Organization can affect your business far beyond just tidying up. A well-thought-out organization system in your van fleet can enhance safety, aid in meeting the demands of projects efficiently, protect your investment in company vehicles, and fortify your fleet and company’s overall public opinion.

Safety hazards are abundant out on the field, and it’s imminent to reduce the risk wherever possible. Keeping tools and materials organized and in compartmentalized storage reduces the risk of injuries in three ways:

1. Loose tools and materials can cause various injuries from trip and fall hazards to cuts and scrapes from materials on the floor to cuts, scrapes, and bruises from protruding saw blades, screwdrivers, hardware, etc. A compartmental storage system creates a home for every tool, every piece of hardware, and every material. Bulky tools go in cubbies and/or get strapped into place. Blades and chisels are put in cases and drawers. Hardware goes into compartmental organizers and divided boxes.
2. The most common injuries out on the job are the ones most easily avoided: back injuries. Improper lifting, twisting, and straining can all be prevented by using storage that can be ergonomically carried and transported on wheels in the shop and worksite.
3. Accidents happen. Whether your employees are at fault is up to the insurance companies to decide, but what’s important is that they’re safe. It’s important to use equipment in your van fleet that is crash-tested and includes a safety partition between the cargo area and the cab to protect the driver and passenger from projectiles in the event of a collision.

Efficiency is a clear and measurable metric that directly and visibly affected by organization. If your van isn’t fully organized and you waste just 5 minutes a day searching for tools or hardware, that time adds up to about 22 hours at the end of the year for each person. Whether you work alone and are considering that time as your hourly rate lost or have a workforce with multiple employees and consider it as their hourly rate wasted, that money adds up quickly. This is in addition to time wasted making unnecessary trips to get more hardware from the workshop or hardware store because it has been misplaced.

Your van’s organization system should be an ecosystem that transitions from workshop to van to worksite seamlessly. This removes the hassle of transferring tools into new containers and making extra trips back and forth to the van. Organized and labeled compartments remove the guesswork and takes productivity to the next level.

 Even without the equipment to turn them into productivity machines, cargo vans and the tools you transport in them are massive investments. Spending tens of thousands of dollars on a product and then sending it out into a field synonymous with wear and tear could be detrimental to your investment without some safeguarding. Fortunately, van organization systems also have options like wall liners and floors. It is also paramount to find a mobile storage solution that avoid drilling into the vehicle, which is also at the top of the priority list for EVs to avoid drilling into the battery compartment.

Lastly, first impressions can make or break your chances of getting a referral from a client. If your team shows up to a client’s project with tools strewn about the floor, brings a bucket of miscellaneous tools in, and constantly goes back and forth to their van for different tools or hardware, the chance of getting a referral from that client tanks. Referrals are the best form of compliments in the construction business, and they’re not going to come from a client who cannot put their full trust in a disorganized worker. A neat and organized work van exudes professionalism, and that can be what makes the difference between a one-time client, and a repeat referrer.

With one simple change to get your work vans more organized, you can make drastic changes to your employees’ safety and overall job satisfaction, increase your workforce’s efficiency, protect your investment into your vans and tools, and manage your company’s public opinion.