The last thing you need to do in these uncertain times is stock your trucks too heavily. You don’t need to pay for excess inventory, things that get damaged or go out of warranty sitting on a shelf. Just as bad are trucks that aren’t stocked well enough to give your technicians a good chance to make an immediate sale and do the work. Always needing to chase parts is a waste of time, damaging billable hour efficiency and can lead to lost sales. 

My service manager at my company told me, “You can’t sell from an empty wagon.”

I replied, “What?”

He said, “If you don’t have it onboard, you’re unlikely to stop and go hunting for it.”

The goal should be for your techs to pull up to 80 percent of the homes you serve with a stocked truck that will give them an 80-percent chance they’ll have what they need to get the job done the same day.

To achieve this, you may need to make some adjustments, not only to what’s in your trucks but to the type of trucks you’re buying. To maximize the interior space and the ability to keep things organized, consider buying trucks that a tech can stand up in, such as a Sprinter, a mini-box or a full-sized box truck. 

While I’m on this subject, know that I’m a huge fan of leasing over buying trucks these days. Why? Because good leasing companies are paying attention and will help you keep your fleet on the road and make you money. They’ve got checklists and other resources to assist you. 

It’s better than owning your own trucks and driving them into the ground. Each one of your trucks is a rolling cash register; every time one goes out of service, your ability to generate revenue for your business goes with it. Food for thought. 

However, if you are still operating out of a standard van, that’s OK; the following steps can be applied to any truck style. The styles noted above will make it much easier for techs to find what they need and stay organized. Also, they’re much better at being a rolling billboard, especially with a great-looking truck design. 

To create “trucks that work,” do the following seven steps:

1. Create a truck stocking template, a list of the 80 percent of parts that must be on the truck to give techs the best chance of success.

2. Customize the template/list to fit what you do by committing to one or more of the following: 

• To determine what should be on the list, pull two months’ worth of invoices (peak season or seasons) that list what materials the tech used, and what the computer tracked as being used by the truck or tech.

• You also can call your primary vendor and ask for help.

• If you own my Signature Operating Manuals System, the task list in the table of contents of the operations manual for the trade or trades you do will also guide you.

3. Ask your model tech’s input (the tech you love and want everyone to emulate) so the other techs don’t feel as if they got stuck with your design decision. Load their trucks with the parts on your list and have techs test-drive them for two weeks so you can both agree on slight modifications.

4. Now that you have the customized list, lay out all the materials behind the vehicle on the floor. Then, prioritize what absolutely needs to be on the truck and what would be “nice to have.”

5. Build the shelving on the floor of the warehouse first. It makes it easier to locate where you want to put items, and you can adjust the shelving and bin locations more easily.

6. Once you like it, take photos! Techs can use this visual to ensure they are restocking their truck properly, and you can use them as a reference to check that it’s happening.

7. Install the shelving in the truck and load it with the items you’ve decided must be included. Add the rest as there is room.

Note: If the shelving is already in the truck, you can simulate the shelving on the warehouse floor. You’ll end up with a shelving configuration that’s ready to go when you put the next truck on the road.

10 tips to ensure
a smooth installation

1. Keep the heaviest stuff closest to the floor.

2. Try to keep the biggest movers between eye and hip level.

3. Think about how the tech will get heavy items off the truck and how it affects stopping and the vehicle’s safe operation.

4. Commit to which bins you’ll use, whether they be 24-inches deep or 18 inches or 12 inches. They must be plastic bins to stand up.

5. Buy rugged shelving to stand up to the beating. Make sure it’s adjustable metal shelving, not wood, because no matter how much you try to figure it out, you will want to readjust the configuration.

6. Build the bins and take photos of each of them because you’ll be doing this again and again. Hopefully, you’ll build them two at a time so you can quickly put the next truck on the road.

7. Install the racking and move the bins into place only after you’ve marked each column and each row with a marking pen — or, better yet, a professional label. For example, Column A Row 2 or Column C Row 1.

Note: This quick reminder system will be included as part of the truck stocking form.

8. Consider access to power tools and how they’ll be protected and secured for easy on- and off-loading.

9. Make sure a clipboard with the specific truck’s stock list is at the back where techs jump on and off. Attach a pen or pencil by a chain if you’re still doing this manually vs. using new technology. 

Note: Train techs not to jump off with any parts in their hands that haven’t been added to the list. No more waiting until the job is over to figure it out, or worse yet, a day later trying to figure out what they used.

10. Take a picture of the tech inside the clean truck in a clean uniform and let him know they’ll be held accountable for maintaining this.

Trucks that work enable your technicians to sell more because they are confident they have the parts they need to do the job that day. 

Combined with proper warehouse and materials management, implementing this advice will not only make you money, it will save you a ton of money. I say that because there will be accountability for what goes in and comes out of that truck every day. 

Finally, a neat, clean, well-stocked truck sends a great message to the customer about the quality and care of the service you’re about to provide. l

Al Levi teaches contractors how to run their businesses with less stress and more success. To learn how to get control of your business and grow the right way, go to 7powercontractor.com/jumpstart and get The 7-Power Contractor Jumpstart Guide today.