If you’re trying to decide between a box truck vs. cargo van, this in-depth guide aims to help you make your choice. Box trucks and cargo vans are excellent commercial vehicles for carrying many types of cargo, and each has its own advantages.
Many manufacturers produce box truck and cargo van options, with many upfitting models available for commercial vehicle types.
In this guide, we’re looking at the box trucks and cargo van selection from multiple major vehicle manufacturers. You’ll learn about their dimensions, specs, body configurations, payload capacities, fuel economy, and more below.
A box truck is a cargo-carrying vehicle built on a truck chassis with a separate cab and cargo area. Box trucks have a box-shaped cargo area with straight-paneled sides. These trucks feature large rear roll-up doors for accessing cargo, and they typically only have one door on the rear of the truck, although some feature a vertical door on the side of the box. Box trucks come in various sizes, from small box trucks measuring up to 10 or 12 feet in length or larger box trucks with considerable lengths up to 26 feet.
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A cargo van is a cargo-carrying vehicle built onto a van chassis. Cargo vans come in many body styles and sizes with various wheelbases and roof heights. Multiple brands make cargo vans, and in addition to their size variations, they are also available with a wide range of available power and performance. You can choose small, low-roof cargo vans that are the same size and style as large passenger vans to larger, longer, high-roof cargo vans that rival a small bus. Cargo vans have slightly curved walls with barn-style rear cargo doors and sliding or barn-style side cargo doors.
Explore our new cargo vans for sale to find the perfect configuration for your needs.
Box trucks and cargo vans are made and sold by various manufacturers. Let’s take a quick exploration into the available brands.
The Chevrolet brand has two available truck body styles for box trucks: a regular cab option and a Low Cab Forward option. Low Cab Forward trucks feature a large, flat cab, and regular cabs look like the cab of a heavy-duty truck.
The regular cab box trucks are built on the Silverado Chassis Cab, available in 4500 HD, 5500 HD, and 6500 HD. The Low Cab Forward trucks have many more options: 3500, 4500, 4500 HD, 4500 XD, 5500 HD, 5500 XD, 6500 XD, and 7500 XD.
The maximum available payload for Chevrolet box trucks is 22,657 pounds when properly equipped with the Low Cab Forward 7500 XD.
The Chevrolet Express cargo van is much smaller than the Chevrolet box trucks. These small and efficient cargo vans offer low-roof body configurations and two wheelbase lengths. This van type features a maximum available payload capacity of 4,280 pounds when properly equipped, which is considerably less than the box truck offerings from the Chevrolet brand.
For Chevrolet automaker, box trucks win over the Chevrolet Express cargo van option regarding power specs, capability, and payload capacity. However, the Chevrolet Express cargo van wins in terms of efficiency and agility to get around.
Ford automaker has a wide range of commercial vehicle availability, including multiple options for cargo vans and box trucks. Ford cargo vans include the Ford Transit, the fully electric Ford E-Transit, and the Ford Transit Connect. Ford box trucks are available on multiple Ford chassis options, like the Ford E-Series Cutaway, the Ford Transit Cutaway, and more.
Ford Transit cargo vans are available in various dimensions, including three different lengths and roof heights. These vans offer two engines, a 3.5-liter V-6 and a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. The maximum payload and towing capacity for the Ford Transit varies depending on the body style. The maximum available payload for this van is 5,110 pounds when properly equipped with the highest configuration.
On the other hand, Ford box trucks can be built on the Ford Transit cargo van chassis and can offer similar specs and performance, but you can also find them on the Ford E-Series Cutaway. The E-Series Cutaway is available in three model options: the E-350 SRW, the E-350 DRW, and the E-450 DRW. Three wheelbase lengths are available, in contrast to the two available for the Ford Transit cargo van. The E-450 DRW is the most powerful option, with a 7.3-liter V-8 engine with a maximum payload weight capacity of 8,980 pounds when properly equipped.
GMC box trucks and cargo vans are both built on the GMC Savana chassis. The GMC Savana van offers a cargo and a passenger configuration, and the available Savana Cutaway option is perfect for box truck upfits.
The GMC Savana Cargo Van is available in two lengths: 224.1 inches and 244.1 inches. This van offers only one roof height, a low roof. The cargo van option of the GMC Savana offers two performance-packed variants: the 2500 and 3500. The maximum available payload capacity for the GMC Savana Cargo Van is 4,280 pounds, with the regular GMC Savana 3500.
The GMC Savana Cutaway Van can be upfitted for a box truck, shuttle bus, and more. It offers two powerful options: the 3500 and 4500. This chassis also features two length options, each longer than the cargo van. The GMC Savana Cutaway lengths are 267.2 inches and 285.3 inches and can offer a maximum available payload capacity of 8,920 pounds when properly equipped.
Cargo van and box truck options from the Mercedes-Benz brand are built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis. The Sprinter is available as a Cargo Van, Crew Van, Passenger Van, and Cab Chassis for upfits, including box trucks.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van offers two wheelbase lengths: 144 inches and 170 inches. This van also offers two roof heights, standard and high, and is available in 2500, 3500, 3500XD, and 4500 configurations. The maximum available payload for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van is 6,812 pounds when properly equipped with the 4500 edition and 144-inch wheelbase and standard roof configuration.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cab Chassis is available with a 144-inch and a 170-inch wheelbase as well, which can be used for different-sized box truck upfits. This model is available in 3500XD and 4500 configurations and can offer a max payload of 7,506 pounds when properly equipped on the 4500 iteration with a 144-inch wheelbase.
Box trucks and cargo vans both have their unique advantages. Box trucks are typically built on heftier chassis options with more available payload power, and they are also much larger than cargo vans. Box trucks are ideal for large, heavy cargo due to their available payload capacity, large loading doors, and squared sides.
Cargo vans, on the other hand, provide plenty of utility for business owners and fleets alike. Cargo vans provide a better fuel economy with great payload capacity and towing abilities, and their range of sizes is still agile enough to navigate on tight city roads easily.
To learn more about other types of available commercial vehicles, stop by our commercial vehicle dealer in Buford, GA, or explore our inventory online.
The main difference between box trucks vs. cargo vans is the size and power of the vehicle. Box trucks are typically larger and more powerful than cargo vans, offering a larger cargo storage space and more robust engine options that provide better payload capacity than their cargo van counterparts. Cargo vans are still great cargo haulers, and their main benefit is their efficiency, ride comfort, and maneuverability.
A cargo van is easier to maneuver than a box truck. Due to their body configuration, cargo vans have a similar driving experience to that of a passenger van, which contributes to the overall ride comfort and also makes them easier to maneuver on tight streets. Cargo vans come in varying lengths and roof heights, and even the largest options are easier to maneuver than box trucks.
The maintenance cost of a box truck vs. cargo van can vary depending on several factors, including the make and model of the vehicle, the age, how it’s used, and how well it’s maintained. Many cargo vans and box trucks are built on the same type of chassis, so many maintenance costs are comparable. However, the smaller size of cargo vans can lend to a lower overall maintenance cost.
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