If you’ve ever wondered how to improve jobsite efficiency with commercial van equipment, then you’re not alone. Running a home service business can be fruitful, but not without its headaches. There’s constant pressure to deliver better service faster, hire enough tradespeople to meet demand, and juggle the rising costs of labor & materials. One way that home service business owners can minimize costs, ensure technician productivity, and bolster long-term profitability is through proper fleet optimization.
Fleet management primarily entails cycling out aging vehicles so they don’t break down and cause you to miss jobs. But one component that is often overlooked is ensuring that your vehicles have the right equipment so that technicians can perform their services effectively without being slowed down by having to engage in a scavenger hunt every time they want to locate parts and tools.
Fleet vehicles that are upfitted with commercial van equipment help workers complete tasks faster, reduce waste, and minimize downtime. Technicians perform better and have more enthusiasm for the job when they have a work vehicle with shelving that keeps things organized, along with partitions and panels that improve safety and reduce noise while driving. If technicians perform better and more jobs are completed, you will have more satisfied customers and your business will thrive.
Pocketful of Sunshine (Increased Job Capacity)
While we all intuitively understand that having the right tool for the job increases productivity, some empirical evidence exists to prove this point.
Sortimo, a German manufacturer of van equipment, ran a study demonstrating that upfitted vans can save workers up to 30 minutes per day in search time for tools and supplies. Calculated with a $30 hourly cost for a technician, 218 working days, and 100 technicians in the field, that can be a savings of more than $327,000 per year!
The evidence doesn’t end there. Amazon claims that vans with shelving reduce delivery time by 60%. When moving a package from a shelf to a front door, the average delivery time is 30 seconds, as opposed to 90 seconds without shelves. When applied at scale, 60% faster deliveries leads to massive cost savings, and in Amazon’s case, happier customers.
This approach to optimization is what made Amazon into the retail giant it is today. The next time your diapers or vitamins show up 8 hours after you ordered them, consider what the right equipment could do for your business.
Think Outside the Van
Upfitting your van is a way of tailoring your vehicles to suit their specific operational needs. For instance, a contractor van setup can improve your bottom line while improving working conditions for your field technicians and better serving your customers. Businesses across various industries choose cargo van upfitting for several reasons, such as cost savings, increased efficiency, and an enhanced professional image.
Franz Kafka said it best: “Better to have and not need, than to need and not have.” For home service businesses, contractors, government agencies, or any organization that has a fleet, cargo vans are revenue generating assets that are integral for completing jobs. Specialized equipment that optimizes the interior space of these vehicles helps to significantly reduce time spent on a job because instead of hunting for tools or running to the supply shop in the middle of a job, employees can have everything they need in the backs of their vans.
Your Business, on Wheels
What to include in your upfit largely depends on which services you’re providing and how your technicians use their vans. Let’s delve into each modification and how they can make a significant difference.
- Work Van Shelving: Shelving helps workers to find what they need quickly. High-quality shelves are durable and quiet, so your workers can drive with limited distractions.
- Flooring: Van flooring increases traction within your cargo area and protects workers from slipping and falling and totally embarrassing themselves. Flooring can also protect your vehicle from spill damage.
- Panels: Wall liners or panels help to reduce damage if the new guy is driving and equipment is banging around in the back. They also have a noise-deadening effect, reducing distractions (and road rage) by letting your workers drive in peace. Lightweight door panels and ceiling liners work best because they have less impact on fuel efficiency.
- Partitions: A barrier between the cargo and cabin areas can shield passengers from debris, loose tools, or bundles of flaming pitchforks that may tumble into the cab during an accident or heavy braking situation.
- Ladder racks: Ladders are bulky and awkward to store inside a van. By moving them up top, you create so much more room for activities (tool organization; parts and equipment storage) inside the cargo area.
- Custom wraps: While a vehicle wrap might not count as upfitting, it’s an aftermarket upgrade that can help your vehicle stand out and create impressions as you drive. Fleet rental providers like Kingbee (*ahem*) offer wraps alongside speciality equipment so that your fleet vans bring you the most value possible.
Clean up the Clutter With Kingbee
Kingbee is the only rental provider in the nation that upfits their vehicles. We understand the importance of having the right equipment in each van, and we go one step further by providing the entire vehicle so that our customers aren’t waiting around to complete jobs. Instead of waiting over 6 months for a dealer or FMC to coordinate a custom van build, or renting a bare van without equipment, fleets can complete jobs with maximum efficiency with Kingbee vans that are delivered in 2–4 weeks. Gone are the days of lifting a 60 lb box from the van floor. Kingbee helps fleets cover more ground, complete more jobs, and enhance employee vibes. Get in touch today to see how our upfitted vans can fit into your fleet.
