Safety first? Not if you have to pay for it

Manheim Auctions is seeing a growing number of used vans with bulkheads coming under the hammer, but says this important safety and security feature isn't boosting used LCV values. While Alex Wright, commercial vehicle sales director of Manheim Auctions, acknowledges that bulkheads have huge security and safety benefits in terms of driver protection from the shifting of loads under heavy braking, he says they are being met with resistance from used van buyers.

He tells MT that "your average, self-employed man looking to purchase a used vehicle at auction will not expect, nor want a bulkhead fitted to the vehicle. Despite safety benefits, bulkheads restrict the driver's access to the back of the vehicle. This inconvenience is particularly relevant to delivery companies where precious seconds are wasted if a driver can't just hop into the back of a van to retrieve a parcel," Wright says.

But Ford, which has made the bold move of making bulkheads standard in all new Transits, says it certainly isn't experiencing any resistance. According to Steve Kimber, Ford of Britain's director of commercial vehicles, only 7% of Transit buyers choose to delete the bulkhead. He says these are mainly specialist vehicles where internal access to the load is vital for the operation.