Tips To Choose The Best Light Commercial Trucks For Businesses

Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) are the backbone of India's logistics and transportation sector. Slotting between small commercial vehicles (SCVs) and medium commercial vehicles (MCVs), LCVs offer the best of both worlds. They are more practical than SCVs owing to roomier cargo spaces and more power, they offer better handling in urban areas compared to MCVs because of their smaller dimensions.

Since the market provides a plethora of light-duty trucks, selecting the right LCV is essential for fleets and businesses seeking efficient and dependable transport vehicles. Light trucks are extremely popular for short-distance deliveries – last-mile logistics, goods delivery, and light material hauling, making them best-sellers among commercial vehicles. In this blog, we will understand LCVs in detail, understand business needs, and talk about important factors you need to consider before buying one.

Understanding Needs Of Fleets and Businesses

The first step towards choosing the right light commercial vehicle is understanding the business and its operational requirements, as every fleet or business often has different requirements. Start by understanding the type and quantity of goods you want to transport. Do the goods you want to transport fall under perishable items, or are they bulky items? Are they e-commerce goods and parcels? Assessing the type of goods, weight, and quantity will help you better understand your needs and select transport vehicles based on requirements.

Next, to choose the right truck, you need to consider delivery routes. Are you planning to operate in urban areas, rural roads, short distances or highways? The number of trips your truck will perform and total operational hours help in assessing fuel costs and maintenance. Businesses doing high-frequency deliveries daily will benefit from fuel-efficient trucks, preferably electric trucks. If you want to operate trucks in urban areas, which normally include congested streets, a compact truck with a fuel-efficient powertrain will be better suited. Long-distance hauls and heavy material transporting will require more hauling capabilities, and trucks with more powerful engines and payload capacity will be perfect.

Understanding Parameters & Applications Of Light Commercial Vehicles

Light commercial vehicles typically have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) rating between 3,500 kg to 7,500 kg. They have smaller dimensions than medium or heavy trucks and are lighter than, which makes them perfect for frequent, short, and urban deliveries. Eicher offers an expansive range of light duty trucks fitted with efficient CNG or electric powertrains, which not only are highly efficient but also leave zero tailpipe emissions.

These trucks are available in different variants, allowing businesses to choose a type based on their requirements. Light trucks typically offer a maximum payload capacity of 3.5 tons, making them highly versatile among various business sectors. Whether you’re using it for FMCG, dairy, or e-commerce tasks, these trucks are highly capable.

Common variants of light commercial vehicles offered by Eicher:

• General light trucks are the most common truck type on the road, used for transporting goods and light materials
• Reefer or refrigerated trucks for transporting perishable goods and cold-chain medications
• Container trucks for E-commerce, retail deliveries, and last-mile logistics
• Tipper trucks for waste management and material handling
• Tanker trucks used for delivering water or fuel

Key Factors While Choosing A Light Commercial Vehicle

Cargo Space & Payload Capacity: The first factor you need to consider before buying a truck is the amount of cargo and payload capacity you want. Matching a truck’s cargo space and payload capacity will ensure your purchase is a good investment and boost productivity. Overloading can attract fines and raise safety concerns, leading to financial losses and accidents. Additionally, overloaded trucks reduce fuel economy and accelerate the wear and tear of components.

Fuel Efficiency & Operational Costs: Fuel demands the highest share in total ownership costs, and a truck consuming more fuel will need more expenses. To address this, Eicher light-duty trucks pack fuel-efficient CNG engines with technologies like cruise control, fuel coaching, and MBooster+ technology to keep fuel consumption in check.

Handling in Urban Areas: The manoeuvrability of a truck directly impacts a business’s success. Trucks with good handling ensure timely deliveries and reduced idle time. If your business runs in crowded urban areas with congested roads, choosing a light commercial vehicle with a compact footprint and efficient engines ensures easy handling and lower fuel consumption.

Safety: A study reveals that around 50% of truck accidents in India are caused by overloaded trucks, making this a major issue. Light duty trucks have limited capacities and are prone to overloading, which increases the chances of accidents and fatalities. Always opt for trucks with basic safety features like a tensile cabin structure, ABS, airbags, seat belts, headlights with DRLs, and dual-circuit air brakes to keep occupants and pedestrians safe.

After-Sales Network & Maintenance Costs: Light commercial vehicles are widely used daily by different businesses to streamline operations, and with heavy usage comes the need for service and maintenance. Choose light duty trucks with a superior warranty, and for peace of mind on the longer run, opt for extended warranties and customised service plans. A company with strong after-sales service and reliable maintenance will reduce your vehicle’s downtime and keep it in good condition for a long period.

Eicher trucks come with a 2-year/unlimited kilometres vehicle warranty and a 3-year/unlimited kilometres engine/gearbox warranty. Additionally, the Eicher Freedom AMC offers a comprehensive service agreement for buyers to keep their trucks in pristine condition.

Brand Reputation & Resale Value: Small commercial vehicles from reliable and trusted companies like Eicher offer more than great safety, efficient engines, and good capabilities. Light duty trucks from reputable makers often yield great resale values because of brand reputation and reliability. Additionally, reputed companies offer great after-sales support, which helps you keep your trucks maintained and in good condition, which is essential for yielding a good resale value.

Shortlisting An Eicher Small Commercial Vehicle

Eicher is a trusted brand among transport trucks and offers an extensive range of light commercial trucks. Each truck is engineered for diverse business requirements, and each LCV provides great fuel efficiency, powertrain options, safety, and durability.