Why not use a trailer with a van or pick up?

timberland · Mar 6, 2011

Any reason why no one uses a trailer with their van or pick up for expediting? Seems to me the option of having a trailer would be better than having just a van? I know it would allow larger items to be transported. I haven't ask Fed Ex CC....maybe they have "rules" against this option?

TheRebel · Mar 6, 2011

timberland said:
Any reason why no one uses a trailer with their van or pick up for expediting? Seems to me the option of having a trailer would be better than having just a van? I know it would allow larger items to be transported. I haven't ask Fed Ex CC....maybe they have "rules" against this option?

There are pickup trucks with goose neck trailers... but about your question, adding a trailer to the van it means going over 10000 lbs, and that means getting under the DOT regulations with all that ugly stuff: scales, log books, limited driving time. Personally I switched from big rigs to cargo van just to stay away from that cr... stuff...

timberland · Mar 6, 2011

Didn't think that way....makes sense. Thanks.

TheRebel · Mar 6, 2011

timberland said:
Didn't think that way....makes sense. Thanks.

You're welcome!

Jason2 · Mar 6, 2011

None of the company's I have talked to will even think about a pickup.They say it doesn't look professional.

layoutshooter · Mar 6, 2011

It MIGHT not look as professional but in the right weather my 4 wheel drive would go where many other trucks could not.

greg334 · Mar 6, 2011

There is a panther van that pulls a small trailer behind it. I saw it the other day coming home and have seen it several times in the past five months.

scottm4211 · Mar 6, 2011

I've seen both Greyhound buses and UPS city type Utilimaster vans pulling trailers up here.

fastrod · Mar 6, 2011

JAYSON said:
None of the company's I have talked to will even think about a pickup.They say it doesn't look professional.

After seeing a lot of the junk vans these 5 star carriers have leased on saying that a pickup truck does not look professional is laughable.

LDB · Mar 6, 2011

Recently I saw a UPS neighborhood delivery type van pulling a small flatbed trailer with one of the curved wall containers they put on airplanes. It was full of a jumble of boxes.

Steady Eddie · Mar 6, 2011

Well, keep your eyes open for an Express-1 GM 1 ton Pickup with tall topper mounted on the bed. They're team!

guido4475 · Mar 6, 2011

I thoughtit would be kinda cool to empt the van out completly, use that for hauling the freight, while pulling a 12' travel trailer behind it for sleeping/waiting for a laod, but dont think the tralier would hold up to the miles we put on it.And then the thought of un-hooking and hooking up everytime to get loaded/unloaded...lol..

wannatruck · Mar 6, 2011

guido4475 said:
I thoughtit would be kinda cool to empt the van out completly, use that for hauling the freight, while pulling a 12' travel trailer behind it for sleeping/waiting for a laod, but dont think the tralier would hold up to the miles we put on it.And then the thought of un-hooking and hooking up everytime to get loaded/unloaded...lol..

I wondered about that myself. Bet it would be a pain when you had to hook/unhook all the time, but the comfort of having a 12' "sleeper" sounds kinda cozy no?

guido4475 · Mar 6, 2011

Yup...alot more comfy than any van sleeper out there.

aristotle · Mar 6, 2011

The idea of using a cargo van as the power unit for a combination vehicle seems a little unusual. Maybe if one had a manual transmission and a heavy duty upgrade. Prolonged use of the stock automatic transmission as an integral part of the drivetrain which is pulling a small trailer strikes me as problematic. Could a GM or Ford van hold up to such use at 100,000 miles per year? Maybe someone has done this. Seems unlikely. Occasional towing is more likely the manufacturer's intent.

timberland · Mar 6, 2011

When a diesel is an option in a van why wouldn't one consider a 14' tandem axle trailer as a pup? The transmission I don't believe would be a problem. If so....move towards the other thought of using a pick up cab and chassis with a box on it. I know my Duramax pick up with its Allison could pull 50-100000 miles a year. There are guys doing it today with flatbeds. Just dont see the Fed Ex guys doing it....??? must be a company policy.

ChrisGa23 · Mar 6, 2011

I dont see why a truck and trailer wouldnt work. I would rather have a 2500 chevy and a long dual axle enclosed trailer. Would haul more freight. It could have close to straight truck capacity for cargo. Pretty easy to drive.

All it would take is a company to try and test a few and I would see them actually liking them in my opinion.

EtowahE · Mar 6, 2011

hotshotters are doing this already, but like it was said in an earlier post, this requires a Class A CDL anytime you haul anything commercially with a pickup and trailer, van and trailer, etc.

this means scales and log books and DOT h.o.s., which is what most expedite companies want to avoid with their quicker and cheaper cargo vans.

guido4475 · Mar 6, 2011

aristotle said:
The idea of using a cargo van as the power unit for a combination vehicle seems a little unusual. Maybe if one had a manual transmission and a heavy duty upgrade. Prolonged use of the stock automatic transmission as an integral part of the drivetrain which is pulling a small trailer strikes me as problematic. Could a GM or Ford van hold up to such use at 100,000 miles per year? Maybe someone has done this. Seems unlikely. Occasional towing is more likely the manufacturer's intent.

You'd think it would happen this way,but my brother in Fla owns a window/siding/roofing business and pulls a 24 ft trailer all the time,rarely unhooking from it, which is loaded heavy from the way he puts it.He puts 50-75 thou on his f-350, trading it in every 2 years.He hasnt had any problems to speak of, with the trans, even though he gets the trans flushed and serviced once a year..And it has an extra trans cooler on it.Remeber, heat is the transmissions worst enemy.If you can keep it cool, it will last.His pickups have always been fully loaded Fords with Diesels.

guido4475 · Mar 6, 2011

EtowahE said:
hotshotters are doing this already, but like it was said in an earlier post, this requires a Class A CDL anytime you haul anything commercially with a pickup and trailer, van and trailer, etc.

this means scales and log books and DOT h.o.s., which is what most expedite companies want to avoid with their quicker and cheaper cargo vans.

Yup, youre right.