Reduce fleet costs: Opt for lightweight chassis and box bodies

    As a fleet operator, optimised fleet management is essential. If you are planning to reduce the costs of your fleet and therefore of your business, the obvious solution is to minimise the fleet size.

    To ensure the transport volume of the fleet is still achieved, it makes sense to adopt the lightweight chassis concept from AL-KO Vehicle Technology. To evaluate the resulting investment from a business management perspective, a practical Total Cost of Ownership calculation is provided:

    Fleet management: optimise from 11 to 8 vehicles and save costs

    Our Total Cost of Ownership calculation assumes a company that delivers approximately 165 m3 of goods twice daily. In the initial situation, this is carried out using panel vans that visit a total of 50 locations twice a day. Each commercial vehicle has a transport volume of 15 m3. The fleet therefore consists of 11 panel vans. In the TCO calculation, a panel van is compared with an OEM tractor unit with lightweight chassis and box (box vehicle)[1].

    Permissible gross weight and payload

    The permissible gross weight for both vehicles is 3,500 kg. The unladen weight of the panel van is 2,393 kg, compared to 2,239 kg for the box vehicle. With regard to the remaining payload, this results in 1,107 kg for the panel van and 1,261 kg for the box vehicle. This means a payload advantage of 154 kg.

    Acquisition and operating costs p.a.

    • The list price of the panel van is €35,000, with annual operating costs[2] of €46,868.
    • For the box vehicle, the list price is €45,000 and the annual operating costs are €46,494.

    Advantage in payload

    The usable volume of the panel van is 15 m3 per vehicle. In order to cover a transport volume of 165 m3, 11 vehicles are needed (165 m3 / 15 m3 = 11). A box vehicle, due to its construction concept, offers 5.3 m3 more usable volume, i.e. 20.3 m3 (4.2 * 2.2 * 2.2). Therefore, only 8 vehicles are required.

    Fleet operation p.a.

    The above-mentioned annual operating costs for the panel van amount to €46,868 * 11 = €515,551 for the entire fleet. For the box vehicle, this is €46,494 * 8 = €371,952 p.a.

    Conclusion: Optimised fleet management, ROI and cost savings

    If you subtract the annual operating costs of a panel van fleet (€515,551) from the €371,952 annual operating costs of an optimised fleet with box vehicles, the saving amounts to €143,599 per year and €717,995 over a five-year operating life.

     

    • [1] Note: The TCO calculation is based on average values. Different vehicles or vehicle concepts may result in other effects. It is therefore essential to consider each case individually.
    • [2] Operating costs, fuel costs, maintenance costs, MOT costs, insurance costs, driver's salary, etc.

    Good to know: the advantages of box trucks

    Good to know: the advantages of box trucks

    Van or box truck? This is a question many companies ask themselves before purchasing a transportation vehicle. People often opt for a van, the supposedly cheaper solution, because they cost less to buy. We have done some research for you into the important aspects and advantages to help you make the right decision.

    Read more