FieldPulse Engage Engage is a fully integrated VOIP phone system to manage your customer interactions, including phone calls, text messaging, voicemail, and more. Engage saves […]
Tradies spend a lot of time digging through accessories. However, custom van fit-outs designed for your precise needs ensure your day goes so much smoother. Rather than wasting your time hunting through muddled toolboxes, arranging your cargo properly means you’ll work smarter, not harder.
Plus, you don’t want to look unprofessional in front of your clients or colleagues who peek inside your workspace. To help you set up your commercial van with the ideal solution, we’ve put together some handy advice to level up your productivity on a budget.
With commercial van fitouts needing to fit so much stuff, it takes a lot of work to figure out the most logical approach. This means you should avoid simply diving in headfirst, as you don’t want to make a critical mistake initially. Instead, create a detailed plan to navigate your storage solutions, roof racks, and van shelving.
First, you need to determine which interior and exterior spaces are most appropriate for your gear. To ensure your van remains neat, take this step slowly rather than stuffing things wherever it feels right.
Most times, it’s best to start from the floor. This is the smartest place for heavy tools that will overload or obstruct drawers and bins to store smaller bits and bobs. As you want your most frequently used items to be accessible at a moment’s notice, these should stay near the doors to keep them within reach.
As you set about finding the best places for your equipment, keep accessibility and security top of mind. This means labelling every compartment in your van and sticking to the system. Meanwhile, you also want to factor in lockable drawers and cages to limit what crooks can get their hands on.
Now that you’ve thought deeply about custom van fitouts, it’s time to dive into each section to develop a sound plan.
Robust van shelving and roof racks make every tradie’s workday better. With many sizes and styles available, a selection of small and medium racks ensures you can swiftly store everything from hammers and saws to cable reels and extension cords. These are best installed alongside the interior sides of the van, allowing you plenty of room to move inside the vehicle.
Although the size of these relies on the precise dimensions of your work van, it should be possible to fix three rows of shelving along the interior wall. As each shelf will hold several drawers, organising much of your cargo into this convenient system will instantly improve your efficiency. However, there are many styles of shelves to consider, so pick ones that best suit your workflow and commercial van design.
For example, Australian brands such as Rak-a-Van, Caddy Storage, and Roof Rack Superstore provide custom and pre-built van shelving and racking for all your accessories. However, you can also design your own aluminium or plywood shelving to keep your van fit-out costs down.
While the interior walls of your van are the most obvious place to add shelving, pretty much every surface offers potential solutions. The ceiling is a great place to install additional racks for smaller accessories. For instance, sparkies can store their electrical conduits safe and sound while also finding spots where items can dangle or extend along the roof.
If you don’t want to invest in a high-grade and potentially costly rack unit, PVC pipes are a clever removable alternative for van fitouts. This handy material, available in various sizes, can be installed alongside your shelving units or along the walls to add even more cargo. For example, PVC pipes are great for storing round objects, including wire spools that might otherwise cause a big mess.
Most tradie van fitouts have a partition between the driver’s cabin and the back section. This safety feature keeps things from flying through the front glass if the driver slams on the brakes. Usually, this partition is made from materials such as steel or aluminium to ensure it stops any equipment that has taken flight.
Alongside the safety benefits of this partition, there’s also plenty of storage potential. Although you probably won’t fit a full-scale shelving unit, there should be loads of space for hooks and racks where you can keep lighter cargo. For example, this highly accessible spot might suit your PPE, such as hard hats, goggles, and gloves.
Now that you’ve considered the interior walls and the cargo partition, another functional storage space with outstanding potential is the interior of the rear doors. While you won’t install a full-scale storage solution, often because of the windows, this is a top spot for more hooks and bins for everyday accessories.
If you have a range of hand tools that aren’t needed in your belt, storing them in a custom bin on the inside of the doors means you never have a problem digging them out of the van. Meanwhile, you can add measuring tapes or notepads, so you can always scribble down a few details.
If you decide to use the doors, make these units play nicely with what’s installed on your van’s walls. If you need to slam the doors shut to get everything closed, you risk them swinging open when you’re cruising down a bumpy road.
While you’ve probably squeezed everything you need inside the van, securing your equipment takes plenty of work. Rather than damaging your vehicle’s interior or your tools, taking steps to fortify each area will save you in the long run.
For example, add rubber or composite flooring to your van’s interior. This provides extra grip for heavy tools and storage units while reducing the noise everything makes when you’re driving to a from the job.
In addition, your van’s walls and ceilings must also be lined with protective materials. Although duratherm is typically used for paving outdoor areas, it provides a long-lasting barrier against damage caused by van racking or other components.
The ideal van fit out depends on your specific preferences and the trade services you provide every day. As you look to improve productivity by having all your equipment in the perfect place, you can also consider a range of optional extras. While some of these won’t be appropriate for every tradie, you might find they add the final touch to your vehicle.
Although there are likely extra costs involved, using van racking or a shelving system that includes sliding drawers will significantly improve your van’s practicality. As you can quickly open and close each labelled and colour coded compartment, finding the right tools rarely takes more than a few moments.
Many van fit outs only consider the interior of the vehicle. However, a complete project should also consider the roof for additional storage. While there are plenty of different types of racks to explore, drop-down options make it easy to keep ladders, hitch steps and larger equipment in place.
Now that you’ve explored every surface – inside and out – to store your most used tools, don’t forget to make your van a moving billboard. This means having a professional company sign and contact information added to your van’s exterior. To find out more about a vehicle wraps, signs, and decals, you might find this article helpful.
Now that you know about custom van fitouts, you can take charge of the rest of your field service business with the help of FieldPulse. Our comprehensive business management app makes it easy to run your business from home, inside the office and on the move.
Alongside features for staying in contact with clients, scheduling jobs, sending estimates and processing invoices, and so much more, you can help your business reach the next level. With so much less paperwork to worry about, you can focus your attention on providing customers with the best possible service.
Ready to find out more? Schedule a free demo today and find out how FieldPulse will save you time, money and energy.
