With the development of transportation companies and the logistics industry, light trucks play an increasingly important role in the logistics transportation chain. Therefore, understanding the light commercial vehicles (LCV) in the freight industry and how to choose a light truck is very important for users who need to carry out transportation business.

About Light Commercial Vehicles

On the market we can find many LCVs for cargo transport, but they have hybrid versions capable of transporting people because they have an extra row of seats.

Light commercial vehicles have the sole function of transporting goods.

The maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) for light commercial vehicles does not exceed 3.5 tonnes. Statistically, they are currently in a good time. Sales of these vehicles have increased.

Undoubtedly, the first is the largest space for transport or staff. Also, in addition to the presence of physical space, it can modify the vehicle as needed, provide more seats or more space to put our favorite packages.

Also, driving them isn't a problem, as it's no different than driving a mini LCV. Although you can't park as easily as smaller vehicles, they are very comfortable vehicles to use in the city.

Common truck classifications

Trucks are very common LCVs. At present, there are many truck names on the market, but most of them are classified according to their characteristics. Today we list a few common classification methods.

According to the load tonnage

Micro card: total mass <1.8 tons

Light truck: 1.8 tons < total mass ≤ 6 tons

Medium truck: 6.0 tons < total mass ≤ 14 tons

Heavy truck: total mass > 14 tons

Total mass: the self-weight of the vehicle itself plus the maximum cargo mass allowed by the manufacturer when the vehicle is running.

According to the drive form

Common ones are 4x2, 6x2, 6x4, 8x2, 8x4 trucks, etc. Of course, there are also 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and other all-wheel drive models, but they are mostly used for military vehicles, special vehicles, and heavy trucks, and civilians are relatively rare.

Note: The number before "x" indicates the total number of wheels of the vehicle, and the number after "x" indicates the number of driving wheels. If two wheels are installed, one wheel is counted, and one axle is counted as two wheels.

According to the car structure

• Flatbed truck
• Fence truck
• Vargo
• Warehouse-type truck
• Tank car
• Dump truck
• etc...

Things to Consider Before Choosing a Light Truck

If you're a carrier, choosing the right vehicle from the variety of light trucks on the market can be a little complicated if you don't know what you're looking for. When choosing a new light truck, you must be aware of the specific requirements that the ideal vehicle must meet in order to make the best choice for your operation.

Let's take a look at some aspects to consider when choosing a shipping LCV:

1. Recover your investment

Buying a light truck involves investing, just like you would in any other acquisition, if you're going to make it profitable over its useful life. This means you should think from a 10-year perspective and integrate the purchase into your current business model and economic strategy to see if it pays off in the long term.

2. New or used?

A new light truck will definitely give you better performance than a used one. However, if you don't want to spend that much money, you can find many used light trucks in very good condition. When you find a match for the light truck you're looking for, ask previous owners how they used them and do any necessary checks (online and in person) about the vehicle's history and condition. Here's how to make sure your new used light truck won't break down within days of buying it.

3. Light truck design

• Cargo size

  If the main activity of your business is the transportation of goods, consider both the size and volume of the goods.

• Transport distance

  Estimate whether your company light trucks are only doing city-by-city business, or, conversely, they'll be making long-distance trips.

• Cargo space

  The way the aisles are distributed to the trunk or cargo area is also important.

• Reliability

  Commercial vehicles will take longer to integrate high-tech safety systems (although there are ways to reduce the risk of accidents). So even if you are buying a used light truck, look for suitable and reliable safety equipment in it.

• Payload and adaptation

  As we said, light trucks from some companies allow you to fold the seats to add useful cargo space. Analyze the day-to-day activities of your business and assess whether you need such a service, or prefer not to use it.

4. The route that suits you

Before purchasing a transport vehicle, you should carefully consider the type of route you will use it for, especially when evaluating LCV handling.

For example, if you need to use it on a very short route and you have to circulate on very narrow streets to make deliveries, choosing a vehicle that is easy to maneuver will be essential, so you'd better choose one small vehicles.

Conversely, if you have to drive longer distances and drive on the highway, the maneuverability and size of the vehicle are less important. For this type of journey, rigid or longer vehicles may be a better choice, as they are more durable and better suited for longer distances than other smaller vehicles.

5. Emissions

Driving a light-duty truck (electric or using an alternative fuel to diesel) that produces the lowest levels of emissions can help you reduce the operating costs of your business and limit the environmental impact of your activities, especially if you only have one. This is important where legislation regulates vehicle emissions, such as where congestion charges and emissions limits are in place, because it sometimes includes fines for those who pollute particularly.

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