From workdays to weekends: The essential role of tradespeople’s vans
Tradespeople’s vans By Rachel Pearson, Key Account Manager and Advanced FORS Practitioner at Fleetmaxx Solutions, Whitstable
It’s no secret that tradespeople are the backbone of Britain’s workforce — keeping homes warm, lights on, and communities running smoothly. But new research from Direct Line Business Insurance shows that their hard work doesn’t stop when the weekend arrives.
An incredible 94% of tradespeople who have access to a van use it at weekends to lend a helping hand to friends, family, and even their wider communities. Whether it’s moving furniture, transporting garden waste, or helping with house moves, tradespeople and their trusty vans really do go the extra mile.
Going beyond the job
At Fleetmaxx Solutions, we see every day how essential vans are to the working lives of tradespeople — but this research highlights just how vital they are beyond work too.
According to the study, four in five (83%) tradespeople have used their van in the last year to move furniture or bulky items for loved ones, while 79% have lent their time and wheels to help friends or family move house. The same number have been called upon to take rubbish, DIY waste, or garden debris to the tip.
And while that alone would be impressive, the list of weekend uses goes even further.
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69% have used their van for a weekend away.
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61% have transported sports equipment like bikes or paddleboards.
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59% have taken their van on a holiday in the UK or abroad.
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44% have towed a caravan or trailer.
It’s clear that a tradesperson’s van is more than a business tool — it’s an everyday essential that supports family life, recreation, and local communities alike.
A labour of love – Not profit
Despite the time and cost involved, over half (53%) of tradespeople say they’re happy to help out purely as a goodwill gesture — most often “calling it a beer” rather than charging for their time.
Interestingly, 46% even offer out their van to friends and family, while a third (34%) receive regular requests to lend a hand. And in some cases, it’s not the tradesperson making the offer at all — one in seven (14%) say it’s actually their partner who volunteers the van for weekend favours!
Vans powering people and communities
As Eva Sandstra-Bennett, Head of Van Insurance at Direct Line Business Insurance, put it:
“Our research shows that friends, families and communities across the country rely on the time and goodwill of tradespeople and their vans to help them ferry things around at the weekend. From clearing garden waste and helping families move house, to supporting local events and transporting equipment, vans play a vital role far beyond the job site.”
That’s something we see echoed across our own customer base here at Fleetmaxx Solutions. The same van that earns its keep Monday to Friday is often the one towing a trailer to a campsite, carrying a paddleboard to the coast, or helping a neighbour move house by Sunday afternoon.
Streamline your operations with Fleetloc8’s van tracking
Managing a fleet of vans efficiently is essential for reducing costs and improving your business’s bottom line — and a good van tracking system makes this much simpler.
Fleetloc8, our advanced tracking and telematics platform, is designed to give you complete visibility and control over your fleet operations. It provides real-time insights into vehicle location, driver behaviour, and productivity, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve efficiency and safety.
With Fleetloc8, you can even set up geo-fenced zones — virtual boundaries around specific areas. These automatically alert you if a van enters or leaves a designated location, whether it’s a customer site, depot, or restricted area. It’s a powerful way to enhance security, maintain compliance, and ensure your vans are exactly where they should be.
How Fleetloc8’s van tracking supports your business
Businesses using Fleetloc8 report significant cost savings and efficiency gains. Key benefits include:
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Real-time location tracking — know where every van is at any time.
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Faster dispatching — send the nearest vehicle to urgent or last-minute jobs.
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Driver accountability — monitor habits like idling, speeding, and harsh braking to reduce wear and fuel costs.
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Stolen vehicle recovery — act quickly with live tracking to minimise downtime and losses.
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Geo-fencing control — get instant alerts when vans enter or leave restricted or authorised zones.
By identifying inefficiencies and improving driving behaviour, Fleetloc8 helps you lower fuel costs, reduce emissions, and extend vehicle life — all while boosting overall productivity.
Charging made simple with Business Homecharge
With so many tradespeople taking their vans home in the evenings and at weekends, charging convenience and cost control have become essential — especially for those transitioning to electric vans.
That’s where our Business Homecharge solution comes in. Designed for fleets whose drivers regularly charge at home, it ensures fair, accurate reimbursement while simplifying your admin.
Business Homecharge makes life simple
Our seamless integration with each driver’s home charge point and energy supplier allows us to calculate the exact cost of every home EV charge.
From your fleet dashboard, you can view each driver’s charging data, ensuring full transparency and eliminating guesswork.
No more spreadsheets. No more disputes. Just one simple, consolidated invoice covering all home and public charging costs.
We automatically credit your drivers’ energy accounts for their home charging, so they’re never out of pocket. It’s fair, fast, and completely transparent.
Choose between our trusted Rightcharge or Chargepass Business Homecharge solutions — part of our wider MaxxEV suite — and you can cut home charging costs by up to 50% while giving your drivers the convenience they deserve.
Supporting the vans that go the distance
With vans playing such a central role in both work and life, keeping them fuelled, efficient, and compliant is vital. That’s where we come in.
At Fleetmaxx Solutions, we help tradespeople and fleet operators alike save money every mile — whether that’s through discounted diesel and petrol with our fuel cards, Fleetloc8 tracking, or FleetBlue AdBlue® supply to keep emissions low and performance high.
Every customer also gets a dedicated account manager, so there’s always someone on hand who understands your business and your van — no call centres, just great personal service.
And for those aiming for FORS accreditation, our Transport Consultancy Service offers professional support from experienced practitioners who can help you achieve Bronze, Silver, or Gold standards.
The takeaway
This research proves what many of us already knew — tradespeople are the unsung heroes of our weekends as well as our weekdays. Their vans don’t just build Britain’s homes and businesses — they move our furniture, power our hobbies, and bring our communities together.
So next time you see a tradesperson loading up their van on a Saturday morning, there’s a good chance they’re not heading to a job — they’re helping someone out.
Because for Britain’s tradespeople, going the extra mile isn’t just part of the job.
It’s who they are.
