A cargo van is a single-piece vehicle in which the passenger area and the cargo area connect. In this van, you can access the cargo space from the inside of the automobile. The exterior of a cargo van looks similar to a passenger van. It has a sliding side door and large rear doors for loading and unloading things.
Roofers, plumbers, electricians, and painters often use this type of vehicle for their businesses. You can add partitions to separate the passenger cab from the interior cargo area if desired. Other custom options include drawers or shelves for organizing items and hydraulic liftgates for lifting freight into the van.
Cargo Vans Benefits
Cargo vans have many advantages, depending on your needs:
Driving a cargo van is similar to handling a traditional automobile, making it easier to operate than other commercial vehicles.
Accessing your tools, gear, and equipment is easy with a cargo van.
Maneuvering and parking a cargo van in crowded areas is more manageable due to the smaller size.
Purchasing a cargo van is a more affordable option, as this type of vehicle is generally less expensive than a box truck.
Handling a cargo van offers good visibility and front-end clearance.
Customizing the interior of a cargo van is easy, with many available add-on features for storage and organization.
Advertising with your vehicle is easy if your cargo van does not have windows in the back.
Building a fleet is an important part of any supply chain, but what kind of vehicles do you really need for one? The most common choices are pickup trucks and cargo vans, but which one is really better? Let’s take a closer look at these two vehicles and their strengths and weaknesses to see which of these options is really the best one for your supply chain.
Pickup Trucks
Pickup trucks are classic work trucks. You’ll see them on every single job site and in many supply chains across the country. What are the benefits of using a pickup truck instead of a cargo van?
First, you’ve got more cargo space in a pickup truck. Tall or long pieces can easily be secured in the bed of the truck, and it’s much easier to load and unload anything you’re hauling. You can also tow a trailer or other heavy equipment with a pickup much easier than you can with a cargo van.
Cargo Vans
Cargo vanshave a great number of benefits when they’re being used as work trucks. They’re enclosed, which has some primary benefits — it helps to keep your tools and equipment secure. You don’t have to unload your truck at the end of the day to guard against theft. Just lock the door, and you’re good to go.
It also helps to protect your equipment from bad weather that might blow up unexpectedly. If you use electronic devices throughout the day or carry cargo that could be damaged by rain or weather, a cargo van can save you a lot of money and trouble.
In addition, it’s much easier to organize tools and equipment in the back of a cargo van than it is in the back of a pickup. Even if you’re not worried about the weather, it’s harder to install hooks, shelves, and other items for organizing all your tools.
Finally, cargo vans give you a lot more space for advertising on their sides and back. You can advertise on a pickup, but you have less room, so you can convey less information.
Cargo vans don’t have the towing capacity that pickups do, and while they may have more storage space in the cargo area, you’re limited in their available space — large pieces might not fit in the cargo area without being broken down.
The World Health Organization states that the coronavirus is spread through droplets from the mouth or nose during a cough or sneeze. These droplets could land on any object or surfaces around an infected person, and when someone else touches the contaminated object or surface, that person can potentially be infected.
Vehicles used for business, whether new or used ones purchased from your box truck dealer or cargo van dealers, need to be cleaned and sanitized–especially the interior from time to time.
Cargo van interiors have different kinds of surfaces, including rubber, plastic, leather, or metal, and these surfaces can be contaminated at anytime as different people come into contact with your vehicle in a typical workday.
Usually used by a variety of businesses for carrying tools, equipment, goods, and even personnel, cargo vans or any vehicle for that matter are highly prone to contamination, especially when studies have shown that coronavirus can survive on surfaces for up to nine days.
That being said, there is a way to properly disinfect and kill the virus on any external surface. Below are four steps to properly sanitize your cargo van:
Prepare Your Tools
Make sure to use disposable gloves when cleaning. You can also use any EPA-registered household disinfectant as long as it is safe to be used on vehicle surfaces. Also, be sure to keep disinfectant wipes in your vehicle at all times for a quick wipe. Other things you will need are upholstery cleaner, air freshener, and vacuum cleaner.
Start With The Exterior
Though the outside of your cargo van is less susceptible to contamination because of its constant exposure to sunlight, it still advisable to at least have it washed and door handles sanitized.
Clear The Clutter
The next thing to do is to get rid of everything that’s not necessary inside your van. It is best to keep a small trash can so that you can just keep switching trash bags instead of having to dig around for wrappers, old receipts, and other common vehicle trash. After clearing the unnecessary clutter, remove the floor mats for washing, and then vacuum your van floor.
Wipe Down High Touch Surfaces
High touch surfaces are areas in your cargo van that you come into contact with the most. The obvious places are door handles, steering wheel, door buttons, gear shifters, seatbelts, and touch screens or GPS if your truck or van has one.
Aside from these, make sure to clean the dashboard thoroughly as well. Bacteria are collected in that particular spot when air is being circulated inside the vehicle. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends disinfecting high touch surfaces daily, so do this at the end of the day of your business operations.
Good hygiene and cleanliness is still the best way to fight COVID-19 coronavirus. As delivery services grow in demand during this pandemic, the use of cargo vans becomes more prevalent, and in turn, more and more people come into contact with these vehicles.
More than ever, when considering buying vehicles for your business from a box truck dealer or cargo van dealers, it is crucial to set a schedule not just for vehicle maintenance but for cleaning and sanitizing as well. By following the steps above, you can surely prevent the spread of the virus as you conduct your day to day business operations with your cargo van.
BRING YOUR VAN TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THESE MINIVAN ORGANIZATION TIPS
You fought it for so long, but here you are- you own a minivan. It might not be the coolest-looking vehicle but by golly, these things are pretty great. Sliding doors, DVD players in the back, tons of room for your kids, their stuff, and your stuff. But did you know that you can make your van even better?
