Ultimate Van Guide | Compare Van Makes, Models & Sizes

The only van guide that tells you if size really matters

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. You can use a big one, or a small one. It all depends how much you want to carry.

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.

The Size Guide

The sizing of vans is actually more complicated than it needs to be. This is because most of the manufacturers don’t talk to each other and they’ve never bothered to come up with an actual set of industry standards that everyone can use so that we all know where we stand.

Also – Some vans seem to be getting bigger within their range.

For example, in the early-mid 2000’s, the Citroen Dispatch was classed as a midi-van, but the most recent model now comes in more inline with a SWB.

The way we look at distinguishing a Midi from a true SWB is on the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight). We try to class midi vans as those rated under 3 tonnes, where as the more capable SWB options are plated at over 3 tonnes.

Please note: This is NOT an industry standard and just our way of trying to organise the choices more efficiently.

Due to manufacturer variances in branding and categorisation, there is a LOT of cross-over when it comes to which class each van should be in.

Small Vans

Dimensions

Load Length: Up to 1.5m (3 – 6.5ft)

Estimated Weight capacities:
Range from 450 – 750Kg

Some options in this class: Citroen Berlingo, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes Citan

Midi Vans

Dimensions

Load Length: Up to 2m (6.5 – 9.8ft)

Estimated Weight capacities:
Range from 650 – 1050Kg

Some options in this class: Citroen Dispatch, Mercedes Vito, VW Caddy Maxi

SWB (Short Wheelbase)

Dimensions

Load Length: Up to 2.4m (6.5 – 9.8ft)

Estimated Weight capacities:
Range from 750 – 1250Kg

Some options in this class: Ford Transit Custom,

MWB (Medium Wheelbase)

Dimensions

Load Length: Up to 3m (3 – 6.5ft)

Estimated Weight capacities:
Range from 1000 – 1650Kg

Some options in this class:

LWB (Long Wheelbase)

Dimensions

Load Length: Up to 4m (3 – 6.5ft)

Estimated Weight capacities:
Range from 900 – 1250Kg

Some options in this class:

XLWB (Extra-Long Wheelbase)

Dimensions

Load Length: Over 4m (3 – 6.5ft)

Estimated Weight capacities:
Range from 800 – 1000Kg

Some options in this class:

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Our Top 3 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

Ford Transit Connect

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).

Volkswagen Caddy

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Our Top 3 Midi Vans

Citroen Dispatch

(aka – Peugeot Expert, Toyota Proace, Vauxhall Vivaro)

Ford Transit Custom

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

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Our Top 3 SWB (Short Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay 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, 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.

Ford Transit L1

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Mercedes Sprinter L1

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Our Top 3 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

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Ford Transit L2

The Ford Transit

View the Ford Transit Custom here

Mercedes Sprinter L2

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Our Top 3 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 else’s XLWB category.

Yes, it’s confusing and 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

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Ford Transit L3

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Volkswagen Crafter L2

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Our Top 3 XLWB (Extra-Long Wheelbase) Vans

The biggies.

Ford Transit L4

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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Mercedes Sprinter L3

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

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

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The Ultimate Van Guide

Table of Contents

The only van guide that tells you if size really matters

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

The Size Guide

Small Vans

Dimensions

Midi Vans

Dimensions

SWB (Short Wheelbase)

Dimensions

MWB (Medium Wheelbase)

Dimensions

LWB (Long Wheelbase)

Dimensions

XLWB (Extra-Long Wheelbase)

Dimensions

Our Top 3 Small Vans

Citroen Berlingo

Ford Transit Connect

Volkswagen Caddy

Our Top 3 Midi Vans

Citroen Dispatch

Ford Transit Custom

Mercedes Vito

Our Top 3 SWB (Short Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L1

Ford Transit L1

Mercedes Sprinter L1

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Our Top 3 MWB (Medium Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L2

Ford Transit L2

Mercedes Sprinter L2

Our Top 3 LWB (Long Wheelbase) Vans

Citroen Relay L3

Ford Transit L3

Volkswagen Crafter L2

Our Top 3 XLWB (Extra-Long Wheelbase) Vans

Ford Transit L4

Iveco Daily

Mercedes Sprinter L3

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

Promotion - Van Insurance Due?
We recommend GoSkippy 4 Business