A panel truck in U.S. and Canadian usage is a small delivery truck with a fully enclosed body. It typically has no rear windows in the rear cargo area and is a van built on a truck chassis.
A body design that appeared very early in history of light-duty trucking was the "delivery car or van was actually the first type of panel truck." A panel truck is similar in function to its smaller cousin the sedan delivery, a station wagon with no backseat and no side windows aft of the front doors. Both types of vehicles are frequently used as delivery vehicles.
Panel trucks are often used by construction and maintenance contractors and were sometimes configured for ambulance and hearse roles. Other variations include canopy express models, which have open display areas behind the driver's seat primarily used by farmers for selling fruits and vegetables. The evolution of sport utility vehicles can be traced to panel trucks, as the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon, as well as the International Harvester Travelall were passenger versions of these trucks. In modern times minivans have been adapted to some of these functions.
The 2001 to 2010 model year Chrysler PT Cruiser is a compact hatchback wagon whose "design that is reminiscent of panel trucks of the past." The 2007 to 2011 Chevrolet HHR panel model was inspired by the Chevrolet Suburban panel truck, although the HHR is also a compact crossover utility vehicle instead of a full-size truck like the Suburban.
Panel trucks were traditionally purchased by commercial users with specific needs, for which a full-size truck was too large, a station wagon too small and a pickup truck too exposed. Most panel trucks lived hard lives, driven until the cost of repair could no longer be justified before being hauled off to the local scrapyard. This 1955 Chevrolet 3100 panel truck for sale on Hemmings.com is the exception to the rule. Used to haul turkeys between buildings on a turkey farm, this mostly original truck sports the 235.5-cu.in. inline six-cylinder engine mated to a three-speed column-shift manual transmission. It isn’t clear if the truck’s 34,463 miles are legitimate, or if the odometer has been rolled, but it appears to be remarkably well preserved for a vintage truck with a 20-year old “minor restoration.” It even comes complete with turkey cages, turkey decoys and other in-period memorabilia, meaning that the next owner can kick off a collection that includes more than just a vintage truck.