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If you own or have access to a cargo van, there are plenty of ways to make extra money or start a business. Cargo vans are perfect for helping people or companies with oversized items. Services you can offer include moving, delivering, or hauling things away.
Many cargo van businesses revolve around pickup and delivery. If delivering goods and hauling things for people doesn’t sound like the type of business venture or side hustle you want, there are other ways to make money with a cargo van that doesn’t have to do with transportation. Some will require specialized skills, while others just need equipment and motivation.
1. GoShare
GoShare is a delivery service platform enabling businesses and individuals to book carriers to transport goods. The types of deliveries you’ll see on GoShare include:
- Last-mile delivery for business customers
- Store pickups for individuals
- Home and office moves
- Building materials and equipment deliveries to and from commercial or residential construction sites
- Junk hauling for home and business owners
- Courier jobs for documents and small parcels
GoShare reports an average hourly rate of $71 – $102 for full-sized cargo vans. You can work when you want, accept only the most profitable loads, and get paid weekly.
2. Roadie
Roadie is a subsidiary of UPS that promises fast delivery of any item regardless of size to over 90% of U.S. households. No minimum vehicle standards exist, so you can deliver for Roadie if your cargo van is in working order.
For drivers, the Roadie app is your lifeline. It shows available gigs, the guaranteed payout, and pickup or delivery notes. You can choose when and where you want to work. Roadie gigs tend to be for local same-day delivery. You might find long-distance deliveries available occasionally, which pay significantly more.
3. Veho
Veho is a last-mile logistics company that helps e-commerce brands improve the customer experience for deliveries and returns. Drivers pick up packages from the Veho warehouse and deliver them via their chosen route. You can book routes in advance, selecting your start time, route length, and final stop. You can also see your earnings in advance.
4. Uship
Uship operates a shipping marketplace that connects businesses and individuals needing delivery services with drivers. Uship offers many opportunities to make money with a cargo van. According to their website, a new shipment is posted every 30 seconds.
After you create your free profile on Uship, you can browse the shipping load listings and bid on jobs. Each listing has delivery details, such as a time frame, weight, and cargo dimensions.
5. Truckstop.com
Truckstop.com operates a load board for cargo vans to help you find loads for transport posted by vetted, trustworthy brokers. In addition to its online tools, Truckstop.com has a mobile app to find high-paying loads from your phone.
The TruckStop.com load board is not free. They offer three carrier plans with price points of $39, $125, and $149 per month. The basic plan allows you to search and post. The more expensive plans include more features, such as detailed information about the delivery brokers, cargo types, load comparisons, and a search for the best-paying loads.
6. Work as a Contract Courier
CBDriver has many contract driver ads from local and national companies that require a cargo van. You can search for jobs by city, filter by type of vehicle, and contact cargo brokers for available opportunities. The type of cargo that needs transporting varies. Some shipping companies might only be looking for delivery contractors who can lift 70 to 100 pounds.
7. Deliver for Amazon Flex
Amazon Flex is Amazon’s delivery partner program. The program allows you to use your vehicle to deliver packages for Amazon. You can earn between $18 and $25 per hour delivering packages and groceries. A cargo van is an excellent vehicle for this type of opportunity. You can quickly load and organize all the packages for your deliveries, which makes the work easier.
8. Help People Move
Helping people move is a solid way to make money with a cargo van. Movers are in high demand year-round regardless of the economy. Hiring movers is expensive, even for short moves. You’ll have happy customers if you can save people money on their move and help with the heavy lifting.
Your cargo van should have enough space for apartment dwellers. You’ll also need moving equipment like cargo straps, dollies, moving blankets, and tarps. Familiarize yourself with local laws, licensing, and commercial insurance requirements. You’ll likely need more than a valid driver’s license and your van, as many locales have strict regulations on moving companies.
9. Remove Junk
Many would rather pay someone to haul their junk to the dump than deal with it themselves. You could offer to haul yard waste, recycling, old furniture, broken appliances, and other junk for people. Businesses might hire you to clear out their office space or commercial property.
If you are handy, you might be able to fix or restore some of the stuff you pick up. You can then sell it online or locally for a profit. Publicize your business by posting flyers in public places that allow it. You could also advertise your junk removal services on Craigslist or Facebook.
10. Deliver Food
Food delivery drivers can make good money driving for DoorDash, Uber Eats, or grocery delivery services like Instacart. Working for one of the big food delivery services is an option, but it might not be ideal with a cargo van. Despite the extra space for large orders, gas prices and wear and tear can dent your profits.
Call catering companies, event planners, and wedding planners in your area. Present yourself as a delivery professional. You might be able to generate some extra cash during the wedding season or around the holidays.
11. Make Retail Deliveries
Many small independent businesses could make more money by offering last-minute or same-day delivery. You might have more success if you explain how offering delivery services could provide value, give them a leg up on their competitors, and help expand their business.
