NASHVILLE – Walk-in vans are no longer limited to use by bakery fleets, according to truck manufacturers participating in a TMC panel reviewing the walk-in van market. Such vehicles are rapidly expanding their presence in a range of weight classes and market niches.

According to Kelvin Butz, director of sales and marketing for Freightliner LLC’s custom chassis division, the walk-in van configuration is now popping up in everything from Class 2 through Class 7 vehicles.

Butz said Freightliner’s research shows walk-in vans make up:

  • 30% of Class 2 vehicles (10,000 lbs GVWR)
  • 10% of Class 3 trucks (14,000 lbs)
  • 25% of Class 4 vehicles (14,001-16,000 lbs)
  • 20% of Class 5 vehicles (16,001-19,500 lbs)
  • 10% of Class 6 trucks (19,501-26,000 lbs)
  • 5% of Class 7 trucks (26,001-33,000 lbs)
The growing size and breadth of the walk-in van market is due in part to more life-cycle analysis on the part of fleets, Butz said.

“More fleets are incorporating heavy-duty truck components on these vans, looking for up to 20 years’ worth of useful life out of the vehicle than the average 6 or 7 years,” he said.