When looking into buying a van for your courier business there are a number of factors that you may wish to consider not least of which is your budget. If you have sufficient funds available or are able to borrow enough money to buy or lease a new one then you will need to decide whether it is worth the additional outlay in comparison to taking on board a used van.

If you buy a new vehicle then you will hopefully not have to worry about excessive repair and maintenance costs in the early years in comparison to buying a second hand van. Of course, if you get a puncture, you will no doubt be responsible for the cost of having it replaced whether the van is new or used.

The size of the items you will be delivering and the distance you travel will have a bearing upon the van you choose. For instance, if you are going to be delivering small parcels locally then a smaller van may be more suitable whereas if you were delivering larger parcels further afield then you may prefer a larger van. Of course, a smaller van is going to be more maneuverable than a larger vehicle.

Having decided upon your budget, a new or used van and the size of van you will then need to choose the make and model of vehicle. You should do some research as to which vans are more reliable than others. In this respect, you may find the 2019 FN50 Van Reliability Index of interest as it provides some interesting data about the most reliable vans here in the UK.

Whether you are delivering on a localised basis or travelling further afield you will want to get as many miles to the gallon as possible as your fuel costs are likely to be a significant part of your business expenditure. So, check the fuel consumption of each van you are considering investing in.

As a courier, you will be spending several hours a day in the van. So will want to make sure that it is as comfy as possible so make sure that the seating is a pleasure to sit in and that you can move the seat and steering wheel to suit you. Has it got air-conditioning for those hot summer days? You will also want to ensure that the driving experience is a good one i.e. easy gear change if you have not chosen an automatic, a pleasure to steer and there is enough power for your needs.