Box trucks are the bees of the city.
Box trucks maneuver well within the city or community roads and they have big cargo areas.
That is why box trucks are so popular among local business providers.
Different types of local business providers such as plumbers, land architecture services, delivery services, hauling services, etc, widely choose box trucks as their transportation options.
Below, find information about different aspects of box trucks with links to other in-depth articles.
Moreover, above, I already started explaining what defines box trucks.
How do you define a box truck?
Often, people use the words “straight truck” or “dry van” when they mean a box truck.
That confuses a lot of people who try to understand what is a box truck.
A box truck is a straight truck. But a straight truck is also a cargo van or a dump truck while the box truck is just a box truck.
Or, due to its cargo box area, a box truck may look like a dry van but it is not because there are differences between box trucks and semi trucks as there are differences between box trucks and cargo vans.
The best way to define what is a box truck is by trying to understand how it differs from other trucks.
Below, see a comparison of a box truck with a straight truck and a dry van.
- A straight truck is a phrase that is used to call all the trucks that have one common characteristic. That common characteristic is that straight trucks are unibody vehicles. That means that all its parts are connected to one single frame.
- A dry van is an articulated vehicle. That means that it consists of two separate body units such as a tractor and a semi-trailer (cargo box). The main difference is that the cargo box of a dry van is longer (48" or 53" max) than that of a box truck (26" max).
- A box truck is a one-unit type of vehicle having the configuration of a straight truck and, at the same time, the physical exterior of a box truck's cargo box looks similar to a dry van's cargo box.
The box truck characteristics provide this vehicle with unique benefits.
What are the benefits of a box truck?
Here are the box truck benefits below:
- Safe storage space for the freight inside box.
- No need to manage trailer hookups and drop-offs.
- Promote your business on the box truck’s sides or provide advertising opportunities for other businesses and earn a little bit of side-hustle money.
- Due to its one-unit construction vehicle type, box trucks provide better maneuverability on city roads.
- Generally, you don 't need a CDL to drive a box truck but there are exceptions to this rule.
Do you need a CDL to drive a box truck?
Box trucks can be used in both ways as non-commercial vehicles and, as commercial vehicles.
That means that some box trucks can be driven by drivers with a regular driver's license while other box trucks require drivers with a CDL.
This difference happens due to the box truck's GVWR requirements.
The box truck GVWR requirements are as below:
As long as the box truck doesn’t exceed the 26,000 lbs GVWR weight limit, it can be driven using a regular driver's license. But, if it exceeds the 26,000 GVWR weight limit, then the driver needs a CDL to drive it.
If you still wonder about needing a CDL to drive a box truck click the link to find out detailed info about this.
26 feet box truck dimensions and weight capacity
Find below the breakdown of box truck dimensions.
Box truck inside dimensions
Length | 22-26 feet |
Width | 96-102 inches |
Height | 12.5-13.5 feet |
Box truck inside capacity
Max Weight | 14000 pounds |
Max Pallets | 12 |
Max Volume | 1700 cubic feet |
Buy a box truck
When acquiring a vehicle, you may want to choose one from the popular box truck brands. These box truck brands are popular for a reason. That reason is that a lot of people like them and find them valuable for their business.
After that, you may want to read reviews of the model you like just like the one here Hino box truck reviews.
These reviews may answer some of the questions that you may have about the model.
However, when buying a box truck, the popularity of a box truck brand is important but it’s not the only thing to consider.
Your next box truck needs to be in good condition too.
If you don’t know what to check and what to look for, a mechanic might explain what to look for when buying a new or a used box truck.
Your next box truck needs have preferably low MPG metrics.
Knowing your box truck MPG metrics upfront allows you to calculate the fuel expenses you'll have with this vehicle.
Also depending on the type of freight you plan to haul, you need to decide whether you need a dock high box truck or its height from ground to the trailer floor doesn't really matter to you.
Operate a box truck as an opener-operator
If you are looking at a different option than working as a box truck driver for a company, then you may want to operate as a box truck owner operator.
Even though, as an owner operator you have more risks and responsibilities but if you manage to control them you can make more money than a company box truck driver.
Making money with a box truck
If you ever wondered how to make money with a box truck, you may probably come across ideas such as advertising on a box truck, starting a business with Amazon, or finding a box truck side hustle job.
Starting a box truck business would be the next step. At this stage, you’d need to go through the steps of opening a trucking company. Operating through an official company will allow you to pay taxes and be in complete compliance with the state rules.
The last step in the process of making money with a box truck is finding ways to get a box truck contract, build relationships with your best customers, and learn to improve your trucking services.
To provide a stress-free service to your customer you may need insurance.
Choose the type of insurance your box truck business
If you plan to start a trucking business, you’ll need insurance.
Insurance covers your business from financial losses caused by unpredictable or unexpected situations such accidents or lawsuits.
Check what type of insurance is needed for a box truck business.