Why Can't You Configure an LCV Body Like a Car?

Let's be honest. In 2026, you can configure a passenger car online in minutes — engine, trim level, options, delivery time, price. Everything is transparent, fast, and predictable. But when it comes to LCV bodies… we are still operating like it's 2005.

🧩 1. A Fragmented and Outdated Process

If you want to buy a body for a 3.5–7.5t chassis today, the process often looks like this: multiple emails, phone calls, custom quotes, different specifications, and unclear delivery times.

And in many cases:

• You can't easily compare offers
• You don't know the final price upfront
• You don't know when the vehicle will be ready

For an industry that depends on speed — this is a serious bottleneck.

⏳ 2. Time Is Still Being Lost — Everywhere

While OEMs optimize production and logistics, the body building process often adds weeks of quotation cycles, weeks of production delay, additional transport steps, and coordination complexity.

The result? Vehicles that should be delivered fast… are delayed by the least optimized part of the chain.

📦 3. Customers Have Already Changed

Fleet operators, dealers and logistics companies no longer accept uncertainty. They expect fast configuration, clear pricing, predictable delivery, and scalable solutions.

In short: they expect the same experience they get in every other industry.

⚙ 4. The Shift Toward Platform Thinking

The market is slowly moving toward pre-engineered body platforms, repeatable configurations, modular architecture, and faster installation logic. Because only these models allow:

• Speed and predictability
• Scalability and cost control

Customization is not disappearing. But it is being structured.

🌐 5. The Inevitable Next Step: Digitalisation

At some point, the industry will have to answer a simple question: why can you configure a car online… but not a commercial vehicle body?

The future will likely include digital configurators, real-time pricing, standardised options, faster ordering processes, and integrated delivery logic. And when that happens, the entire value chain will accelerate.

Let's Open the Discussion

I'm curious to hear from all sides of the industry:

• Dealers — how long does it take you to get a clear body offer today?
• Fleet operators — how much uncertainty do you face when ordering vehicles?
• Bodybuilders — is standardisation a threat or an opportunity?
• OEMs — is digital integration of body solutions part of your roadmap?

Because the real question is not if this change will happen — but who will adapt first. And who will still be sending emails when the market moves online.

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