Top 10 tips on reducing your van’s running cost

How to limit your vehicle running costs

Running a van can often prove costly, with the need to keep the vehicle’s condition as good as possible, optimise efficiency, and repair any issues as and when they arise. In order to help you reduce such expenses, we’re pleased to offer our top 10 tips on keeping your van’s running costs low. Follow these words of advice to ensure you get the most out of your business’ spending on transportation.

Choose the best van

Selecting the best van for the job is essential. While you may find a great deal on a short wheelbase model, you could well find that only a long-wheelbase edition will meet your needs. This can affect your daily operations and your expenditure to complete jobs.

Understand your needs

Do you know the payload of any goods you will be transporting? If not, you could soon find yourself overloading a model that doesn’t have the power to transport such goods effectively. Not only will you cause damage to your van, but your fuel efficiency will be impacted significantly.

Check fuel economy

Most prudent motorists will already be carefully checking the fuel economy on offer with any vehicle, and for business owners, this is of even greater importance. Ensure you’re investing in a van that returns good mileage to reduce your expenditure at the pumps.

Service plans

Taking out a service plan with a dealer you can trust may prove to be one of the wisest investments you make, enabling you to spread the payments of any service costs, often at a pre-agreed price that won’t fluctuate.

Breakdown cover

Breakdown cover is essential for any vehicle. The costs associated with the towing and return of a broken-down vehicle can run into the hundreds, so make sure you invest in coverage for your van to avoid such expenses.

Look for a warranty

Many vehicle manufacturers issue comprehensive warranties with all models they sell. Similarly, individual dealerships provide such warranties on used vehicles. Choose a model that is backed accordingly for complete peace of mind should any issues arise.

Conduct regular checks

Regular vehicle health checks will prove invaluable to the discovery - and repair - of minor issues before they become major. Always ensure these are conducted before long journeys and during seasonal changes too to avoid any weather-related issues.

Limit air conditioning use

There are plenty of ways you can reduce the amount of energy - and thus, petrol - your vehicle uses, but few have such an impact as air conditioning. Reduce the amount of time you’re using the air conditioner in your vehicle and see your economy increase.

Drive to the limit

Tempting as it may be to put your foot down and get your cargo to its destination early, we’re all aware that the faster you drive, the more fuel you use. Try and stick to the speed limit in order to maximise your fuel efficiency.

Turn of your engine

If your van is not fitted with start-stop technology and you regularly find yourself in traffic, it is preferable to switch off your engine as opposed to keeping it idling. This will reduce the amount of fuel being burned during your travels.

To find out more about limiting your running costs, or to explore a range of used vans for affordable motoring, contact Vanwise Group at our Harlow today.