Why vehicle organization is an important step to success

Organization is essential for irrigation technicians to keep routes running smoothly. However, with the extensive amount of time technicians spend in their vehicles making service calls, it can be difficult to keep equipment in place.

Industry experts discuss the importance of organization and share new ways to keep service vehicles
running smoothly.

Russ Jundt, founder and vice president of Conserva Irrigation in Glen Allen, Va., No. 119 on the 2022 LM150 list, says keeping work vehicles clean and orderly is an essential step to getting the job done.

“While cleanliness is also next to godliness, it is also next to profitability,” he says. “The more organized a service tech’s truck (is), the more efficient they are in completing their diagnostics and repairs.”

Why keep organized?

Russ Jundt

“Organization is important in all aspects of running a green industry company,” says Larry Giroux, residential and commercial segment manager at Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply. “Everything has a spot; from shovels to parts and products for the next project. Making sure your back office and accounting are running smoothly is important to bill customers and pay suppliers.”

Organization also helps your irrigation business look professional and credible, which keeps customers coming back.

“First impressions are everything,” Giroux says. “If a bunch of parts or tools fall out of the van when your tech opens the door, this will erode any confidence your customer has in your company. Toppled bins and tools can lead to loss of efficiency, tools and money.”

Organization tips and tricks

Jundt’s organizational tip for irrigation professionals is to give each vehicle a different color within the fleet and label tools within the service vehicle with the same color.

“Every tool in that vehicle should be spray painted with that unique color so that when it comes time to collect tools on a job site with multiple trucks or vans, every tool is returned to its correct home,” he says. “There is nothing more frustrating for a tech than when they get to the next job site and they are missing a basic tool, such as a spade.”

When organizing work trucks for service calls, Jundt suggests irrigation professionals sketch out the dimensions of the truck or van to create a diagram to help determine where to place the items.

“The most commonly used tools and irrigation components should be easily accessible, and the rarely used items can be stored further away than arm’s reach,” he says. “Make certain that your organization bins, shelves or drawers are secured in place to withstand hard stops or swerving.”

Service vehicle must-haves

Giroux suggests keeping all personal protective equipment, safety equipment, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher easily accessible. He also suggests irrigation technicians have a few tools on hand.

“Wire trackers, multimeters, measuring wheels and clean working hand tools are must-have tools,” he says. “Repair parts, spare pipe, glue, primer and clamps are also important to have.”

Jundt says keeping equipment up to date and of the highest quality is imperative. From construction-grade shovels to excavation tools, each should be solid and never compromised.

Other essentials for work trucks at Conserva include high-quality electronic diagnostic equipment, consisting of a valve actuator, a multimeter and a wire locator.

“This investment will pay off seven-fold and then some,” Jundt says. “In order to efficiently and proficiently diagnose wiring issues, a technician needs access to high-quality diagnostic equipment.”

Don’t forget to leverage technology to ensure professionalism and efficiency.

“A tablet or smartphone is a must-have product in order to access the CRM enterprise system for scheduling, data gathering and invoicing,” Jundt says, noting a notebook and pen are always helpful to have on hand as well.