EVOLUTION OF THE WHITE VAN MAN

~ ‘White van man’ swapping Big Macs for Salads ~

~ A fifth of white van men keep grooming products in their glove box ~

~ One in six white van men wear a shirt and tie ~

Think you know ‘white van man’ – think again. Sixt has revealed that ‘white van man’ has evolved.

The outdated stereotype of an aggressive guy with scruffy clothes and a huge beer belly is a thing of the past with a polite young man, conscious about his looks and his health, taking his place.

Meek and mild:

The poll of 2000 van drivers revealed that despite common perceptions, only one in ten (9%) van drivers say they get hot–tempered behind the wheel, whilst only 8% admitted ‘ragging’ their vans around. Surprisingly, only one in 20 (5%) admit to wolf whistling or tooting at attractive women. However, modern day ‘white van man’ still has a few nasty habits with one in six (18%) admitting to continually beeping the horn when stuck in traffic and one in seven (17%) still having a penchant for swearing at other motorists.

Out with the junk food:

With the nation obsessed with eating healthily, it turns out even van drivers are swapping Big Macs for M&S salads, with nearly two thirds (61%) of van drivers saying they try to eat healthily on the road. Concerned about watching their weight, a fifth (21%) report that they keep a healthy snack in the van just in case they get peckish.

Metrosexual:

‘White van man’ is also embracing his metrosexual side with Sixt reporting that they’re more likely to see face creams left in the glove box, rather than sweet wrappers. The poll of van drivers revealed that a fifth (21%) use moisturiser and a surprising one in ten (10%) keep a lipchap in the van in case of cold weather.

Suited and booted:

Spotting modern ‘white van man’ on the streets is also proving tricky with one in six (12%) van drivers admitting to taking more pride in their appearance and wearing a shirt and tie whilst driving. One in eight (13%) make sure they keep a spare bottle of aftershave in the van, whilst nearly a fifth (18%) carry a can of deodorant.

However, ‘white van man’ is still up to his naughty ways as, shockingly, 5% of van drivers admit to keeping condoms in the glove box, whilst 7% have a spare pair of pants in their inside pocket.

Top 10 things found in white van man’s glove box:

1.            Map (47%)

2.            Torch (46%)

3.            Relaxing music (37%)

4.            Glasses (30%)

5.            Car cleaning products (22%)

6.            Health snack (21%)

7.            Fizzy drinks and junk food (21%)

8.            Gum (19%)

9.            Deodorant (19%)

10.          Newspapers and Magazines (18%)

White van woman

In fact, the biggest shift has been the amount of women now working as white van drivers, with one in three now stepping behind the wheel. However, female drivers are spurning white vans with a third (37%) opting for a black van and one in eleven (8%) creating a patterned design on their van.

Despite women being the fairer sex, it seems their inner demon comes out behind the wheel with one in ten admitting to being impatient at traffic lights and 9% swearing at other motorists. Legal responsibility diminishes for women van drivers once in the van as well, with one in ten (10%) admitting to parking illegally and one in 20 (5%) speeding.

Paul McLoughlin, Managing Director of Sixt UK, said: “The evolution of ‘white van man’ is something we’ve noticed over the last few years. We rent out thousands of vans a year and are continually surprised at what we find when they’re returned. Whereas four or five years ago the vans used to come back stinking of greasy fast food, we’re now finding empty bottles of deodorant and face cream.”

“Historically, ‘white van man’ has had a bad reputation but actually they take as much pride in their job, minds and bodies as other workers.”

Research was conducted amongst 2000 van drivers

Van Hire Deals

Related posts:

1. Smartphones = Stupid Drivers?
2. Female car hire users ‘up to date with motoring’
3. Gender ruling to affect insurance premiums for young and old
4. Study Shows Women Are Worse at Parking
5. Car hire users warned about uninsured motorists