"The Commercial Department here at Freedom Dodge consists of Sales Representative Jeff Taylor and myself. The advantage of doing business with a dealer who specializes in expedited equipment is that we can sit down with the buyer and try to tailor a program to fit his needs." "We'll look at his vehicle miles, length of time he will keep the van, his maintenance expenses and other factors. With this, we'll map out a financing plan that will be customized for him."...

The cargo van has also been the first choice (and possibly only choice) of vocational wheels for countless thousands of painters, electricians, building contractors, dry cleaners, carpet installers, etc. It seems as though the cargo van has been with us forever, but interestingly, this vehicle, as we know it today, has only existed for a little over forty years....

One truckload carrier representative with a background in expediting says, "It probably surprises no one that the straight trucks stand a better chance of staying loaded and busy." "Sure, vans have an important history in expediting; some would claim that the industry was built on the cargo van."...

If you thought the original Sprinter's tall roof was long-overdue in a commercial van, just wait. The new van features three roof heights (65 inches, 76.3 inches and a new higher roof, called Super High, at 84.2 inches, 7.8 inches higher than the previous high roof). The combination of the long wheelbase, long body and high roof expands the maximum cargo space to 17 cubic meters from the current 13....

For many years, the diesel engine has been the standard power plant in straight trucks and tractors, but for the cargo van owner-operator, the choice is gas or diesel. The question of which type of engine provides the best performance, economy and longevity remains and the cargo van manufacturers (GM and Ford) keep the issue alive by offering both gas and diesel options....

When you think about it, your tires are the only part of your vehicle that contacts the road (hopefully), so your very safety is riding on them. By giving those tires a little TLC, it will pay dividends in a safer, more comfortable ride, improve the handling of your van, give you better fuel economy and increase the life of your tires....

The main concern for cargo van expediters has typically been, "How do I fit a bunk into this small amount of space and still carry two skids or other bulky cargo?" With today's professional conversions, the "B" unit driver can now choose between a spartan conversion with the basics of a bunk and storage compartments to a conversion that is close to the comfort levels of the bigger trucks, albeit on a smaller scale....

Undoubtedly, the leading feature that caught the eye of the North American expediting van owners was the size of the cargo area in the Sprinter. For the first time, cargo van drivers had access to a Big 3-type vehicle with stand-up height without the addition of a "turtle-top" and in a package under 10,000 pounds GVW....

Express-1 of Buchanan, Michigan has been in the vanguard of acceptance of the Freightliner/Dodge Sprinter van. The company has welcomed Sprinter owner-operators and due to this van's increased cargo capacity, it offers those Sprinter drivers better rates for specific loads over that of the typical cargo van. Or, as Express-1 recruiter Scott Hancock states, "Our Sprinters live in a world between the B and C units." To assist the new Express-1 owner-operator in finding and ...

In 1961 Ford introduced a new Forward Control vehicle called Econoline. The totally new body was unitized and functioned also as the chassis frame to which the running gear was attached. And, instead of putting the engine in the rear like the VW, its placement was between the front seats, over the front axle. This allowed the use of existing drive train components....