Have a van-tastic Christmas

Britain’s van drivers could make as many deliveries as Santa himself this Christmas.

Only a third of van drivers will be taking time off over Christmas (33%) to spend the holidays with their family and friends, with more than one in six on call on Christmas Day. This could see them called out to fix unexpected leaks, broken down boilers, and cars that won’t start.

Almost a third of van drivers will be working Christmas Eve and many will be back in the van on Boxing Day (19%). Nearly a quarter will be working New Year’s Eve, but almost one in 10 will be getting an early night to be up for work on New Year’s Day.

A spokesperson for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which commissioned the research of 500 van drivers across the UK, said, ‘Christmas is a busy time for the nation’s van drivers, as customers want everything done and delivered before they finish for the holidays.

‘Our survey shows that van drivers embrace the festive season with good cheer by decorating their vehicles and getting the Christmas music on. But they also sacrifice time with loved ones to make sure that their customers are taken care of at Christmas, so we believe they are the forgotten heroes of the festive season.’

Researchers from OnePoll.com also found that 70% of drivers say they have used their van at Christmas to do a good deed for others. On average, van drivers travelled for 74 miles to do their good turn, and nine per cent have even travelled more than 100 miles to do something nice for someone else.

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