September 2011, Business Fleet - Cover Story

Getting into Vans

The action in the commercial van market is getting hot and heavy. With pickup truck-like capabilities, improved fuel economy and white space for branding, new and updated van offerings are attracting a new breed of small business entrepreneurs.

By Chris Brown

Photo by AlanWeinerPhotography.com

Kim Foren is able to fit six-foot-tall floral arrangements in her Sprinter, which runs on biodiesel. She says her young drivers handle the van just fine.

Sprinter Superlatives
No other light commercial van carries the Sprinter’s starting price tag —nor do they carry the status of the Mercedes-Benz badge. Sprinter’s unique customer base instead reaps value from the van’s superlatives: a cargo area that can accommodate a 6’3” electrician, carry up to 547 cubic feet of floral arrangements or support up to 5,375 lbs. of building materials and still achieve the fuel economy of many midsize sedans.

Last year, sales of the Sprinter Van line reverted from Dodge to Mercedes-Benz dealerships, while it continues to be sold by Freightliner, a division of Daimler AG. As of August, the van was available at 100 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van dealerships and 56 Freightliner Sprinter Van dealerships.

The Sprinter is available in Cargo Van, Crew Van, Passenger Van, MiniBus and Cab Chassis models, as well as three GVWRs, three lengths and two roof heights.

All Sprinter Vans are equipped with a 3.0-liter V-6 “BlueTEC” clean diesel, which gets 30 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine, according to Mercedes-Benz.

Pink Van, Green City
Kim Foren of Geranium Lake Flowers in Portland, Ore., had been running standard cargo vans but wanted “something a little sexier, just a little bit cooler” for her nationally recognized floral business.

For Foren, the Mercedes Sprinter fits in perfectly with her business model and her city’s green credentials. “I chose the Sprinter because it was tall and I could run it on biodiesel,” she says, “and it’s built by Mercedes.”

As well, “We are in the lifestyle business, and the Sprinter brand is more aligned with our business than [other van brands],” she says.

Foren says the van’s height is perfect for her six-foot tall flower arrangements and even Christmas trees. “I can put a ton of stuff and stack so much in there,” she says.

Though her workforce is “mostly female art student types without a lot of driving experience,” Foren says they handle the van just fine and find it easy to park with the short wheelbase. Her fuel economy can average as high as 30 mpg.

The Sprinter costs more upfront, but Foren believes the van will become more cost-effective in the long run as she expects it to last longer than her previous vans.