Ask five trades what van they need and you will get five answers about racking, ply-lining and weight — but underneath, most tradespeople are choosing from the same handful of van sizes. What changes between trades is not the van family, it is what goes into it: how much it must carry, how long the load area needs to be, how securely the tools lock away. The mistake we see most often is not the wrong make, it is the wrong size, then trying to fix it afterwards with racking and roof bars. Work out what your trade actually needs, then buy the smallest van that comfortably meets it. Each trade below has its own guide, all under our Van Guides hub.
In this guide
- Best vans for mobile trades — start here if your trade has no guide of its own; it points you at the right size.
- Best van for electricians — payload, load length and economy for daily tool-and-fixings work.
- Best van for plumbers — tool storage and tank-carrying capacity, without paying for a size too big.
- Best van for builders — payload first, because materials and site kit reach the plated limit far faster than tools do.
- Best vans for landscapers and gardeners — payload for soil and turf, load length for machinery.
- Best van for dog groomers — fit-out space, ventilation and a calmer ride; it covers dog walkers too.
- Best used vans for delivery and courier work — load volume, side-door access and economy over a full shift, ahead of racking.
- Best vans for couriers 2026 — the same job on newer plates, for anyone replacing a worn-out multi-drop van.
Across every trade above, the vans that leave our forecourt cluster hard around small and medium — together about three-quarters of what we sell.
Where to go next
See what we have in stock for your trade right now, or ring us and we will tell you what fits the job. If the open question is the size rather than the trade, choosing the right van works through payload and load length.
