We’ll typically service 4 to 10signs everytime this truck rolls. And out here in the country, we may run a 200mile circle. None of the towns we visit have a place to buy bulbs, heck most dont even have a sign shop. So we HAVE to carry a ton of materials on the truck just to finish a work order.
I would at least consider the possibility of using an enclosed trailer.
Here are some advantages:
No more daily loading of lamps and ballasts.
Simply transfer the boxes of lamps from your supplier's truck or warehouse directly into the trailer, without even taking them into the shop. For many shops, a trailer could hold the entire lamp inventory without too much trouble.
Not only is the double-handling of lamps and ballasts eliminated, but the shop space is freed up that is now occupied by a lamp rack.
Spent lamps can be off-loaded at the dumpster at the end of the day (or every other day).
If your entire lamp inventory is carried on the trailer, forgetting to load a particular size is eliminated (as long as you remembered to order everything). There would be some peace of mind in this.
Other supplies, such as lampholders, wire, conduit, connectors, etc. could stay in the truck boxes or migrate to the trailer.
Space is freed up on the truck.
A trailer would make it no longer necessary to "make room" for lamps and ballasts in truck tool boxes that may already be filled, or to try to secure loose lamps safely in the bed. Also, though I had a lamp box attached to the top of my utility bed on one side of my bucket truck, it did restrict the movement of the boom a little on that side of the truck, which a trailer would not have done.
If the trailer is not too short, oversized lamps can be carried as needed, even if placed diagonally in the trailer.
A trailer can even carry a ladder rack, possibly freeing up even more space on the truck.
Disadvantages of a trailer:
Hooking up and unhooking daily.
Yes, daily hooking up would get old, but it would still be easier and quicker than loading/unloading daily, which also gets old, and often requires numerous trips between truck and shop. And hooking up is a heck of a lot less troublesome than forgetting something and going back. And if the truck is dedicated to service work, might it even be possible to leave a trailer hooked much of the time?
Maneuvering on a job site.
True, some locations can be a problem if you are dragging a trailer. There may be a need to unhook occasionally to maneuver. Too much trouble? Maybe.
But if you are used to pulling a camper trailer on a vacation, you know that you can become adept at unhooking and hooking back up quickly. Backing a trailer has a learning curve, but you get better every time you do it. A hinged tongue jack can save time, too, even if it's an add-on that is in addition to a built-in jack that is a slow cranker.
And obviously, a double-parked truck with a trailer takes up twice the space of a truck alone. Not every location will be trailer-friendly.
A dedicated trailer to support a service truck may not be practical for many, or even most, shops. But the right circumstances could make it ideal and a real time saver.
Brad in Kansas City
