Being organized is a vastly underrated skill. And as a contractor, juggling so many things constantly means you have to be super-organized, especially where your contractor van is concerned.
Sounds like common sense, right? But as we continue to learn every day, common sense is more often than not, not very common.
If you’re the type of contractor who just flings anything and everything into your van and only organize things every now and then when it’s overflowing, then it’s time to stop. No matter the type of contractor van you own or use for, if you’re not well-organized then you will undoubtedly run into problems.
The good news is you can avoid such problems quite easily. How? With a little effort and guidance from us here at Veturilo, of course.
Organize your contractor van like a boss
First off, we know, how you organize your van may depend heavily on what it is used for. Not all contractors are made equal in terms of the equipment they may need or the kind of storage they may need. For example, some of your vehicles may be used exclusively to transfer your personnel, or they may contain all of your equipment, tools, and other materials. But despite that, there are some general healthy ways that anyone can follow, irrespective of industry.
Still, you may be thinking why should you spend valuable time on something as seemingly ‘trivial’ as organizing your contractor van. We’re pretty sure you know the expression, ‘the devil is in the details.’ Well, that truly applies, trust us.
Even if you think you may know better, we’re pretty sure you have spent a lot of time searching for a specific tool, a piece of equipment or item. Even perhaps your phone as you’re standing there holding it. We’ve all been there. But better organization means that you will find things faster for a start. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
What does better organization look like?
- Minimize heavy lifting. Large, heavy or bulky items should be as close to the doors as possible
- Label it – Labels, labels, labels. Want to find something quickly? Then make sure you put labels on EVERYTHING.
- Be task-orientated. Build or get a 3rd party to fit task-oriented tool boxes with all the tools needed for that specific task. This way you have virtually everything you need in a small, confined space
- Always have a spare. Don’t just include one item of everything. OK, we realize you can’t afford to purchase two of everything, but try to keep multiples of tools/items you use frequently. Put one in each space or box where you may need them.
- Group think. If you’re using a lot of tools, group certain ones or their kits together to keep your tool gathering efficient.
- Accessibility. Make everything as easy to get to as you can. No more than one or two simple motions. That means try to avoid multiple latches, tie downs, or things like straps and clips. And minimize stacking items.
- Put everything in its right place. Always put things back in the right place at the right time.
- Cultivate a good habit. Make the organization your contractor van part of your routine – and that or your other team members if you have them. In a similar way to a pre and post-flight check on an airline, try to add the organization of your vehicle as an essential part of your day.
OK, so what’s the benefit of all of this?
The benefits are pretty self-explanatory for the organizational freaks among you. You will save:
Time and money
Both are incredibly valuable resources. You can save time every day by having your contractor van more organized. No extended searches for things or trips back and forth to fetch things you thought you had but did not.
Customer confidence
Think about it. Who would you trust more as a customer. The guy or girl who rocks up with things all over the place in the back of their contractor van, or a super-organized professional who takes obvious pride in their work and care of their materials.
Safety
You can rest easy knowing that you don’t need a hard hat to enter into the ‘danger zone’ that is the back of your contractor van. Avoid any unwanted accidents caused from falling objects or things not properly secured and organized.
Inventory management
It’s much easier to know and record the items of equipment or tools you have to know in the blink of an eye what you may need to purchase when things run out.
Stay organized
See, if you think about it, it’s not that difficult. Even the laziest and most stubborn poorly-organized individuals out there can not argue with how devoting your energy to organizing your contractor van can make everybody happy – but you mostly!
Why not go one step further and level up your organizational efforts with a vehicle management solution. Our very own Veturilo, which is made for small to medium-sized enterprises, will help you to manage a fleet on the go, so you can take the appropriate measures to make sure you are doing business the best your can.