And in many vans you will see on the dashboard that essential piece of equipment for mobile snacking - the Coke can holder. As with most other aspects of WVM, however, there are notable exceptions. Drivers whose rounds include deliveries to pubs and restaurants often eat well on their customers' premises. Others bring elaborately prepared lunch boxes from home, which may include seemingly atypical items such as salad and fresh fruit. When he's not driving, WVM's diet changes radically.
Most drivers prefer to wear 'casual' or 'smart casual' clothes in the evenings and at weekends.
Many drivers also try to keep up appearances when they are driving. But WVM is no 'designer' addict. He may have the odd 'label' shirt, but his suit is rarely Armani and his watch is more likely to be Seconda than Rolex. It may surprise some people, but van drivers are often quite gentle folk, and their choice of pets is a clear statement of this aspect of their personality and lifestyle. When we started our research we had in mind the idea that WVM might be 'tribal' - a member of a distinct social grouping with its own rituals, codes of conduct and distinctive argot.