If you are considering setting up a courier service business then one of the things you will need to give some serious thought to is the mode of transport you will use to deliver parcels and any other items you wish to drop off to both business and personal customers. There are 4 popular choices, bike, car, van or lorry with the most popular probably being a van to deliver parcels.

If you do decide that a van is the most appropriate vehicle to use for your courier service business you will then need to decide whether to purchase a new van or a used van. Such a choice is often dictated by affordability as, on average, a used light commercial vehicle (LCV) is probably going to cost less to buy than a new light commercial vehicle (LCV).

If you are thinking of purchasing a new van then you may find it of interest to read that the number of new vans registered here in the UK in April 2026 rose in comparison to the same month last year. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the number of new vans sold in the UK in April 2026 amounted to 21,716 compared to 20,332 in April 2025. That is a rise of 6.8%.

New pickup sales dropped from 2,740 in April 2025 to 1,166 in April 2026 – a fall of 57.4%. New 4 x 4 sales rose rom 564 to 1,024 in the same months – a rise of 81.6%. New van sales in the up to 2 tonnes category dropped from 571 to 489 in the same months – a reduction of 14.4%. New van sales in the 2.0 tonnes to 2.5 tonnes category fell from 4,344 to 3,476 in the same months – a drop of 20.0%. New van sales in the 2.5 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes category rose from 12,113 to 15,561 in the same months – an increase of 28.5%. As you can see, it was new van sales in the later category in terms of numbers that saw the biggest rise when comparing April 2025 with April 2026.

The top 5 selling new vans in the UK in April 2026 were: –

1. Ford Transit Custom 2,843
2. Ford Transit 1,919
3. Mercedes Sprinter 1,227
4. Renault Trafic 1,050
5. Peugeot Partner 1,041

There was good demand for new battery electric vans (BEVs) in April 2026 with 2,439 registered compared to 1,686 in the same month in 2025 – an increase of 44.7%. Market share was 11.1% in April 2026 compared to 8.3% in April last year.

Don’t forget, whether you are going to buy a second hand van or a new van for your courier service business, you will no doubt need to make sure that you have suitable courier insurance in place. So, why not contact us at your earliest convenience to obtain a competitive quote without any obligation.