactly what they sound like, smaller and more compact cargo vans best suited for cramped urban environments but still capable of carrying large amounts of cargo, like the Mercedes-Benz Metris which is akin to a shrunken Sprinter.

To read more about the variations of cargo vans, box trucks, and how to select the perfect size van for your business, read here.

Pro-van

Now, let’s take a look into the numerous reasons a cargo van might be preferable for your landscaping business over a pickup truck and trailer.

Organization: A unique benefit provided by cargo vans is not only great storage capacity but also the ability to organize and store your cargo. With any old pickup or trailer, most of your equipment and tools will most likely be haphazardly strewn about or tied down wherever you can manage it. At the end of a long day of hedge trimming, you’d just toss your shears or hedge trimmer into the bed of your pickup which may work then but isn’t an effective long-term policy. Most cargo vans are highly customizable and can have different organizational mechanisms implemented directly into the van such as shelves, hanging storage, and roof racks.

Having all of your equipment securely fastened down can be well worth it, because ensuring you, your people, and your tools can all travel safely and quickly between job sites is essential for any landscaping business. 

Cover: To build on that point, the enhanced protection from the elements and even theft offered by a cargo van vs an open truck bed or trailer is also essential. With a cargo van, all of your property is properly fastened inside the van where no prying eyes can see it. So having a van not only makes theft harder because any prospective thieves must break into your entire van as opposed to hopping over a truck bed, but it also makes it less likely as no one can see your goods. 

Even further, your equipment will be better protected from the elements like rain or snow which can wreak havoc on mowers and other lawn care tools left out in the open air on a truck bed or trailer. While there are also enclosed cargo trailers they are essentially just a towable and harder-to-maneuver version of a cargo van.

To read more about how a cargo van can help you tackle difficult elements in the winter, click here.

Ease-of-use: Elaborating on what I just mentioned, cargo vans are exceptionally easy to drive and park around job sites, while a larger truck or trailer can pose a challenge for the less experienced driver to maneuver safely while on the road and on site. This difference only becomes even more stark if you ever need to take care of lawns in a city or urban environment, where you might find yourself spending some time looking for adequate parking for a truck and trailer. A compact cargo can however allow you and your crew to work as fast as possible because it can fit in those cramped spots while still holding the equipment you need to get the job done.

Advertising and appearance: Not only can a cargo van adequately hold all of your landscaping equipment securely to be easily brought wherever needed, the tall sides of the van offer a unique opportunity for marketing. While it may seem like minor, the ability to act as your own personal billboard for your business wherever you drive is an incredible positive that a truck simply can’t offer. When other prospective customers drive by you while you’re working they can see plainly who your company is, contact information, services offered, and other invaluable advertising information. While you could try and label a pickup truck the same way it would simply never have as much space for your labels and branding, and might even end up pointless if anything on the vehicle is too small to be easily legible.