Choosing the Right Vehicle for Your Delivery Needs
A lot goes into the cost of delivery: what we are carrying, where it is going, when you need it delivered, and how it gets there.
Selecting an appropriate vehicle for your delivery can mean a big difference in affordability. That’s one reason clients all over Cincinnati prefer Redkey; while we are a small-enough company to provide personalized service, we have a large-enough fleet that the right-sized vehicle can almost always be put into service immediately for you.
We strive to choose the smallest vehicle that can meet your needs to keep fuel and maintenance costs low.
Redkey Express has a wide variety of equipment to accommodate shipments of any size. When you call in your order, our 24/7 live dispatchers work with you to choose the optimal vehicle to ensure
- safe and
- cost-efficient
transportation of your goods.
Our fleet is late model and meticulously maintained, ensuring mechanically-related service failures are virtually nonexistent.
The Redkey fleet includes the following:
- Cars, primarily used for Cincinnati delivery of parcels weighing less than 50 lbs.
- Cargo vans, which can carry 4,000 lbs. Each is capable of carrying up to three standard-sized skids. All vans have ladder racks that can carry up to 400 lbs. each.
- Box trucks capable of carrying up to 12 skids or 12,000 lbs. Every Redkey box delivery truck is equipped with liftgates and pallet jacks for unloading. Because box trucks are so versatile, secure, efficient, accessible and cost-effective, delivering everything from a few packages to large appliances is best done with a box truck.
- Stake beds and flat beds that also can carry around 12,000 lbs. Tarping is available upon request.
- Curtainside box trucks, which can handle up to 25,000 lbs. of cargo. These are used for transporting construction materials, lumber, roofing, landscaping materials and more. Moffett forklifts are available upon request.
Criteria for vehicle selection
Choosing the right delivery vehicle depends on several key factors unique to your business. Here are some factors that go into the decision.
Your delivery requirements
Our first question is, “what is the volume and weight of your cargo?” For light parcels, a Redkey car is usually the best bet. Medium loads often require a cargo van, and heavy or bulky goods are best transported with a truck of some type.
Distance and routes
Question #2 concerns the distance your cargo needs to travel. For urban, short distances, we recommend a compact vehicle. Longer distances are better served with a fuel-efficient van or truck with a better range.
The delivery environment
Next, your dispatcher will want to know where the delivery is going. If we are delivering in an urban area, we try to choose a smaller vehicle for easier parking and less congestion stress for our Redkey driver. If your load is heavier and going to a suburban/rural destination, larger vehicles are more practical.
The total vehicle use cost
A combination of factors goes into the vehicle portion of your delivery cost:
- fuel efficiency
- maintenance and repair costs
- insurance
- depreciation
Your Redkey dispatcher will work with you to find a vehicle that meets all your needs, including your budget.
Special needs
If you need any of the following, we can deliver:
- refrigeration (if you are shipping perishable items
- shelving/racking (for organized parcel delivery)
- Cincinnati liftgate or ramp delivery service (for heavy goods)
How we get the most out of each vehicle
At Redkey Express, we take excellent care of our equipment. Regular vehicle maintenance means better mileage.
Optimized routes cut miles, reducing the wear and tear on each car, truck or van in our fleet.
We monitor each driver’s behavior, because aggressive driving wastes fuel.
Keep your delivery costs as low as they can be. Count on Redkey to help you choose a cost-efficient vehicle.