Truck builds for trades & services

Homemade or out of the box? DIY or flat pack? When it comes to making the big purchases—and in this case we’re talking capital equipment—some like the convenience of a pre-built model straight from the showroom and some prefer to set their caps at going custom.

The amount of variation can be exhilarating or exhausting, depending on your preference. The majority of business owners (65 per cent) feel a greater need and desire for their new trucks to be pre-built and ready to drive away compared to custom-built trucks, according to this industry report.

What matters most is getting a reliable, functional tool that will show up and perform. In this blog we take a look at how both pre-built and custom trucks are working for some home-grown Aussie trades and services.

Trades & service techs

Plumbers, sparkies and all manner of service techs rely on their trucks to get them from A to B and around town with tools and equipment.

Pre-built plumbing truck

Justin Moore from JLM Plumb’N’Gasfit covers between four and eight jobs in a typical day, taking on emergency works with less than an hour’s notice. For this, he needs transport that will carry his tools, parts and components without the need to go backwards and forwards from multiple suppliers.

He chose a truck with a GVM of 4,500 kg that could be driven on a standard licence, with a pre-built service body covered by the manufacturer’s three-year factory warranty—letting him drive away and onto job sites straight away.

“I need to be a mobile workshop that can solve issues immediately… and have a payload capacity of at least a tonne that can handle the weight of all my equipment and still have storage to spare.” – Justin Moore, owner/operator

Custom service vehicle

Hydraulics specialists, Pirtek Ballarat, decided to ‘go custom’ with a fleet fit-out for their service techs, opting for a specialised service body on a medium-duty truck with a GVM of 7,500 kg.

Each of their mobile units are integrated with this custom set-up to allow for a large volume and weight of stock, plus a high-demand electrical system on-board to power custom tools and hose assembly equipment.

“The one thing we say as part of the Pirtek network is that every day is different…we need a truck that works well in tight places with a turning circle that will be a bonus in trickier locations.” – Darren Campi, Dealer Principal

Construction

Crew cabs to make moving people and materials a breeze while also serving as an onsite lunchroom and office - are a popular choice for mobile trades, particularly in construction.

Pre-built crew workshop

Carpenter Henry Wabwile decided that a pre-built crew model with generous payload and power to tow a gull-wing trailer would be the ideal solution for his business.

He’s covered by a manufacturer’s three-year warranty on the truck tray and six-year warranty on the cab-chassis but opted for a customised service toolbox—showing that a factory model can be easily modified for personal preference.

“It’s an office, a lounge chair and a grand set of wheels all rolled into one. I can carry all my necessaries and tow a trailer to site in one go.” – Henry Wabwile, owner/operator

Custom crew transport

The HVAC crew ramped-up their productivity and their ability to meet project deadlines with their first ever work truck. With the aim of replacing their struggling ute fleet, they went all-out on a prototype crew-cab 4x4 model with a GVM of 7,500 kg.

Fitted with a large custom gull-wing toolbox on the tray plus ladder racks, the truck is capable of going off-road to carry crew and materials to a wide variety of jobs, from telco site installations in remote areas to supplying steelwork for large-scale construction.

“We owned 20 utes and trailers, but they didn’t really fit the purpose that we needed them to as we carry a lot of heavy steel that is oddly shaped… so we really needed payload and the room to carry these things safely in our truck.” – Stephen Coates, HVAC Project Manager

Hire fleets

Reliability and replicability are key principles in the hire business, making straight from the factory trucks popular with customers who needed a versatile but steady vehicle that is easy to operate. However, sometimes having a custom fit-out is necessary for the type of equipment the truck is carrying or the call for a higher horsepower than a pre-built truck allows for.

Turn-key tipper fleet

Focus Machinery keeps a standing fleet of over 500 machines from excavators to diggers and vehicles, including up to 30 light-and medium-duty pre-built tippers. The business has reached the enviable stage were much of the work performed by the hire fleet is on government projects such as the West Gate Tunnel project in Melbourne. They find their clients prefer trucks which are easily interchangeable between drivers with standardised tipper controls from the cab.

“It’s not just about being able to have equipment available, we also need to make sure the gear that’s going out under our banner is up to spec.” – Charles Nipper, Founder and Branch Manager

Heavy haul hire

In comparison, Queensland’s Height 4 Hire requires a heavier truck with the payload and stability to support scissor lift equipment that can reach up to 19 metres. They’ve customised a heavy-duty hire fleet in a smart red colour scheme that stands out on-site and that can handle a hard workload trip after trip.

“You have to do milk runs in this business to make it all work. So you could have two machines to one site, two to another, two to somewhere else… you need a truck that you can do your inspections in the morning and away you go.” – Ken Baker, Managing Director

Buyer’s choice

For many businesses buying a truck will represent a huge investment and due time and respect for the planning process will pay off in the long run.

Not all applications call for a custom design and here a pre-bodied truck which is designed to anticipate common requirements can be a boon, reducing research time, expense and wait times for modifications to be completed.

However, if your work takes you outside pre-built specs, the experts at your local truck dealership will be happy to lend a hand.

Looking at a new truck to kick off a new year? Why not brush up on how service agreements can support and streamline costs for your trade or business.