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Efficient fleet management has become a critical asset for plumbing and HVAC contractors striving to streamline operations and enhance service. One of the most impactful strategies in this area is customizing fleet vehicles to meet the contracting company’s specific demands for work. Today’s upfitting capabilities go beyond basic storage solutions, incorporating cutting-edge technology, vehicle customization and ergonomic designs to create mobile workstations that maximize efficiency on every job site.

Nobody understands the importance of a well-organized vehicle more than Neal Ross, president of NH Ross Inc., Plumbing, Drains, Cooling, Heating & Electrical, located in Middle Island, New York. The contracting company — which offers multiple trade services — has 20 fleet vehicles.

“We use the GM model truck — Chevrolet or GMC — it’s got the van front with a 12-foot box on the back,” Ross explains. “We use all single wheels because they carry just under 10,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight so we fly under the Department of Transportation’s radar. Lately, we’ve been getting our shelving from American Van — we buy standard shelving that fit our bin sizes and bolt those in. We do that in-house. Then, with our inventory process, we probably have about 30 different bins because we do all the trades. Many of the trucks have bins that share the same parts, but the plumbing trucks are more geared toward plumbing repairs while the electrical trucks are more geared toward electrical repairs — it’s the same for HVAC.”

As customization is becoming more important in driving efficiency on the job, modular storage systems offer customizable and flexible storage options that can be tailored to fit specific tools and equipment.

When a bin needs to be restocked, employees just grab the bins from the truck and swap with a fully stocked bin from the warehouse, Ross explains.

“It takes a couple of minutes,” he says. “The idea to having this all set up is when we are ready to put a new truck on the road, the bins are already stocked and we should be able to put them in the new truck with shelving and be ready to roll within a half hour to an hour.”

Because NH Ross uses box trucks, there is additional spacing for some of the larger tools of the trade, such as drain cleaning machines.

“We’ll store larger wrenches or several different faucet models in open shelves when they won’t fit into a bin,” Ross says. “When it comes to more specialized tools, let’s say like a roto rooter machine, we’ll place those up against the wall, and it will be secured with a bungee cord. We also have latches on the walls that can lock in a ladder and hold that in place. We also have tank holders for torches, acetylene tanks and CO tanks.”

Customization is key

Creating efficiencies on the job is extremely important to plumbing and HVAC professionals, and having an organized fleet can help by reducing downtime and maximizing productivity, notes Tanner Mascarenas, product manager, Milwaukee Tool. The tool manufacturer announced that its PACKOUT modular storage system was expanding into vehicle solutions at its PIPELINE event earlier this year.

“Using a modular storage system in a vehicle allows users to easily store and transport materials to and from their task and across different environments,” says Mascarenas. “This type of customizable storage also ensures all tools and materials are easily located and readily available for use, avoiding the downtime spent searching for material.”

Additionally, outside of efficiencies on the job, storage systems like the PACKOUT Modular Storage System can improve company operations as well, Mascarenas notes.

“Vehicle transitions, apprentice training, professionalism and tool longevity are all impacted by organization,” he explains. “When a van is getting cycled out or serviced, modular storage systems can decrease the amount of time the van transfer takes. When training with different professionals, it is quickest for apprentices to learn if work areas are standardized and consistently organized. Being organized can increase professionalism as well, demonstrating complete preparedness is crucial for maintaining business and providing the best service to customers. Lastly, modular storage systems can prolong the life of tools and materials by preventing unnecessary damage from being thrown in and unsecured in transit.”

Modular Storage Systems have been one of the largest growing trends in fleet vehicle storage solutions, according to Mascarenas.

“As customization is becoming more important in driving efficiency on the job, modular storage systems offer customizable and flexible storage options that can be tailored to fit specific tools and equipment,” he says. “The PACKOUT modular storage system offers 100+ solutions. Rolling storage fits larger tools and can be used to transport other PACKOUT tool boxes, organizers, totes and more from the vehicle to the jobsite. Overall, PACKOUT allows for easy reconfiguration as needs change, making it ideal for fleets with diverse and evolving requirements.”

The Milwaukee Tool Racking Kit provides versatile mounting capability to multiple surfaces, including vans, trucks, trailers and shops.

“The Racking Kit has modular connectivity with all PACKOUT components so professionals can store all their tools and materials in their vehicles and use that storage across their shop and on site as well,” Mascarenas says. “Along with the Racking Kit, Milwaukee Tool will be launching the PACKOUT Rack late next year bringing ultimate PACKOUT Access to the inside of vehicles. With the ability to fully customize the drawer layout; all PACKOUT Tool Boxes, Organizers, Bags and compatible Power Tools connect to the sliding drawers allowing users to access their storage without unstacking. This solution can stack and expand across a vehicle wall to accommodate the needs of any fleet. These advancements will provide further innovation in transit storage solutions for professionals.”

Fleet considerations

Saxon Fleet Services provides a one-stop shop for vehicle sourcing for its nationwide fleet customers.

“We work with our customers on any financing that is needed for the vehicle, we can work on remarketing or upfitting packages, which would include bins, shelving, racks, etc.,” explains Kurt Moats of Saxon Fleet Services. “We have a partner we work with to provide a turnkey solution for contractors. We can also help sell old vehicles and transferring their upfit packages from the old vehicle to the new vehicle, which sometimes really helps. If you have a pretty extravagant package with lots of details, it makes more sense to move that to the new vehicle, especially if it’s something specialized that a particular contractor needs. So we look at ordering the vehicles, upfitting them and delivering them with a complete package the contractor is looking for.”

The benefit of using Saxon Fleet Services is the company’s expertise of the fleet business and the importance of setting up the right vehicles for the right needs, according to Moats.

“Many times the contractors will go into a dealership who is not really familiar with a contractor’s line of work,” he explains. “Some are great, but others may not be familiar and don’t understand what it takes to properly upfit them. We have 15 account managers who are experts at this and can provide advice and suggestions based on their experience. They're fleet experts. They understand the commercial customer and don’t work in the basic retail of selling cars and SUVs. They focus on the needs of commercial customers, such as plumbing and HVAC contractors.”

Because Saxon Fleet Services has customers around the United States, Moats says the largest trend in fleet vehicles for contractors is still cargo vans.

“Box trucks are a little bit bigger and a little bit more expensive, so we’re starting to see the cargo vans used more and more,” he says. “We see cargo vans upfitted with shelving, bins and racks — that’s the most common thing we see. We have a few folks that have purchased pickups for boxes that will fit their needs. But overall, it’s still mostly cargo vans because of the cargo capacity and overall volume.”

Because NH Ross uses box trucks, there is additional spacing for some of the larger tools of the trade, such as drain cleaning machines.

Moats says contractors’ main concern when choosing a new vehicle is first and foremost, whether or not the vehicle can do the job, followed by maintenance and upkeep and then fuel economy. Additionally, customization is also important. “Each contractor is a little bit different and has a unique set of needs depending on how they have their vehicle set up.”

The key, Moats says, is finding flexibility and a solution that works for the contractor.

“It’s also important to keep lead times in mind,” he adds. “Lead times will vary depending on make and model of the vehicle and what the exact upfit is, but a really good case scenario is six months. Six to 12 months is really what we’re seeing based on the production of the vehicle, and that has improved from where it was a year ago. We recommend planning fleet replacements a year in advance, and, depending on their exact needs, we’re able to provide a better timeline estimate.”