Approved Trader
Tradesmen Value Functionality Most When Choosing a New Van
Air Conditioning
Services
Find a local trader and receive competitive FREE quotes?
What Does a Tradesmen Look for in a new Van? Choosing the right van can be more difficult than you might think. There are so many car yards and vehicle buyer`s magazines, vehicle auctions and private sellers with vans for sale not to mention the internet that trawling through them all can take weeks and once you have your shortlist you have to go and see them.
You might feel that leasing a van could be the best option, but what are the driving factors for tradesmen and small business owners when choosing a new van? We surveyed 1000 or our Approved Traders from all over the UK what is the feature they deemed most important when choosing a new van for their business?
We gave our tradesmen 4 basic attributes to choose form and asked them which one applied most to them.
- Price, The van must offer value for money and must be within a specific price range.
- Functionality, Do you need a van that has specific functionalities such as a long wheel base, side door or a roof rack to carry larger items.
- Make or Model, Is there a specific manufacturer or model which you prefer?
- Reliability/Condition, Do you look for reliability in a new van, take note of the interior and exterior condition and look out for indicators such as one owner, full service history and mileage?
Our results showed that at the top of the requirements for our tradesmen was functionality, with different trades requiring us to carry various tools and materials which differ from what other need to carry 36% of those we asked said this was the most important factor for them. Close behind in second place with 31% of the vote was reliability with many tradesmen feeling that they most needed a van that won`t let them down on the cold winter mornings.
The make or model option came out last on our list with only 14% of the vote, some makes of van are much more expensive than other, though we would probably all love a Mercedes van it comes at a cost most tradesmen would view such a purchase as a luxury one.
So it seems that price is not always the driving factor behind the decisions we make, this option was third in our poll receiving only 18% of the vote, it`s no good having a cheap van if you can`t fit your tools in or it won`t start.
Richard Harvey of ApprovedTrader.co.uk said of the results `The survey has shown a distinct trend towards functionality, condition and reliability which indicates that the ability to do the job at hand are most important to the tradespeople of the UK no matter what the brand even if it costs a little extra`.
