Research reveals that the smarter the van, the richer the driver

Van drivers should be asking Santa for a new van this Christmas according to research from Vanarama, the UK’s leading van leasing company. The research revealed how dirty old vans are costing tradespeople money, with 75 per cent of homeowners saying that turning up in a van that had clearly seen better days would mean they were less likely to offer them the job.

For van drivers, a van is so much more than just a place to keep tools, it’s their mobile billboard, where they do their invoices, and it’s where they might sleep when they’re on the naughty list. It’s also their brand, and in 2019 it’s time van drivers invested in their personal brand – a whopping 70 per cent of homeowners said they wouldn’t have any confidence in a tradesperson whose van didn’t have their logo on it, and almost half (44 per cent) would question both the professionalism and the quality of the work done by someone driving an unpresentable old van.

But it doesn’t stop there … a further 43 per cent said they would immediately assume a tradesperson’s work is sub-standard, 37 per cent would find themselves wondering how much business a tradesperson gets, and 35 per cent would begin questioning a tradesperson’s reliability even before they opened their mouth. And with 362,149 new vans registered in 2017 – and the market on track for a similar figure in 2018 – that means over 700,000 brand-new vans driving around hoovering up the work with their gleaming paintwork!

If van drivers don’t clean up their act, they’ll be leaving money on the table as 80 per cent of homeowners reveal that a dirty old van would also stop them from recommending a tradesperson to a friend. The research suggests that it’s time for van drivers to start taking the advice of the ‘clean me’ graffiti that’s plastered on their old vans – or better still, get a new one and clean up in 2019.

Andy Alderson CEO & Founder at Vanarama said: “There’s important feedback for tradespeople here: homeowners want a tradesperson to show up, do a good job, and look smart while they’re doing it. The data is clear on what you need to do if you want to land the work – get a new van, sign-write it and keep it looking presentable. If you don’t, there are over 700,000 new vans being driven around by other tradespeople looking to swoop in – and 75 per cent of homeowners will let them if your van isn’t up to scratch.”