Van Tidy Ideas For Forward Thinking Tradesmen

The state of your work van plays a vital role in the profitability of your business. A tidy van that is well-organised makes it easier to find the tools you need and, of course, can save you a significant amount of time during the course of the week. 

According to Fleet News, saving 15-minutes a day will save you £1250 in lost earnings every year. That’s £12,5000 over the course of a decade. It pays to keep your mobile workstation tidy. However, installing van racking systems that improve your efficiency is not as simple as it might sound. Where do you start?

In this article, we let you into some industry secrets. And it doesn’t matter what type of transit you own. We reveal how you can maximise space with these essential tidy and small van racking ideas. 

5 Van Tidy Ideas

The first rule of thumb for keeping your van organised is to have a place for everything. When you know where everything is you go straight to the tools or parts you need. 

1. Labelling drawers and shelves. If you have an apprentice, you might also want to consider labelling drawers and shelves as well. This will also mean your colleagues can find everything straight away too. 
2. Customising drawers with dividers. This is a boon for tradesmen that carry a lot of small, fiddly parts. Dividers enable you to store small parts in one drawer without them getting mixed up. For example, plumbers can store nuts, bolts and washers in the same drawer. 
3. One of our favourite van storage ideas is task-oriented toolboxes. This type of storage solution is organised by task. This means all the tools for a particular job are stored in the same section of the van. This solution is highly dependent on your trade.  
4. Most tradesmen get dirty in one way or another. If the back of your mobile workshop is full of mud or grime, it looks untidy. A useful van tidy idea for keeping your van clean is to install van lining. 
5. It’s not only the rear of your van that suffers from untidiness. The driver’s compartment is prone to clutter from food packaging, various papers and receipts. Fitting slim bins and rubbish bags helps you to keep the cabin clutter-free. 

Van Tidy Ideas for Small Vans 

The cost of large transit vans these days is expensive. Some tradesmen are navigating the huge financial outlay by purchasing a smaller van. However, smaller vans also mean less storage space. Van tidy ideas help you to maximise your store load.

Small van racking ideas can provide convenient and cost-effective solutions. One simple van tidy idea for small van owners is to utilise the height of your load space. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first is simply to install shelves or racking from the floor to the ceiling. 

A more efficient method – especially if you have bulky equipment – is to install a false floor. The false floor provides space for you to store heavy equipment. It’s also an ideal hiding place for expensive items you want to protect under lock and key. 

Utilising door space is also an efficient way to maximise the space of small vans. Securing hooks to the rear door gives you a place to hang various equipment such as gloves, hard hats, tool belts, and everyday tools you want easy access to. 

If you have a sliding door on the side of your transit van, you can create a two-way shelf. Outfacing storage units give you access to parts and tools you use all the time without having to climb into the back of the van. It’s not only efficient but convenient as well.