Maximizing Service Truck Storage: Tips for Efficient Organization

Your service truck is more than just a means of transportation; it’s a mobile workshop. However, keeping your service truck organized is crucial to avoid chaos. If you neglect organization, it can quickly become a chaotic mess. It’s essential to have adequate service truck storage solutions to access the necessary equipment, parts, and tools easily. So, let’s explore some practical tips to get your truck in order.

Tips to Get Your Work Truck Organized

Declutter and Take Inventory

First things first, start by decluttering your vehicle. Take a thorough look through your truck and get rid of anything unnecessary. Having equipment, tools, or supplies, you never use taking up space in the back of your truck is wasteful. Sustainable organization requires removing anything you don’t need. Since your service truck becomes your home base, it’s easy for impractical odds and ends to accumulate rapidly. To maximize space and add value to your business, make regular decluttering and organization sessions a part of your routine. The more available space you have, the better equipped you’ll be to carry essential materials for various jobs.

Before loading your equipment, creating an inventory list of everything you plan to put in your truck is a good idea. This will help you determine how to organize the vehicle and where each item should go. It’s more than managing the space; it lets you see if you need additional tools. Maintaining an inventory is vital, considering the number of tools and equipment you’ll likely have in your service truck.

Loading Your Service Truck

As you take inventory, evaluate your tool usage. Plan to arrange your tools by priority and frequency of use. This way, when you finalize your storage solutions, the frequently used tools will be readily accessible, boosting your productivity on the job. 

When loading your truck, place the heaviest or largest tools first. This strategic placement saves space and makes it easier to pack smaller items around the larger ones. Remember to leave enough room to move around and access all your tools. Properly loading your tools saves space and increases your efficiency on the job. With prior planning, the loading process will be a breeze.

Space Utilization

Service trucks often have various nooks and crannies to use for storage. To optimize the storage space, get creative and utilize these small and hidden areas to store smaller tools. Take notice of the potential storage space offered by your truck’s doors. The inside of truck body doors can be used for storage shelves and racks. You can maximize this area by adding magnetized stripping to hang metal hand tools such as tape measures, hammers, and pliers. You can also install a shelf for aerosol cans or storage tubes. We’ve designed our doors easily install shelves and racks without drilling holes and causing damage. 

Anchor Points

Even with careful organization, it’s crucial to secure your items. When driving on rough terrain or making sudden stops, your equipment may slide around if not properly secured. Check for anchor points in your work truck and use them to keep your equipment and materials in place. Use bungee cords and straps with anchor points to ensure everything stays put. Summit provides recessed tie-down rings in the cargo area walls. E-track is an option to have mounted in the cargo area and compartments to help keep items secure. 

Lighting

Having lights in your compartments is essential if you work early mornings or nights. Proper lighting allows you to locate and store your tools quickly. LED compartment lighting is a standard feature in Summit truck bodies, and we even offer open-activated lights inside truck doors.

Invest in Storage Solutions

Properly upfitting your service or mechanics truck can be a significant investment, but it offers many benefits. By effectively using the space and organizing efficiently, you can carry more tools and parts and improve productivity. There are many different storage boxes, cabinets, drawers, and other storage equipment to keep all your items in order. Here are a few work truck storage solutions to help you reach your full potential. 

Custom SERVICE TRUCK TOOL BOXES

For optimal tool storage, consider investing in custom service truck toolboxes. These custom drawers provide a centralized location for your tools and equipment, keeping them organized and secure. Additionally, they are reinforced and lockable to protect your valuable items. Custom tool drawer packs are available in various sizes depending on your needs. Summit offers different drawer heights and custom overall widths and depths, with standard drawers capable of carrying up to 600 lbs each. Our lightweight drawer pack has a 150 capacity per drawer. 

Storage Bins

When dealing with smaller items like fittings, screws, or bolts, using bins can save you the frustration of rummaging through fasteners. Utilize bolt bins with dividers to keep them organized. Summit offers custom aluminum bolt bins and lightweight bolt bins with plastic containers to help you stay organized.

Label the designated spots for each tool and part to ensure your tool drawers and storage bins stay organized. With proper labeling, you’ll never have to search for a “lost” tool again.

Shelving

Consider adjustable shelving when selecting storage units for your truck. Your needs may change over time, so having the flexibility to adjust the shelving easily is essential. Summit offers adjustable shelving for every compartment in the truck body, allowing you to customize the setup to suit your needs.

Storage Racks

Racks are available in various shapes and sizes, making them ideal for organizing service trucks. If you frequently transport ladders or other bulky items, installing an overhead rack can free up space in the cargo area. For example, you can install a ladder rack on the top of the side pack or front of the body. It will provide easier access and utilizes space more efficiently. Summit offers several mounting racks, including spare tire, chain, hose, and drill driver racks. We even have a mounting rack specifically for the Milwaukee Pack-out line. Storage racks ease the process of keeping track of where everything is stored and motivate you to maintain your organizational strategy.

Custom Cabinets

If your truck feels cluttered, add extra storage space with a cabinet or job box on the side pack or inside the cargo area. These additions can clear up space in the truck bed and provide designated areas for specific tools and equipment, such as lube and welding reels. Custom designs are available to suit your particular needs.

Slide-Out Storage

Slide-out storage drawers, shelves, and boxes are excellent for keeping frequently used tools easily accessible. They come in various sizes to accommodate different storage needs. For example, a pull-out oil filter box makes it easy to discard the contents and drain the oil. Summit also offers pull-out shelving for air compressors, welders, and hose crimpers. We have recently released a slide-out drawer design for the workbench bumper. It takes advantage of the space to store longer tools and parts, making it easier to find them when needed. 

J-hooks

Hooks are another practical solution for keeping your service truck compartments organized. Easily install j-hooks on the compartment interior uni strut channels. Strategically place them with other storage solutions to optimize your space.

Implementing these service truck organization tips and solutions can revolutionize your workspace and enhance productivity. A well-organized vehicle ensures easy access to the necessary tools and equipment for each job, saving you time and frustration. If you want to add storage and organization features to your service truck, we can help you find the solution that matches your needs. If you need assistance finding the best storage solution for your service truck, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll do our best to match you with the perfect solution tailored to your needs.