An interesting fact we’ve observed over the years in the upfitting business is how customers have changed. People have more options and are far more savvy about purchasing anything than even 5 or 10 years ago.
What do they do?
They research you online. They follow you on social media.
They perceive you based on your uniform, your punctuality, your tools, and the truck or van you drive.
Now, that’s not everyone – and certainly not when you’re the only plumber they could find to come out on a Sunday night – but many times, your clients are looking at the “big picture” you and your company create.
Now imagine if you had to show a prospective customer your truck or van before you got the job?
Would they see a clean and clutter-free cab? A well-lit, superbly organized storage area? Inventory and tools neatly placed where they need to go – and clean? It might be easy to demonstrate this on your first call out on Tuesday, but what about on a Friday afternoon, when you or your team are pushing past sixty hours this week, with four more calls to get to before you can go home?
At Expertec, we’ve learned that the most important parts of a build aren’t the “big things” like whether to choose this shelving unit versus that workstation, but rather, how everything in an upfitting job flows together. High quality flooring, for example, that makes it easy to clean and is slip resistant, makes ANY upfit better.
The same holds true for wall and roof lining, too.
After all, how good is a workstation or extra lighting when it’s freezing cold in the van, or when every mile you and your team drive is filled with road noise from driving what is, essentially, an uninsulated tin can?
One aspect that’s often forgotten about in an upfit is the sill plates at the doors. From the factory, these are plastic or stamped aluminum, and they take an incredible beating. Rain, dirt, slush, and everything else get ground into them, and almost inevitably, corrosion begins right there on even the newest van. Our friends at Legend offer several options to beef up the sill plates as well as the flooring in your work van and these not only add in a layer of protection, they also look great.
Going back to that customer you had to show your van to?
Imagine opening the door to the van and the first thing they see, as they step up inside, is the brightwork of upgraded sill plates, or the clean, heavy-duty flooring that is custom-fitted for your company vans? You know they’re going to look at it, because they have to figure out where to step, right? They might not know a battery pack from a compression fitting, but they can tell you’ve put some thought into how you and your team get the job done.
The sill plate is an obvious focus point, and even if you weren’t giving a tour, it’s also where your team is going to take their first step.
How many times will they climb in and out of that van in a day?
How many times will that little plastic or stamped aluminum sill plate get stepped on, have a pallet run across it, have seamless tubing dropped on it?
How long will it last before it gets broken? Before the paint is chipped and rust starts eating your work van?
Little things make the difference in any upfit, and when you consider the value that the right floor and wall coverings provide, protecting the sills and having the right material for your van floors makes a huge difference in the overall “usability” of an upfitted work van.
The Expertec team is used to fielding all manner of questions about everything from van floors to cab organizing, so no matter where you’re at in the upfitting conversation, it’s a great time to start thinking about what you need for your next work van. Give us a call at 1-888-435-6466 or simply click here to find out more about ALL the options you have for work vans. Literally, our catalog of solutions covers everything from top to bottom and front to back.
