Commercial Box Truck Uses - Making the Most of Your Truck

What is a Commercial Box Truck

To begin with, it is important to understand what differentiates a box truck from other commercial trucks that haul cargo. A box truck is a commercial vehicle wherein the cargo area and the cab are separated. Additionally, the cargo area is shaped like a box, which gives this truck its distinctive name. 

Other trucks that might fall into the box truck category include:

• Dry vans
• Medium-duty trucks
• Cube vans
• Cube trucks
• Dry freight
• Straight trucks

Another distinctive feature of a box truck is the cargo area door. In most cases, a standard box truck will be equipped with a rear roll-up door. However, it is possible to find box trucks that feature side doors or rear-hinged doors. 

In most cases, because the cargo box sits in the chassis of the truck, the cargo can only be accessed through the rear or side doors, rather than being accessed from the cab. This makes a box truck different from a delivery or step van. 

Types of Box Trucks

Not all box trucks are designed in the same way, leading to a few common styles of box trucks on the market today. Box trucks can be broken down into two distinctive categories, one based on their cab design and one based on their capacity.

Cab Designs

• Conventional: A conventional cab design features a standard truck nose with the engine placement in front of the steering wheel. 
• Cab over engine (Cabover): A cabover has a flat front and the engine is placed under the seats of the cab.

Capacity Types

• Light-Duty Box Trucks: A light-duty box truck has a load capacity from 8,500 to 14,500 pounds. These trucks feature a front that looks similar to a cargo van, however, they are equipped with a box cargo area. A light-duty truck offers better fuel economy than higher capacity options and often features a smaller build, making it easier to navigate for less experienced drivers.
   
• Medium-Duty Box Trucks: A medium-duty box truck has a capacity of 15,000 to 33,000 pounds, making this the ideal choice for heavy-duty hauling and towing. These trucks often feature durable diesel engines, designed for long-term commercial use. Medium-duty trucks can be purchased with greater body lengths, allowing for ample storage space.

Other Options

In addition to the above differentiators between box truck types, other options can be customized according to a business’ need, such as the following:

• Different body lengths
• Rolling, hinged, or side door options
• Built-in ramps
• Built-in cargo shelving

Common Uses of Box Trucks

With the variety of box truck styles and sizes available on the market, it is easy to see why these trucks can be utilized for a large number of tasks. How you use your box truck will depend a lot on the type of truck you have purchased and whether or not you plan to rent out the truck or hire drivers to operate the vehicle. 

Residential and Commercial Moves

Perhaps one of the most common uses for a box truck is for residential and commercial moving. With the ample, protected cargo bay, box trucks are a perfect fit for moving furniture, boxes, and fragile goods. 

Additionally, many smaller box trucks do not require a CDL to operate, which makes them a great fit for consumers who need to rent a moving truck. This also makes them a good choice for a business that needs to outfit its fleet with moving trucks but doesn’t want to hire drivers with CDLs. If you plan to rent out your box truck, be sure to choose a model that is small enough for consumer operation.

Storage Facility Rentals

In many cases, a storage facility will offer a box truck as an incentive to rent from their store. This makes it easy for tenants to move their items from one storage facility to another or from their home to their newly rented unit. Again, due to the availability of light-duty trucks, a box truck can be rented to a consumer without any licensure concerns. 

Parcel Delivery

In the world of Amazon one-day deliveries, box trucks are seeing a surge in their use for parcel delivery. Box trucks often transport packages from one warehouse to another, where the parcels can then be loaded into delivery vans. 

Furniture Delivery

Local furniture stores are working to stay competitive in a world where online shopping is quickly taking over. For this reason, offering delivery options with any major purchase can be a key to staying one step ahead of the competition. With a protected cargo bay, box trucks are an ideal choice for delivering furniture of all sizes. 

Appliance Delivery

Similar to furniture delivery, businesses that sell appliances need to provide their customers with door side delivery to compete against the online market. A box truck is the best choice for local appliance delivery.

Newspaper and Magazine Delivery

For years, box trucks have been the go-to choice for paper publications. These trucks offer the perfect space to quickly load newspapers and magazines for store-to-store delivery. 

Choose from a Quality Box Truck Inventory

If your business is ready to add a box truck to its fleet, we are here to help. At Transwest, we offer a quality inventory of box trucks with numerous sizes and styles to choose from. With their versatility in use, a box truck can offer your company exceptional hauling options for cargo of almost any type. 

Additionally, when you shop with our team, you’ll enjoy choosing from trucks backed by the names you trust, such as Freightliner, GMC, and Ford. Talk to our team today about how you plan to use your truck, and we can work together to find the perfect match and help you finance your box truck.