A Transit van is a large panel van: a van with a fully enclosed metal body and the load space behind the cab. The name comes from the Ford Transit, a model so common on UK roads since the 1960s that it’s now used loosely for almost any van of that size, whatever the manufacturer.
A panel van has no separate box section and no overcab storage. The load space sits behind the cab, accessed through rear doors and usually a side sliding door.
Transits come in several lengths and roof heights. Ford quotes up to 15.1m³ of load space for the biggest versions, and the van seats up to three people. How much weight a particular van can carry depends on the model, and the figures are on the plate fitted to it.
With The Van Man Co, a Ford Transit is the Large van. Inside it’s about 340cm long, 170cm wide and 180cm high, roughly 10m³, which suits a studio or 1 bed flat with furniture, or several bigger items. The smaller Ford Transit Custom is the Medium van, at about 6m³.
A Transit van is a common choice for a man with a van handling single-item deliveries, part-load jobs, studio and small one-bedroom moves, and runs where the load is awkward rather than large. Its 180cm of headroom means a fridge freezer or a tall wardrobe can travel standing up. For a full flat or house move, the bigger square load space of a Luton van is usually the better choice.
A Transit at 3,500kg or under can be driven on a standard car licence, and heavier versions need a different licence category. There’s more on that in what a 3.5 tonne van is.
Not sure a Transit is big enough? The 3D van size calculator shows your things loaded into each van at real size. It’s a guide rather than a guarantee, but it’s a good place to start. To see drivers and prices near you, have a look at the man and van page for Bristol.