Fleets adopting van rightsizing in 2018, research suggests

17% of fleets have changed the size of vans they operate on their fleet in the last year, according to new research conducted by Arval.

When asked, 8% of companies surveyed said they had chosen bigger vans in the last 12 months while 9% had acquired smaller vehicles.

Interestingly, the trends were different for smaller and larger fleets. Companies with fewer than 10 vehicles are leading the way with a switch to larger vans, while fleets with more than 50 vehicles are opting for smaller.

The findings come from the 2018 edition of Arval’s long-established Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer (CVO), research which covers 3,718 fleets.

Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval’s Corporate Vehicle Observatory in the UK, said: “We have been saying for some time that more van fleets should look at the benefits of rightsizing – ensuring that the vehicles they are using are the right size for their intended use.

“Rightsizing works both ways – it is inefficient, and can even be unsafe, to use a smaller vehicle for a job that really needs a bigger van and vice versa. This is because of factors such as optimising the payload and maximising fuel consumption.

Fleet Managers were asked:

"Would you say the LCVs you have introduced during the past 12 months - in comparison to those you had introduced previously – are the same size, bigger or smaller?"

_{Extract from the 2018 Corporate Vehicle Observatory Report}

“The Corporate Vehicle Observatory research does suggest that the migration in van size is becoming a trend. Almost one in five fleets have changed the size of vehicle that they are buying, which could be because of rightsizing.”

Shaun added that the research also indicated that only one in 10 fleets sought external advice when buying vans.

“With so much choice, selecting the right van can be a complex and difficult process and this is an area where the van expertise we have developed over many years would be valuable to fleets of all shapes and sizes.”

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About the Corporate Vehicle Observatory (CVO) Barometer 2018

Arval’s Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer has become widely recognised as one of the most authoritative pieces of research carried out in the fleet sector. Each year, a wide-ranging series of questions provide a comprehensive examination of fleet trends in the UK and across Europe.

For 2018, 3,718 separate and detailed interviews were carried out with managers responsible for fleets ranging in size from just one vehicle to thousands of cars and vans.

Download the 2018 CVO Report:

Go to our corporate-vehicle-observatory page.

Enquire about our van solutions:

Call our van experts on 0345 266 5602 or request a call back.