These minivan organization tips come from pro-moms that know what they’re doing and how to make your new ride work for you.
1. Grab Some Custom Floor Mats
Your minivan probably came with a few carpeted floor mats but any pro-mom will tell you that those suckers get dirty fast. Between dirty shoes, spilled drinks, and food crumbs, your new car will quickly start looking like a frat house on wheels.
Custom carpeted mats like these ones offer a soft and plush carpet look and feel that is easier to clean than the thin, hard mats that your van probably came with. The mats fit your car perfectly, too. You order by the exact make, model, and year of your vehicle so they are made to fit just right, they cover every part of your floor board, and they stay in place.
These premier Ultimate Floor Mats have been around since 1978 and thanks to their multi-layer backing, you get moisture resistance and stiffness so that the mats stay the same shape in which you got them.
You can even order them with your new ride’s logoor customize it with your own name. They come in a variety of colors (over 50) to match your car’s interior and your personal style. And just to be on the extra safe side, there is a five-year warranty.
2. Over-the-Seat Hooks Keep Stuff Off the Floor
Another great minivan organization tip is to get over-the-seat hooks. These help keep things like coats and backpacks off the floor so you don’t have things thrown all over the place.
It also helps keep everything in place during road trips as well as the school drop off and pick up. You can also keep a bag full of extra clothes, undies, diapers and wipes hanging back there for any emergencies.
3. Move the Seats to Fit Your Needs
One of the greatest things about minivans is your ability to remove seats to suit your needs. One mom suggests removing the right or left second row seat, leaving an open space for kids to access the backseat.
This makes school drop off and pick up a breeze and prevents anyone from stepping all over your seats (or looking like they are trying to climb out of the womb) to get in and out of the back row.
It also allows easy access to buckles for car seats for parents and an open spot in the back for things like sports bags and even pets who might be along for the ride.
4. Keep it Clean
A clean van means a happy driver. Messes in your new van are going to happen because, well, kids. But you can keep it clean even on the go if you keep some extra cleaning supplies in a trunk organizer in the back. Here are some good things to get you started:
hand wipes
leather wipes for seats
disinfecting wipes
a battery-operated handheld vacuum
carpet cleaner or spot remover to ensure your new mats stay clean
paper towels
grocery bags to throw all the gross stuff away
5. Keep it Organized
As a mom driving a minivan you are going to have quite a bit of “stuff” to manage during the regular day-to day-trips. Keep things like wipes, garage bags (for those unexpected, “Mom, I feel like I’m going to be sick moments” and any potty accidents), as well as hand sanitizer, extra napkins, and ChapStick handy and in an easy-to-access location. Knowing where to find these items during a crisis moment is half the battle.
Another minivan organization tip is to keep a mini trashcan in the front seat. This way all those wrappers and lollipop sticks can go right in the trashcan and not on your nice new floor mats.
6. Toys and Trays
A great way to keep the kids tame and to keep your cargo van clean is to put a fabric bin of toys, coloring books, and books between the seats or on the floor. If you are going on a long trip, you might want to invest in some seat trays for activities and for eating.
Your minivan will be like your second home. You will spend so much time in it that it ends up being a restaurant, a closet, and a transporter. But with these minivan organization tips you, can make sure your van stays clean, organized, and more efficient for you and your family to use.
Van Shelving Increases Storage Space in Your Cargo Van
There are many upfits for cargo vans that can help contractors and other small businesses become more productive. One commercial van upfit that should not be overlooked is shelving. It keeps the interior of the van organized, which increases efficiency regardless of the field your business is in. It also maximizes space inside the van, which reduces the need to continually re-stock and contributes toward keeping workers productive throughout the day.
These benefits make van shelving a necessity for workers in trades that always carry various tools, equipment, and cargo, such as plumbers, carpenters, electricians, painters, and others. Here are some of the ways you can use van shelving to improve the efficiency of your commercial van.
Use Steel Shelving
Steel shelving is sturdy, durable, and long-lasting. You can also cut the cost of all-steel shelving by installing steel frames and plywood shelves.
Install Corner Shelving
Contractors that carry large pieces of wood, sheeting, and other material need plenty of space. But where can they fit the shelves for their tools? That’s where corner shelving comes in. This is literally shelving that goes in the corner. It can be installed on the floor but placing it near the ceiling will increase valuable floor space.
Add Drawers, Crates, and Bins
Shelves work well with drawers, crates, and bins. Shelves are great for larger tools and equipment, but drawers will keep smaller items organized. Crates and bins can also keep similar items together and keep them from moving inside the van.
Consider Closed Backs
Some shelving includes a closed back. This keeps sharp and heavy tools from striking and damaging the van interior.
Also Consider Locking Doors
Shelving systems can also be installed with closed doors. This also helps secure your cargo if a driver ever needs to take a sharp turn or stop suddenly. Installing locking doors also helps keep items safe from thieves while the van doors are open.
Install Hooks
Sometimes you have so many tools you wonder where everything will fit. Try installing hooks above shelving, so you can hang larger items and store smaller items on the shelves.
Use Van Shelving to Become More Productive Every Day
Why struggle with lost items, frustrated customers, and wasted time when you can make one simple change to your cargo van that will have a positive impact on your bottom line? Van shelving, when used effectively, can increase space, organization, and productivity. It allows workers to always have the right item on hand, which saves time for the worker and increases customer satisfaction. There are several types of shelving to use, including steel and corner shelving, and features that can be added, such as drawers, crates, bins, closed backs, doors, and hooks. Any of these can improve your day-to-day productivity.
Commercial Van Solutions 