Contact hardware stores, appliance shops, furniture stores, auto parts stores, and other businesses that could profit from offering delivery. You could also contact thrift shops, dry cleaners, or recycling centers that might benefit from providing pickup, delivery, or both.
12. Offer Towing Services
Cargo vans can tow up to 10,000 pounds. If you have a tow hitch, you can help people transport boats, heavy equipment, utility trailers, or other vehicles like classic cars. But make sure you know the ins and outs of towing safely. Research any licensing or legal requirements for towing businesses in your area.
13. Rent It Out
If your time is limited or you prefer not to drive, look into rental opportunities. Websites like Turo, Fetch, and Getaround allow you to rent out your cargo van for passive income. These sites will screen renters for you, handle the billing, and provide insurance.
The average rent for cargo vans is between $100 and $200 a day. Depending on the platform and fee structure, your cut will usually be 60 to 80 percent of the rental fee. It might be an excellent way to generate extra cash when you’re not using your van.
14. Turn Your Van Into a Mobile Billboard
You can make extra cash with your cargo van by turning it into an advertisement on wheels. Many companies see vehicle advertising as a great way of spending their marketing dollars on building their brand. If you’re willing to cover your vehicle in advertising, this is an easy way to earn extra income without much effort.
You can try partnering with businesses in your area. Also, check out Carvertise or Wrapify, a service that connects companies with drivers ready to cover their cars in branding. If you have a plain white cargo van, reaching out and asking about opportunities in your area might be worthwhile. You can earn hundreds per month in passive income.
15. Flip Cargo Vans to Vanlifers
Van-dwelling is a lifestyle that has gained popularity in the past few years. Vanlifers travel and work remote jobs, such as freelance writing or web design, to earn money on the road. Many buy their vans and do the conversion themselves, but there is a market for ready-made vans.
People want to live life, but they don’t have the tools or skills to transform a cargo van into a livable space. Modifying and flipping vans is not a side hustle with low startup costs. Beyond acquiring a van, you’ll need money to buy equipment and materials. But you could profit thousands of dollars by tricking out used vans for vanlifers.
16. Flip Furniture
Sometimes, old furniture needs new hardware, scratches removed, or fresh paint to look brand new. You have a potential flip if the furniture is real wood and in fixable condition.
If you’re hauling junk for people, you might come across furniture pieces that need a little TLC. You can also look for good deals on Craigslist or Facebook for brand-name furniture. Being able to offer delivery could mean more and faster sales.
17. Pressure Washing
Help homeowners keep their houses looking new and clean. A high-quality pressure washer is all you need to clean siding, driveways, sidewalks, or other hard surfaces. If you want to test the business idea before committing, you can get a customer and rent one from a home improvement store.
18. Pool Cleaning
Another opportunity outside of the trucking industry is pool cleaning. Cleaning swimming pools is hard work, but it can also pay very well. Your target customer will have a high disposable income and a willingness to pay someone rather than do the work themselves. If you enjoy working outside during the summer, you can start with basic cleaning equipment you can get at any pool supply store.
19. Landscaping
Landscaping businesses can be highly profitable, especially if you already have the equipment and a way to transport it. Finding your first customers could be as simple as reaching out to friends, family, and neighbors.
20. Mobile Coffee Shop
Finding a decent cup of coffee can be difficult sometimes. You could offer coffee in places where good coffee isn’t readily available. You could sell from a cart outside events, parks, office buildings, or other areas with lots of foot traffic.
21. Personal Shopper
Pick up groceries, clothes, or oversized items for your customers. While the gig economy has made it possible to have almost anything delivered, you would have the advantages of personal service and the ability to pick up nearly anything.
Once you know your clients, you’ll know their preferences, likes, and dislikes. They won’t be able to get that from an app that routes orders to whoever is available.
22. Carpet Cleaning
Homeowners and businesses want clean carpets and rugs. Spotless carpeting creates a more welcoming environment in homes, offices, and stores. Since you already have a van, you could be in business quickly with a commercial carpet cleaner, tools, and cleaning products.
23. Mobile Pet Grooming
Many pet owners prefer not to take their fur babies to a groomer. It can be difficult to herd pets into a carrier, transport them safely, and get them to behave in a new environment. If you have experience grooming pets, access to a van, and the desire to go out on your own, consider a mobile pet grooming business. You could transport your gear and provide your grooming services at your customer’s home.
24. Catering
Good food is essential for corporate events, weddings, holidays, and parties. While your kitchen skills are key to success as a caterer, you will need a van to transport your food to events. If you enjoy cooking for others and people rave about your food, launching a catering business could be in your future.
25. House Painting
Homeowners know a fresh coat of paint can make a home or a room look brand new. Not everyone is willing to do the job themselves, though. The barrier to entry and startup costs are relatively low. You could technically start a painting business with brushes, ladders, and your cargo van. You might need a contractor’s license to paint houses in some states, but other states have no licensing requirements.
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