For plumbing contractors, wasted trips to the supply house are more than inconvenient. They cost time, fuel, and customer satisfaction. When a technician leaves a job site to retrieve a missing part, it disrupts the schedule and reduces the number of calls that can be completed in a day. Managing van stock with precision helps eliminate these setbacks and keeps operations running smoothly.
1. Audit Vans Based on Real Service History
Begin by auditing each van in your fleet. This process should focus on identifying which parts are essential for the most frequent service calls. For example, if your technicians regularly repair water heaters, each van should carry thermostats, heating elements, and pressure relief valves. If drain cleaning is common, make sure augers, gloves, and enzyme treatments are always stocked.
Use actual job history to guide your audit. Review service records from the past few months and identify the top 20 parts used. Build a standard stock list around those items. This ensures that every technician starts the day equipped for the most likely scenarios.
2. Implement Real-Time Usage Logging
Technicians should record part usage immediately after each job. This can be done through a mobile app, a tablet form, or a barcode scanner system. The goal is to make the process quick and easy so that it becomes a habit.
When usage is logged in real time, the office can monitor inventory levels and restock before shortages occur. For instance, if a technician uses the last ¾-inch copper elbow on a Tuesday morning, the system should flag it for replenishment that same day. Waiting until the end of the week to reconcile inventory often leads to gaps and missed opportunities.
3. Provide Centralized Visibility for Office Staff
Inventory tracking should not be limited to the technician. Office staff need centralized visibility into what is on each truck. This allows them to proactively restock and plan routes based on available parts.
TruckStock’s inventory software supports a request–fulfill–receive workflow. Technicians record what they used, managers approve restock requests, and the warehouse fulfills them. This keeps trucks ready for service calls without constant back-and-forth communication. It also helps avoid situations where a technician arrives at a job only to discover they are missing a key part.
4. Standardize Layouts for Speed and Clarity
Disorganized vans slow down technicians and increase frustration. If every truck is laid out differently, techs waste time searching for parts. Standardizing truck layouts and stockroom shelving helps technicians find what they need quickly and reduces training time for new hires.
Use labeled bins, consistent placement of high-use items, and clear signage. For example, place all copper fittings in one section, grouped by size. Keep tools in the same compartment across all vans. A technician should be able to walk into any truck and know exactly where to find a pipe wrench or a ½-inch coupling. This consistency also helps when techs switch vehicles or cover for a colleague.
5. Measure the Financial Impact
Reducing supply trips has a direct financial benefit. Fewer trips mean more calls completed per day, lower fuel costs, and reduced wear on vehicles. It also improves customer satisfaction by minimizing delays.
Consider this: if a technician averages two extra supply house trips per week, each costing 45 minutes, that is 90 minutes of lost billable time. Multiply that across a team of five techs, and you are losing 7.5 hours weekly—nearly a full workday. By tightening van stock management, you reclaim that time and turn it into revenue.
Case Example: A 40% Drop in Supply Trips
A mid-sized plumbing company in Ohio implemented TruckStock’s inventory system across its fleet. Before the change, techs averaged three supply house trips per week. After auditing vans, standardizing layouts, and using real-time logging, that number dropped to less than two. The company saw a 40 percent reduction in supply trips within two months and increased daily job completions by 15 percent.
Efficient van stock management improves service, reduces costs, and keeps technicians focused on solving problems for customers.
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