The average van driver is now travelling more than 12,500 miles per year and they have collectively covered 57.5bn miles.
That's according to van insurance company Go.Compare which says that over the past 10 years, the levels of UK van traffic have increased by 35%.
The growth in home delivery and online shopping has meant that more vans are on our roads than ever before. It is estimated that 4.62 millions vans used the road network in 2022. Collectively they would have gone around the world 2.3m times - that's one lap every 15 seconds.
The insurance company's research also looked at the impact these monumental mileages have on the condition of the average van and the number of vehicles on the road.
For the last two years, the best selling vehicle in the country has been a van. The Ford Transit Custom has beaten the likes of Nissan, Vauxhall and Volkswagen into claiming the top spot as the most purchased new vehicle in the country.
With a total of 42,762 sales throughout 2022 the Ford Transit Custom narrowly beat the Nissan Qashqai which was the best-selling car of 2022 with 42,704.
The Ford Transit Custom was the best-selling vehicle in the UK during 2022 and also accounted for one third of all van sales. Its larger sibling the Ford Transit was the second most purchased van with 33,203 registrations during the year, enough to see it inside the top ten for all vehicles sold that year.
However, 2023 might not see the Transit Custom repeat that success. Supply issues ahead of the launch of the new model as it transitions from the previous generation Ford Transit Custom (2012 - 2024) has meant fewer sales, while car sales have also increased.
Speaking about the increase in van mileage across the country, Tom Banks, motoring expert at Go.Compare, said: “Van usage has notably increased in the last year alone, highlighting the pivotal role van drivers play in our daily routines. However, it's vital that van owners recognise that higher mileage usually results in more wear and tear, which can impact a vehicle’s condition over time."
