Avoid These Mistakes When Upfitting Work Trucks

04 Aug Avoid These Mistakes When Upfitting Work Trucks

Upfitting a work truck can be a complex process that has room for many errors if you’re not careful. The last thing you want to do when investing time and effort into your vehicles is to feel like you’re further back from where you started. Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence so it’s important that you do research on how you can avoid the different pitfalls and mistakes that customers make when upfitting work trucks. 

What is Upfitting?

Upfitting is taking an already existing vehicle that is being used for work and optimizing its performance. Customizing your truck can increase its ability to get the job done. 

For example, when upiffiting your work trucks you may add things like storage space or interior lights. Overall upfitting is an investment that’ll help you make your job more cost-effective and far easier. 

5 Things to Watch Out For While Upfitting Trucks

1. One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Work trucks each serve a different purpose from each other as different companies manage different jobs. This means that you should plan ahead and upfit your truck in a way that’s specific to your trade. 

1. The 85% Rule

The gross vehicle safe rating (GVWR) is basically the maximum total safe weight of your vehicle. It’s widely accepted that 85% of the GVWR is the threshold at which you can safely operate your vehicle. Take this into account both on the job and while upfitting work trucks. In order to reduce repair and maintenance costs, the payload needs to be balanced with the vehicle’s weight during day-to-day operations.

1. Don’t Use Different Vendors

You may think that using multiple vendors helps manage expenses and save time, however, this is often not a very practical solution. Because the trucks will constantly be moving from one install location to another making the customizations both take more time and cause a negative impact on productivity. 

1. Make Your Decision Cooperatively

Fleet managers may be in charge of those who are in the field but they’re often not out there themselves. If you don’t spend time out in the field then you should draw knowledge from those who have real-world experiences. It’s imperative that you bring operators, drivers, and technicians into the decision-making process to ensure the customizations are exactly what you need. 

1. Don’t Put All Your Focus on the Upfront Cost

While saving money is a good thing to have on your list of priorities, it won’t happen if you buy low-quality materials and get a half-baked upfit. Always invest in quality work when upfitting a work truck. This will keep you from having to buy expensive repairs in the future. 

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