8 Challenges in Upfitting Light & Medium Duty Trucks
March 28, 2020
Light- and medium-duty trucks are the lifeblood of any vehicle fleet. They’re maneuverable, able to take on most jobs, and can be driven by most people in a company. Having these work trucks is essential in any successful industrial company, and many successful companies upfit light- and medium-duty trucks in order to make them work harder for their money.
However, not every light- or medium-duty truck is upfitted so easily.
Here are eight challenges in upfitting light- and medium-duty trucks:
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Timing
When you order parts for a truck from different manufacturers, some of those parts are on your doorstep by the next week, while others may be out-of-stock, need to be custom-made, or just plain take forever to show up. When upfitting light- and medium-duty trucks, timing is everything. Every day that the truck sits in a garage waiting for parts is a day it’s not working for your company.
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Truck Sizes
If you’re upfitting multiple trucks, unless you have multiples of the same truck, you have to order different-sized parts. This also feeds into the timing problem, as it can take much longer deciding which trucks to upfit and which ones to let be for the time being.
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Driver Access
Of course, the driver must always be able to access the driver’s seat, but putting too many customizations on a truck can make it difficult for them to place their tools and job necessities in a truck if there’s no more room for storage. Having driver access is very important when upfitting light- and medium-duty trucks.
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Cargo Security
Expensive tools and products must be secure. Not only when driving rough terrain out to a job site, but also when the truck is parked in a public place. Thieves and vandals can spot expensive tools and equipment and attempt to break into the trucks to make some quick cash. When upfitting light- and medium-duty trucks, make sure to have heavy-duty security and anti-theft measures like steel, lockable boxes bolted down in the truck.
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Specifications
Many small industrial businesses have trouble defining specifications across the fleet. It seems like once the specs are updated, the entire fleet needs upfitted once again. A solution to this problem is creating a scalable spec sheet that’s easy to execute.
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Customization or Standard
Depending on your industry, you may need customized upfitting for light- and medium-duty trucks. However, if you can avoid customization, then it’s better. Customized upfitting can take longer, be more expensive, and make it difficult to scale and implement across the fleet. Standard upfits from a trucking and equipment company will be much more convenient across the board.
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Licensing
Depending on the size of a medium-duty truck and the upfitting, your drivers may need to certify for commercial drivers’ licenses. This can mean additional costs for the certification process and limits your pool of potential employees when expanding and hiring. Be aware of the truck’s weight and your state’s weight limits. Be even more aware if you do business across state lines.
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Supply and Demand
Where can you even get trucks that can be upfitted? This is one of the eight challenges of upfitting light- and medium-duty trucks because demand for upfit-able trucks is currently greater than the supply. This makes it difficult to expand fleets.
Contact Robertson Truck Group for Upfitting Light- & Medium-Duty Trucks
When you want to expand your vehicle fleet, be aware of the eight challenges in upfitting light- and medium-duty trucks. However, with Robertson Truck Group, it’s easy to get an affordable upfitting on your fleet with a trusted and experienced company with over 35 years in the business. Contact Robertson Truck Group today to get started.
