There are a lot of obscure laws on the books when it comes to vehicles, depending on where you live. Many of these date to a time when vehicles weren’t built as robustly. One thing that you cannot escape, as a commercial operation using a work van, is how the law views “extra” seating in that van.
We all know that having a commercial license makes you a potential target, whether that is from opportunistic drivers envisioning a lawsuit or a worker’s comp claim from faulty equipment. But what happens if you decide to add a couple extra seats to your cargo van to make it easier to get the crew to the job site?
Actually, a whole lot!
Depending on how that van arrived from the factory, you could be in trouble if you fail to properly and safely add those seats. The laws governing commercial vehicles – like all laws – are designed to be “either/or” – the vehicle is either legal and safe or it isn’t. Even if you’ve taken every conceivable effort to ensure those seats were safely installed!
That’s one of the best things about working with a company like Expertec that understands what can and cannot be done within the confines of vehicle and the laws that govern it.
So let’s look at the problem another way… perhaps you bought a passenger van and removed the seats. Well, let’s be honest: taking out all those bolts is a huge time challenge. Then you have to keep the hardware in a safe place AND ensure, when you reinstall those seats, that the bolts are torqued down properly!
Can you be sure every one is put back in place?
And besides that, where do you store those seats while their not being used? They are big, bulky, and a pain to move around!
Expertec has created some easy-to-deploy solutions for just these types of problems.
Known as the Abilitrax Van Seating system, and the idea is simple: use a unique flooring platform that allows owners to easily add or remove comfortable, foldable, and “street legal” seats in the cargo area of the most popular vans used in the trades today.
Just as importantly, those seats can be folded and stored right there in the van or folded nearly flat and stored anywhere it’s convenient. When the time comes to reinstall or reconfigure, each seat can be locked in place or moved in less than thirty seconds.
No tools to lose, no bolts to torque … you don’t even have to bend over!
…And each seat has a retractable seat belt built in, so there are no worries about getting those tangled or damaged.
The truth is, the Abilitrax system opens up a whole lot of options no matter what type of van you’re using, and even if you’re consistently carrying more passengers than cargo, Abilitrax can give you a lot more cargo space than the manufacturer ever deemed necessary. This is especially nice today, with the current difficulty of finding new vans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, because it opens up a host of previously-owned options as potential work and cargo vans that can still easily and safely carry a crew when need be.
Think about that for a second – how many low-mileage shuttle vans are on the used market, ready to be redesigned into a second life as a fully upfitted work van? It’s easy to see how the Abilitrax system and the experience of Expertec’s team could get you exactly what your company needs for a fraction of the price of a new work van.
Even better? You’ll never need to worry about the safety of your team or how you’ll get all that gear stowed with them on the way to the job! The Abilitrax modular seating system works with all kinds of van shelving, racks, and partitions, so remember: If you can dream it, we can build it!