The evolution of the white van

The stereotype of the white van originates from the 1990s, with the first recorded use dating back to 1997 in the press. Originally, white vans were chosen to transport food from location to location because they were the most efficient at keeping the produce cool before fridges were available in vans. However, now, more companies are choosing different colour vans, or having their vehicle wrapped to advertise their business and ensure they stand out on the road against competitors. Retailers of Ford vans, Van Monster, takes a look over the history of the white van to establish how they have evolved over time to what they are today.

The origins of the white van
A constructed stereotype for British drivers of small commercial vans, the white van was first recorded in the press in 1997, by The Sunday Times in an article titled ‘Number is up for the White Van Man’. Closer to present day, the term was used in road safety campaigns ran by Freight Transport Association in 2010.
The colour white was chosen for many vans because it was considered to be the most efficient coloured van to keep produce cool inside. This is because the light colour of the vehicle is able to reflect more sunlight away from the van. White, silver and other light colours are coolest, reflecting about 60% of sunlight.
The modern-day stereotype paints a different picture. A new study reveals that ‘white van drivers’ are now considered as diligent and hard working as anyone else, with average yearly earnings of £21,000. Dispelling the clichés, they therefore contribute over £35 billion annually to the UK economy and have an estimated turnover of £215 billion per year.

The most popular colour van today
White vans have reigned as the most popular colour van for years. In 2014, white remained the most popular colour for vans, with 57% of new vans registered being white in colour. However, some industry professionals believed this could have been down to cost rather than anything else. White light goods vehicles still seemed to dominate the roads, however, 2014 also experienced an influx in sales of silver vans — 8% in the past decade.
In second place, silver vans are the most popular, followed closely by blue in third place and red in fourth. Whilst white still reigns supreme in the world of vans, an increase in other colours shows that fleet managers are willing to step out of their comfort zone and inject some colour into the fleet. However, for vehicle wrapping and customisation, white vans provide fleet managers with a blank canvas to market their business — another reason why white vans could have stuck at the top spot.

Marketing your business
Customising your van with vehicle wrapping and stickers has significantly grown in popularity, with many businesses acknowledging that customising their fleet is an opportunity to market their business to a wider audience — as well as to other drivers on the roads. The audience potential is significant. Arbitron's In-Car Study claims UK drivers can spend an average of 20 hours on roads every week (a 31% increase from the 2003) which equates to 1,040 hours a year, or a month and a half, for every driver. The Department of Transport revealed there were 35.6 million registered vehicles on the road in the UK. That is a lot of potential customers!
And it is a successful method too, if figures are to be believed. According to experts, more than 70% of motorists are influenced positively by the products and companies that they see advertised on other vehicles. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, 98% of people on the roads said they noticed truck ads, with 35% of them actually studying these advertisements closely, and on average, a busy vehicle can be seen by more than 3,000 people every hour. This means that just one car wrap could generate between 30,000 and 70,000 views per day! Vehicle wrapping is a cost-effective way to advertise your business and can generate significant results fast.

Sources
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/news/white-van-man.html
https://phys.org/news/2011-10-silver-white-cars-cooler.html
https://www.commercialfleet.org/news/2014/11/28/white-remains-colour-of-choice-for-vans/54193/
https://www.anchorvans.co.uk/blog/2014/12/04/research-discovers-most-popular-colour-of-van-in-the-uk-results-hardly-shocking/
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-11-27/white-is-still-the-most-popular-colour-for-van-drivers/
http://elmuk.com/vehicle-wrapping-graphics-7-stats-that-prove-it-works-as-a-marketing-tool/
https://severnsigns.co.uk/signs/vehicle-graphics
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/small-business/operations-and-logistics/renault/branding-commercial-vehicles/