Cargo van fleets scale fast when routes expand, and the capital requirement scales right along with them. Going from five vans to fifteen in a single quarter is a real scenario for courier, courier-DSP, and regional distribution operators, and the standard equipment line at most banks does not move at the pace a growing delivery business needs. We do.
Full-size cargo vans (Class 1-2, typically under 10,000 lbs GVWR) cover the most common last-mile and urban distribution use cases. Models like the Ford Transit Cargo, Ram ProMaster, Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana dominate the market because they balance cargo volume, maintenance cost, and driver familiarity. A standard high-roof Transit or ProMaster typically costs between $40,000 and $60,000 new, meaning a fleet of five or more units is well within our financing range from the first conversation.
We finance cargo van fleets starting at $50,000 in total equipment value, with most fleet transactions running from $100,000 to well over $400,000 for larger packages. Fleets can qualify app-only on transactions approaching $400k. B and C credit is considered. Deals typically fund in about two weeks after a complete file, which is a meaningful advantage when you are trying to get vans on the road before a contract start date.
Why Cargo Van Fleet Economics Are Different
Cargo vans depreciate faster than heavy commercial trucks, and that affects how lenders look at them. A new Transit or ProMaster loses value quickly in the first two years, stabilizes through years three to five, and then depreciates steadily through year seven and beyond. Fleet operators who are smart about replacement cycles buy newer units (one to three years old) off commercial lease returns, get four to five years of reliable service, and cycle out before major maintenance costs pile up.
High-mileage vans are common in courier and distribution work because routes stack miles quickly. A van running an urban courier route can accumulate 40,000 to 60,000 miles per year. Lenders in the cargo van space underwrite against mileage more aggressively than they do for lower-mileage vocational trucks. We account for that in how we structure terms and set expectations on used van deals.
For operators in last-mile delivery or courier service fleets, the fleet replacement cycle is as important as the initial acquisition. We work with operators on rolling replacement schedules where units come off lease or loan as they hit their mileage ceiling and new units finance in to replace them, keeping average fleet age consistent without a large single-year capital outlay.
What Cargo Van Deals Qualify
We finance standard full-size cargo vans in Class 1 and Class 2 GVW ranges from all major manufacturers. New units, dealer-stock used units, off-lease commercial returns, and private-party purchases all qualify. We also finance upfitted vans that have had shelving, partition systems, refrigeration units, or other cargo management features added, as long as the upfit is documented and the total value meets our minimum.
A few common deal types we handle:
- New fleet additions for a DSP (Delivery Service Partner) or courier operation adding routes
- Replacement of high-mileage units that are aging out of the fleet
- Used off-lease commercial vans purchased in bulk from a fleet remarketer
- Upfitted vans with plumbing, HVAC, or mobile service configurations
The Ford Commercial truck lineup and Ram Commercial vans are the most commonly financed cargo van brands we see, though we work with all major makes. If you are buying from a manufacturer's commercial sales division or a fleet dealer, the process tends to move slightly faster because the purchase agreement and title documents are cleaner than private-party transactions.
