Quick Summary
Cargo vans carry tools, inventory and equipment for trades, delivery routes, caterers and mobile service businesses, and their enclosed bodies keep that cargo out of the sun, the monsoon rain and the reach of thieves. They usually cost less to run than a box truck, drive and park like a large SUV, and accept shelving, partitions and vehicle wraps that turn them into rolling workshops and billboards. A pickup still wins for open-bed hauling and heavy towing. Our inventory changes often, so call (520) 750-0505 or check online for current work vans and trucks.
When people wonder what are cargo vans used for, most of them picture a white Ford Transit with a ladder rack in somebody’s driveway, which is fair, but around Tucson it’s also the Chevy Express doing parts runs between shops and the little ProMaster City dropping off flowers.
We sell plenty of pickups at Car Time Supercenter. Still, for a lot of small businesses here the van just ends up fitting the work better, and the reasons below are the ones we hear from owners who switched.
What Are Cargo Vans Used for in Southern Arizona?
Mostly trades, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, flooring and painting, where the tools ride along every day and never come out at night.
After that there’s delivery work like parcel routes and auto parts runs, and the mobile crowd, dog groomers, detailers, caterers, florists, the computer guy who comes to your office (and a few owners who toss a mattress in back and go camping on Mount Lemmon on the weekend).
Mobile services have grown too, because a van lets a business bring the shop to the customer. A detailer or groomer can park in a driveway and work right out of the back.
Top Reasons Cargo Vans Make Smart Business Vehicles
Protection From Weather and Theft
Stuff in an open pickup bed here bakes when it’s over 100 in July, gets soaked when a monsoon storm hits in the afternoon, and anybody walking past the job site can grab it.
In a van it’s behind steel walls and a locked door instead, and if you carry pricey gear, say a pipe camera or a set of cordless tools, a partition behind the seats and a better lock set are pretty cheap add-ons.
Lower Costs Than a Box Truck
The federal line for a Class B commercial driver’s license is 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight, and a regular cargo van isn’t close to that, so the new guy on your crew can drive it with his normal Arizona license.
Gas is the other part. A van’s lighter than a box truck and not pushing a flat wall of air, so it usually burns less, and brakes and tires cost less too.
Room To Customize the Interior
A lot of build-outs start with a Ram ProMaster. It’s front-wheel drive with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 in most of them, no driveshaft under the cargo floor, so the floor sits low and flat, while a Transit comes in low, medium or high roof if you want to stand up in there.
Shelving, bins, ladder racks and lights bolt in without much trouble. A plumber might fill a whole wall with little drawers for fittings, a caterer mostly just wants tie-downs for warmers and coolers.
Keep the weight in mind as you plan a build-out. Shelving, bins and tools all count against the payload number on the sticker in the driver’s door jamb, so add up what you plan to carry before you buy.
Built-In Advertising Space
The sides of a full-size van are big and flat, which is about perfect for a wrap, though honestly just your name and number in vinyl gets seen at every light on Speedway, and a clean lettered van in a customer’s driveway looks more professional than a personal car.
Easy To Drive and Park
A full-size van drives about like a big SUV, and the compact Transit Connect or ProMaster City (Ram sold it here from 2015 through 2022) fits a normal parking space, which helps on the tight streets in the older neighborhoods by downtown.
Buying used can also stretch a startup budget, since a well-kept used van costs less up front than a new one. Fleet vans often come with service records, which are worth asking for.
Cargo Van or Pickup: Choosing the Right Fit
Heavy towing, loads of gravel or lumber, rough ranch roads out past Picture Rocks, that’s still pickup territory, and some people do both with a truck and a bed cap. It really comes down to what’s in the back on a normal Tuesday.
If you’re not sure which way to go, think about the last three jobs you did and what was in the back for each one.
Some owners end up running both, a van for the tools and a pickup for the heavy hauling, which can make sense once a business grows to a second vehicle.
Find Your Next Work Vehicle at Car Time Supercenter
We’re a family business and we’ve been selling cars in Tucson since 1984, with every vehicle inspected and guaranteed to meet Arizona emissions standards. Our inventory changes often, though, so call (520) 750-0505 or check our used cars for sale in Tucson, AZ and used trucks in Tucson before you head over.
Our $499 down car financing has no payments for up to 120 days, so a new business gets a few months of the van working before the first bill, and we’re on Oracle Road if you want to come look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually not, a standard cargo van is rated well under 26,001 pounds, the federal cutoff for a Class B commercial driver’s license, so a regular Arizona license is normally fine, but hazardous materials or a really heavy trailer can change that.
For tools and inventory we’d go van, since stuff stays dry and locked up and you can grab parts off a shelf through the sliding side door, but for heavy towing, gravel and rough roads a pickup’s better.
Yes, the same financing covers work vans, $499 down and no payments for up to 120 days, and you can get pre-qualified online before you come in.
There are good reasons people will buy their next used car in Tucson from Car Time Supercenter. But I think we are one of the most trusted used car dealerships mainly because we treat everyone like family. My family has provided quality, dependable local used cars to Tucson customers since 1984, and I’m proud to be a part of our continued success.
Like many family-owned businesses, I grew up going to work with my dad. Falling in love with cars was natural because of my father’s passion, and eventually, I came to love the car business just like him. I officially joined the Car Time Supercenter team in 2012, starting in the finance department. Over the past decade, I’ve learned the used car business and how to treat customers from my family and industry resources.
Today, I oversee marketing, social media, inventory, and reconditioning, so I play an essential role in delivering local Tucson used car buyers the best experience possible. I also help our family business keep up with the times while providing old-fashioned customer service. From attending NADA classes to becoming Allstate certified for back-end products, I continue to learn and add skills to serve our customers better.
