For the benefit of any other potential van operators reading this thread, you should only consider an extended van. You need the extra 30" or so for personal space. You must be able to sleep even when under maximum load. There will be times such as the one illustrated here that will require sleeping while under load to safely complete the job.
My first van was a short wheelbase E-350, just like a lot of them out there. When I had 2 skids in there, they were pushed up to the backs of the seats, no place to sleep. My second load ever was Chicago to San Francisco, and I had to grab sleep in motels along the way. After the second motel I knew what my next van wasn't going to be. Then I got load after load with a Friday pickup for Monday delivery, no place to sleep for 2 or 3 nights, even with one skid in there, not comfortably. There were also many longer loads which didn't require sleep, but it sure would have been nice to be able to pull over and take an hour nap on a few of those runs. Like Leo says, "You
must be able to sleep even when under maximum load." That cannot be stressed enough for safety (and sanity reasons, since if you don't get enough sleep you'll go crazy, as parts of this thread clearly illustrates).
Yes, you're an independent contractor, and yes you can turn down loads, but you have also contracted 8-feet of your van to be used as cargo space, and that space is to be available at all times you are in-service - period. If you turn down loads because that space isn't available for
whatever reason you like to put forth, then you are in breach of contract. It's as simple as that. And your contract will likely get pulled.
Customers order cargo vans all the time without knowing the final dimensions. All they know is that it will fit in a cargo van. Many times the 3rd party who is booking the load doesn't know what the final dimensions are, either. Loads get booked all the time with incorrect dimensions. But it doesn't matter, since the customer is renting the entire cargo space of the truck, exclusive use of the truck. That's why it costs them the same to ship 2 skids at 2500 pounds as it does to ship a one pound box or an envelope. If you show up and it won't fit on
any cargo van because it needs to go on a bigger truck, it's not your problem. But if they order a cargo van and you show up with half a cargo van,
you've got a problem. Being able to turn down loads is irrelevant here, because the carrier promised to deliver the load based on what you contracted to provide, and you failed to provide it.
The customer couldn't care less why you couldn't take the load, and neither could the carrier. All they know is you failed to live up to your contractual obligations. You can whine and cry all you want in trying to justify being in breach of contract, but it won't change the fact that you're in breach of contract.
