Buying any vehicle can be a lot of work when you’re looking for a truck or van for your business, then the pressure can be even higher. After all, the last thing you want to do is spend money on a vehicle that turns out to be wrong for your company. The right commercial van can make your job a lot easier and provide you with the tools you need to grow your business. If you’re looking at different Chevy vans for sale for your business, however, you might feel overwhelmed by your options.
Today I’m going to give you some tips that can make your shopping experience a little easier. The bad news is that I can’t tell you which model is perfect for you – that depends on too many factors that you need to determine. What I can do, however, is give you the tools you need to make figuring that out a lot easier.
Tip #1 – Determine Passenger vs. Cargo
I’m going to start with the most basic thing here, and you’ve probably already got this figured out. But I’m going to say it anyway because it’s a good place to start. Before you start looking at any Chevy vans for sale, decide on if you would be better served by a passenger van or a cargo van. This is a pretty easy decision to make because it comes down to what you typically have in the van with you while you are on the job.
If you usually have materials or packages in your van for your work, then a cargo van is probably your best choice. On the other hand, if you tend to transport people for your business, then you should be looking at Chevy passenger vans for sale. If you tend to have both passengers and cargo in your van, then you’ll need to decide on which one to focus on before you buy.
Tip #2 – Know Your Load Limit
As you look at different Chevy vans for sale, you’re going to see different specs listed for them, either by the manufacturer or by a dealership. Knowing what you need before you start shopping will let you utilize these specs more effectively so you can sort through your options quickly. You’ll probably see a lot of Chevy vans on the market, so the ability to quickly eliminate ones that won’t work for you will make shopping a lot easier.
With that in mind, decide on how much payload you need in a van for your business. The payload capacity refers to how much weight your vehicle can physically bear without damaging its frame. So, if you need a cargo van, then this indicates just how much equipment you can load into your vehicle. With a passenger van, the payload will partially dictate how many passengers you can have on a ride. Remember that payload includes everything in and on the van. Including the driver, accessories you choose for storage, and anything you load onto the outside of your van as well.
Tip #3 – Look at Available Interior Options
At this point, you should be able to use those previous three tips to eliminate a lot of Chevy vans that won’t work for you. Now that you’ve narrowed down your options a bit take a look inside any vans that seem like they would work for you. You want to choose a van for your business that can make your life easier – one of the best ways to accomplish that is with useful accessories inside the vehicle.
I’m talking about storage options, for the most part, and this is a bigger feature if you need a cargo van for your business. If you’re in a trade and need good solutions for transporting tools and equipment, then look for a van that either has shelving and storage solutions included already. Or has available accessories, so you can configure it the way you need it. While there are some after-market solutions available, it can be a lot easier to pick a van that has everything you need to begin with.
Tip #4 – Look at Available Exterior Options
While you’re at it, make sure you check out your options for the outside of the van that seem like they would be a suitable solution for your needs. This is particularly important if you know you have a ladder or something similar that you want to transport with your van. Connectors and attachments on the outside to mount a ladder or other large objects can make it a lot easier to always have what you need with you. If you know you’re going to need to do some towing, then pay attention to available or included tow packages and hitches.
Tip #5 – Consider Your Towing Needs
When you’re shopping for a Chevy van, the payload will probably be the most critical weight spec you look at, but you should consider towing too. Towing capacity refers to how much weight your van can pull behind it, usually in a trailer or a camper. This is important for people with pickup trucks that need to haul boats to the river on the weekend but isn’t always quite as crucial for businesses. If you plan on towing items behind your van, even if it’s only some of the time, be sure to calculate how much it will weigh and choose a van with the towing capacity to handle it.
Tip #6 – Consider Other Options if Necessary
If you’ve gotten to this point and everything I’ve pointed out so far has helped you find the right Chevy vans for your business, then that’s great. On the other hand, if the passenger and cargo vans you look at don’t really seem to fit the bill, then it might be time to look outside the box. Chevy has some excellent standard vans available for businesses, but they also have another option: a cutaway van cab.
With a cutaway, you basically get the front-end of a van, with a platform behind it onto which you can place all kinds of different bodies. There are a lot of body styles available, so you can place a large box on the back if you need a van for a moving company, for example. Or need a refrigerated box for transporting food or flowers, you can find it. Similarly, you can use a cutaway to build a luxurious tour bus or a similar passenger vehicle beyond the standard passenger van available from Chevy. A cutaway isn’t the right choice for everyone, but it’s something to consider if other models don’t meet your needs.
Tip #7 – Put it All Together
Finally, it’s time to put all this together when you’re looking at a Chevy van for your business. Each of these tips is meant to build on each other, and guide you as you look at your options. Don’t focus too much on just one or two of them – use them together to eliminate vans that won’t work for you and find what will.
Oh, and one last thing – don’t rule out the possibility of a used commercial van for your company. While brand new Chevy vans for sale are great and give you a lot of freedom in your setup, a used option can be a solid choice too. With a used commercial vehicle, you can save some money and still make sure your business gets what it needs.
