Best box truck for freight.

Tandem axle box trucks in local work are very rare. I've never seen one owned by an owner op, typically they are used by companies to distribute product (usually groceries, meat, or lubricants), or are sleeper equipped to go OTR (typically hotshot/expedited/time critical loads).
Do you have a client in mind? If not I would rethink this, there just isn't too much contract demand for freight that's dense enough to warrant a tandem axle 26' box. Most box trucks I see doing local work for hire are single axle, and under CDL/26,000 lbs to keep costs lower.

 

They build tandem class 7 trucks.

 

Look for the work first to see where you can use the truck.

it isn’t as easy as you think.

A single axle frightliner m2 is what you want, millions of them around.

 

Buying a truck is the easy part. Have you priced insurance? Most companies won't let you haul for them unless you have it.
Do you have customers lined up or will you work through brokers?
How much have you set aside for repairs and maintenance? If you're buying a used truck you can plan on things breaking and needing replaced. Do you have a shop you trust?
What about a good source for tires?
Do you have secure parking? If you're loaded over-night you don't want leave the truck unattended on the street.
And the real sticker...how much do you plan on charging for hauling? Will you work set rate, hourly, by the ton, or by the mile?
These are just the basics...there's a lot more to learn and know before you start. I don't mean to rain on your parade and I wish you luck but buying a truck and putting it to work is never as easy as some people think.

 

Look at the weight vs space vs mpg.

Or truck vs truck

I.e. a 26 foot uhaul can hold a 5 room house or 13ton. But not forklift or dock friendly. And 8-12 mpg.
A 26 foot box truck on average can handle 9 to 13 ton and is dock and forklift friendly but maybe to tall for some places in new England. And I don't know the mpg. But tolls will even it out.
Everything every one above me said is very accurate and should be done prior to looking at trucks. The truck should be the last thing to look at.

Start with this, what and where do you want to haul and why?
Because local and ltl. Is the same but different. And a box truck can do both.
We, them,they all understand your asking because your interested. I'm interested in what you know already.
Good luck whatever you decide.
P.s. I'm not a owner opp.