The Ultimate Van Guide

A list of the most common LCV’s, vans and delivery vehicles for courier work

What Types of delivery vehicles are available

There's a huge choice of commercial vehicles suitable for courier work.

Couriers need delivery vehicles. It’s a simple fact. You can try doing the job on foot if you want, but your range and load capacity will be limited. And that’s why most couriers in the UK right now use vans.

For that reason, we’ve created a guide of some of the best vehicles for courier work that are currently available to choose from, along with some of the good and bad points to each category and variant.

Vehicle Wheelbase Sizes and Gross Vehicle Weights (GVW)

One thing that we should draw your attention to from the start. Van sizes are typically based around ‘wheelbases’ and Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). These are a way of categorising the length of the chassis the vehicle is built upon, and the maximum authorised weight the vehicle is allowed to be once loaded.

The problem with this is that sometimes it causes confusion. That’s because all sizes of vans come with different wheelbases. For example, you can get a long-wheelbase small van, and a short wheelbase large van.

We’ve tried to break our list down into sections to make it easier to understand the van sizes and platforms available.

March 2023 Announcement - Page Currently Being Updated, Please Check Back Soon!

Small Vans

Documents and small packages make up a large portion of courier jobs. This is where small vans become the essential delivery vehicles to have. There are plenty of models to choose from too. The good thing for anyone looking for a van like this, is that there are hardly any bad choices. Most of these vans will make a great choice for your company.

Citroen Berlingo

This is now Citroen’s smallest van offering, since they dropped the ultra-small ‘Nemo’ from their range.

View the Citroen Berlingo here

Fiat Fiorino

This is Fiat’s version of Citroens Nemo (now discontinued). It’s tiny, but efficient. You’ll be able to park this thing in the smallest of spaces when working in city centres

Fiat Doblo

This is Fiat’s version of Citroens Nemo (now discontinued). It’s tiny, but efficient. You’ll be able to park this thing in the smallest of spaces when working in city centres

Ford Transit Connect

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The larger sibling of Ford’s small van range, of which it has a few options (although we’ve not included the Fiesta Van in our selection).

Ford Transit Courier

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Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Mercedes Citan

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Peugeot Partner

The larger sibling of Ford’s small van range, of which it has a few options (although we’ve not included the Fiesta Van in our selection).

Vauxhall Combo

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Midi Vans

Citroen Dispatch

The larger sibling of Ford’s small van range, of which it has a few options (although we’ve not included the Fiesta Van in our selection).

Peugeot Expert

Ford Transit Custom

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The Ford Transit Custom is one of the most popular mid-size vans for couriers. It can handle basic pallet work, which gives it an advantage over smaller vans like the Connect, but isn’t as much of a challenge around city centres as the larger Transit.

View the Ford Transit Custom here

Mercedes Vito

The larger sibling of Ford’s small van range, of which it has a few options (although we’ve not included the Fiesta Van in our selection).

Vauxhall Vivaro

View the Ford Transit Custom here

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SWB (Short Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L1

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Fiat Ducato L1

The baby in the Relay range is one of the most capable delivery vehicles. Using a 2.2Hdi engine with 120hp means it’s got plenty of power to cope with the size/weights you’d be working with. The same engine is used across the range and is generally well received.

The 90 litre fuel tank in the Relay range, coupled with steady driving, should mean excellent range (>650 miles with ease on a tank).

Citroens aren’t generally the most luxurious build quality, but this is a work-horse not your Sunday best.

Peugeot Boxer L1

Ford Transit L1

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View the Ford Transit Custom here

Mercedes Sprinter L1

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

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MWB (Medium Wheelbase) Vans

The perfect choice for those who like to sit on the fence. The Goldie-Locks option. Because the MWB van is not too long, but not too short (actually that’s all down to the work you do – so sometimes it might be too short). It’s also able to carry more load weight by shedding some of its own body weight compared to the LWB and XLWB variants.

Citroen Relay L2

Fiat Ducato L2

Peugeot Boxer L2

Vauxhall Movano L2

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Ford Transit L2

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View the Ford Transit Custom here

Mercedes Sprinter L2

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Volkswagen Crafter L2

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

LWB (Long Wheelbase) Vans

Okay I know what you’re all going to start saying now. The Long and Extra-Long Wheelbase Van categories, aka LWB and XLWB, are actually a real headache for couriers to understand. And it’s a very annoying repetitive conversation to have.

You see it’s basically comes down to two things 1) The classification that manufactuers put their vans into and 2) The way courier work websites classify their requirements for vehicles/loads. On services like CX, an LWB van is measured UP TO 4m. But Mercedes class their LWB as a 4.3m van, which puts it into everyone elses XLWB category.

Yes, it’s confusing. Yes, it’s annoying. But for now, we all have to learn to deal with it. Until such time that the Websites and van-manufacturers get together and agree on something.

Citroen Relay L3

Fiat Ducato L3

Peugeot Boxer L3

Vauxhall Movano L3

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Ford Transit L3

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View the Ford Transit Custom here

Mercedes Sprinter L2

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Volkswagen Crafter L2

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

XLWB (Extra-Long Wheelbase) Vans

The biggies.

Citroen Relay L4

Fiat Ducato L4

Ford’s micro-sized van. Slightly larger load space than a Fiesta van but actually built on a dedicated van chassis instead of adapted from a car.

Peugeot Boxer L4

Ford Transit L4

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Once known as ‘The Jumbo’, Ford seems to have tried to drop that name in favour of just using the L4 tag that most extra-long wheelbase vans use. This is a 4-pallet rated van, and if you get the ‘Trend’ model they have a plastic flooring that makes sliding pallets in and out a lot easier. But remember to use straps or goods tend to move around in transit.

The big Transit is a strong and versatile beast. It carries slightly less weight than the Citroen/Fiat/Peugeot range, but more than the Mercedes/VW competitors in this range.

Its load space is also a perfect middle-of-the-range option as it’s longer than the C/F/P models, but slightly shorter than M/VW.

Iveco Daily

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Details to follow soon

Mercedes Sprinter L3

(Classed as LWB in the Mercedes range) Details to follow soon

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The Ultimate Van Guide

Table of Contents

What Types of delivery vehicles are available

There's a huge choice of commercial vehicles suitable for courier work.

Vehicle Wheelbase Sizes and Gross Vehicle Weights (GVW)

March 2023 Announcement - Page Currently Being Updated, Please Check Back Soon!

Small Vans

Citroen Berlingo

Fiat Fiorino

Fiat Doblo

Ford Transit Connect

Ford Transit Courier

Mercedes Citan

Peugeot Partner

Vauxhall Combo

Midi Vans

Citroen Dispatch

Peugeot Expert

Ford Transit Custom

Mercedes Vito

Vauxhall Vivaro

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SWB (Short Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L1

Fiat Ducato L1

Peugeot Boxer L1

Ford Transit L1

Mercedes Sprinter L1

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MWB (Medium Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L2

Fiat Ducato L2

Peugeot Boxer L2

Vauxhall Movano L2

Ford Transit L2

Mercedes Sprinter L2

Volkswagen Crafter L2

LWB (Long Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L3

Fiat Ducato L3

Peugeot Boxer L3

Vauxhall Movano L3

Ford Transit L3

Mercedes Sprinter L2

Volkswagen Crafter L2

XLWB (Extra-Long Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L4

Fiat Ducato L4

Peugeot Boxer L4

Ford Transit L4

Iveco Daily

Mercedes Sprinter L3

Are you interested in buying, leasing or hiring a van?

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We recommend GoSkippy 4 Business