If you run a business, do professional towing, or you’re into delivery, it’s essential to have a vehicle that’s up to scratch to handle your workload. Thanks to the fleet line of automotive vehicles, it’s definitely possible to find something perfectly suitable for your line of work. But, you really need to know what to look for and whether what you’re seeking to purchase is the right kind of vehicle both for your business and your budget. These tips for buying used Ford commercial vehicles will help you know what to look for and which vehicle you should put on your to-buy list.
Different Commercial Vehicles for Different Tasks
Before you even consider buying a used Ford commercial vehicle, you first need to know which type of vehicle you need for the kind of business you’re doing.
- Is it for delivering goods?
- Do you need to tow?
- Is hauling equipment a concern?
- Is the vehicle for construction?
- Do you do utility work?
- Is the model you need for emergency services?
- Do you need to shuttle people around?
It may not seem like a very important question, but it is. Because depending on the work you do will depend on the type of Ford commercial vehicle you will need.
Ford has delivery and transportation vehicles, such as the Transit line, as well as trucks and vans designed for cargo, utility, and emergency services, such as the E-Series Cutaway, Transit CC-CA, and Ford Super Duty Chassis Cab.
Then, there are the traditional Ford Super Duty pickup trucks and medium-duty trucks, both of which are designed to handle large loads thanks to their large engines and best-in-class trailering capabilities, perfect for construction, dumping, or plowing. For custom commercial work, the Ford Stripped Chassis is basically a framework that you can customize and outfit for whatever you need.
Used Ford Transit Purpose and Pricing
For small businesses in the line of transportation services such as shuttling or delivery, you will probably want a Transit or Transit Connect. They’re just large enough to carry plenty of cargo for deliveries with the Cargo Van, as well as house up to 15 total passengers if you decide to go with a Transit Passenger Van.
The Transit comes in four trim variants, which include the Cargo Van, Crew Van, Passenger Van XL, and Passenger Van XLT. The Cargo Van seats two while the Crew Van seats up to five. As the name suggests, the Passenger Van can seat up to 15. Used, you can typically get your hands on a variant of the Transit from 2016 through 2019 for anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000, depending on the trim and mileage.
The Transit Connect is slightly smaller but still has room enough for 145.8 cubic-feet of maximum cargo space, which is great for delivering food, transporting office supplies, or handling utility equipment. The Transit Connect comes in five different trims and can seat up to seven people with the Passenger iteration. Since it’s smaller than the standard Transit, you can usually find a used variant from 2016 through 2020 for anywhere between $19,000 and $25,000, depending on the configuration and mileage.
Used Ford Super Duty Purpose and Pricing
The Ford Super Duty trucks are basically bigger, beefier iterations of the Ford light-duty series of pickup trucks. These trucks, however, aren’t designed to be eco-conscious leisure vehicles, so you won’t find any EcoBoost variants as part of the powertrain offerings. Instead, the Ford Super Duty series is powered by a hardy V8 or turbo-diesel engine.
These vehicles are designed to haul, tow, and trailer very large loads. The Super Duty trucks are available both in multiple trim formats and series, ranging from the F-250 up to the F-450. These trucks are capable of easily trailering loads that range between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds depending on the year and configuration, with payloads reaching up to 4,000 pounds depending on the variant.
The Ford Super Duty price ranges greatly depending on the year and the trim. For instance, a 2015 Ford Super Duty F-250 might run you $25,000 depending on the mileage, while a 2017 through 2019 used F-350 might run you anywhere between $40,000 and $60,000, depending on mileage.
Used Ford Medium Duty Purpose and Pricing
If you need something a little more modular than the Ford Super Duty pickup trucks, there’s the medium-duty F-550, F-650, and F-750 line of trucks, as well as the Super Duty Chassis Cab. Now while they’re two different lines of commercial vehicles under Ford’s umbrella, they have very similar functionality so that they can be customized for your workload.
The Super Duty Chassis Cab comes with a dually drivetrain and a bare chassis in the back. Design-wise it’s very similar to the F-350 through F-450 line, but the customizable chassis for dump trucks, flatbeds, or cargo, puts it on a similar line with Ford’s medium-duty trucks. However, the Super Duty Chassis Cab is much cheaper and smaller than the medium-duty trucks, and––while rare––you can sometimes find used variants within the last few generations for around $25,000 through $30,000.
By comparison, the medium-duty trucks have much higher weight ratings, with the gross combined weight rating going as high as 50,000 pounds when fully equipped. The medium-duty trucks are oftentimes used for hauling manufacturing equipment, commercial goods, or heavy-duty cargo. These are oftentimes used in fleets and are available in a number of gas and diesel-based trims in regular and crew cab formats.
You’ll have a tough time finding Ford’s medium-duty trucks from a regular used dealer or trader. Even used variants of older generations are still expensive; quality models usually go for anywhere between $50,000 and $70,000.
Used E-Series Cutaway And Transit CC-CA Purpose and Pricing
The E-Series Cutaway Van and Transit CC-CA are in the same style category as the medium-duty and Chassis Cab fleet vehicles. That is to say, they are designed to be customized. However, the roles they play on the road are much different from the other trucks.
The E-Series Cutaway is oftentimes used for emergency vehicle purposes, as a shuttle bus, for motor-homes, or for utilitarian work. The E-Series is available as a 350 and 450 series with single rear-wheel and dual-rear wheel configurations, with a gross vehicle weight rating that ranges from 10,000 up to 22,000 pounds when fully equipped. Most times, you’ll find that the E-Series is available with pre-configured upfits, with newer generations hovering between $15,000 and $30,000. If you shop around, though, you might be able to find a few E-Series Cutaway models with just the cab and the chassis.
The Transit CC-CA is in a similar category, often designed for small to medium cargo hauling, but lacks the heft to handle the same level of loads as the E-Series. However, its compact design and lower weight rating mean it’s easier to handle. If you’re a small moving company or contractor, the Transit CC-CA provides a nice cache of options for those lines of work.
Used versions of the cutaway oftentimes range between $19,000 and $40,000 depending on the year and trim. Interestingly enough, the price rarely differs much whether you’re getting a pre-configured Transit CC-CA or one with just the cab and chassis.
Used Ford Stripped Chassis Purpose and Price
The Ford Stripped Chassis is exactly what the name infers: it’s just an engine and a chassis. It comes with a large V8 and a heavy-duty transmission, along with a steering column. Everything else is up for the owner (or upfitter) to provide. The Ford Stripped Chassis is available with different wheelbase sizes, ranging from 158 inches up to 208 inches, and has a gross vehicle weight rating that goes from 16,000 up to 22,000 pounds.
Typically the Stripped Chassis is used for commercial hauling, and you may even see them often when someone is delivering a package to your doorstep or business. Pricing varies wildly here for used versions of the Stripped Chassis. It all depends on if you’re getting the actual stripped chassis, or one that has already been fitted with a body-on-frame.
If you’re running a medium-to-large business, then the Stripped Chassis might be preferable if you have a fleet of vehicles you plan to use, but it might be wise to stick with something more manageable such as the Transit or Super Duty for smaller businesses.
Hopefully, this helps put you in the right direction on what sort of used Ford commercial vehicle you’re looking to purchase and how to go about acquiring one.
