The number of fleets with service vans increased significantly in 2023 to 47 percent, up from 36 percent in 2022, according to the 331 service truck industry professionals surveyed by VMAC. Fleets with 6 to 25 vans saw the most significant spike in van adoption, increasing from 6 percent to 21 percent, year over year.
"VMAC has been monitoring the industry's predictions about the van market for years and finally we're seeing the increase in demand in the data," says Mike Pettigrew, VMAC's marketing manager. "Rightsizing is a priority in the industry, as oversized vehicles come with higher price tags, increased operating and fuel costs, and maneuverability challenges in narrow streets and tight spaces."
When asked if they anticipate the number of service vans in their fleet to increase, decrease, or stay the same, survey respondents almost unanimously agreed (97 percent) that the number would increase or remain the same. Only three percent of respondents expect a decrease in the number of service vans in their fleet.
Pettigrew continues to say that the use of service vans has seen consistent growth in both Canada and the U.S. And while this growth continues, VMAC has a solution ready that is made specifically for service vans – the UNDERHOOD 40.
"Ford has upfitted their fleet of service vans with UNDERHOOD40s for their mechanics to use when servicing their customer's fleets," says Pettigrew. "We expect more companies to follow suit and add vans to their fleets in the upcoming year as the benefits of rightsizing will continue to benefit the bottom line in 2024."
