Choosing the right truck or van for your HVACR business

Buying a new vehicle for your HVACR business is an important step in keeping your business healthy and profitable. As with any major purchase, smart shopping skills and good research are the keys to making the right decisions. Factors to consider when buying a new car for your business include considerations such as the car’s job, its efficiency, its life cycle cost, and the length of time you intend to hold it.

The first question that needs to be addressed is the specific needs and requirements of how to use the truck. A standard question begins with a description of your typical job. Are you mainly involved in the repair or replacement of single-family homes, or do you specialize in large-scale new construction projects? The more projects you are primarily involved in, the more vehicles you will need. In what fields do you do business? Are you working in a metropolitan area or do most of your work in a square mile region? If all your business is close to your location, it can mean that you need to choose a different truck than you would on a daily long-distance trip to your worksite.

Rule 1 in all cases is not to downplay size or payload. It’s a bad idea to pack a truck into a door or always load it within a few pounds of capacity. It reduces the efficiency of the work of you and your crew, and the truck’s systems and components wear out and begin to fail much sooner. Allows growth in both capacity and load capacity. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is very important. GVWR accounts for the entire weight of the vehicle, including the vehicle itself, passengers, equipment, tools and more. Adding a large number of shelves, racks, etc. can quickly exhaust all of the vehicle’s load capacity.

The load-bearing capacity was also applied to the crew. Consider how many bodies the crew has on average. In most cases it’s not too much of a problem when sending two crew members, but if you need to send four people frequently, you may have to send additional vehicles. Most manufacturers offer expansion and crew cab trucks that can carry up to 6 passengers to solve this problem.

Obviously, price is always a priority, but don’t let the window sticker be at all points in your decision. Many factors need to be considered in determining the true life cycle cost of a vehicle. You should consult your financial and / or business advisor for more information on how much and how to spend. They need to be able to explain the economic strengths and weaknesses of different purchasing options, such as operating costs, tax benefits, and whether to buy or lease.

Leasing can offer many advantages over purchasing. These include lower upfront costs, lower monthly payments, many tax benefits, and guaranteed lease terminations. Dealers must also have a wealth of good information. Shop, talk to at least 3 or 4 dealers, and choose one that you think is interested in you and your business. Commercial vehicle dealers face completely different challenges than regular car dealers. The dealer must be able to provide accurate specifications for the vehicle to be provided, including warranty choices, roadside assistance details, service and maintenance. Talk to your service staff if you plan to have the dealer perform regular vehicle maintenance on a regular basis. Once you buy a truck, the service manager and his staff will be your most common contacts, and thereby very important.

Once you have roughly determined the capacity, load capacity, and financial objectives of your decision, you need to select the type of vehicle you need. The three basic options for HVACR operators are pickup trucks, vans, and finally commercial trucks. Each has an attribute and a negative share.

Pickup trucks, a classic work vehicle, continue to be very popular and, of course, so. Pickups available in different styles, shapes, and payload capacities are the perfect answer regardless of the number of HVACR job applications. One of the biggest features of the pickup is that it also offers a number of cargo options, such as a standard pickup bed, a standard bed with a lockable toolbox and ladder rack, a cargo bed shell, or a special utility service bed. .. Utility bed options are initially more costly than other options, but utility beds can be moved from truck to truck and have a truck life cycle of 3, 4, or longer, reducing overall costs. Please note that. Many manufacturers, such as LA-based manufacturer HIVCO, offer service body packages specifically designed for HVACR trading.

Vans are another great option for small businesses. Available in both mini and full size vans, vans come standard with excellent loading capacity and superior security. General Motors manufactures the only rear-wheel drive minivans, the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari, but various manufacturers offer front-wheel drive models suitable for lightweight applications. All three major manufacturers offer excellent full-size van models. Virtually all commercial dealers offer interior equipment packages, and equipped with roof racks and side racks, the van can meet the needs of most HVACR operators very well.

If you need to carry very large loads on a daily basis, a step van or low cab forward (LCF) is the best choice. Both step vans and LCF trucks offer much better loading capacity than pickup vans and standard vans. Initially more expensive, it is becoming more and more popular by all means of business. Available in a variety of payloads, wheelbases, and overall sizes, both step vans and LCF trucks, these vehicles are ideal if your business requires a true heavy truck. Once you have decided which type of vehicle you have, you need to decide on your choice of power. As a rule of thumb, use a petrol engine if your truck’s logs are expected to be less than 30,000 miles per year, unless you have a clear sense of either method. If your truck travels more than 30,000 miles a year, think about diesel. Although more expensive at first, diesel offers better mileage and costs less in the long run.

Finally, do not exclude used cars. All three options Fuel efficient units are readily available in the used car market. They can have extended warranty protection, service plans, and in some cases even lease. With a little thought and a solid decision, one or more new vehicles will serve you long and faithfully at the lowest possible cost.