Upfitting: Unique Problems, Custom Solutions
This Canadian upfitter had to think outside the proverbial box to help a fleet customer with a challenging need.
A properly upfitted truck is a work of art. While it’s easy to add shelves to a commercial van and call it a day, some jobs call for an upfitter who can solve unique problems with outside-the-box thinking and solutions.
When B.C.-based Comtek Security approached Expertec with their upfitting needs, Expertec’s Business Development Manager, Michael Chang and his team had to come up with some unique solutions.
Initially, Chang explains, Comtek decided on a more conventional approach. Like many fleets, they added shelves and a ladder rack to a van. However, as their business started to grow and evolve, they needed a better solution.
“A growing number of their new customers were in rural part of the province,” Chang explains, “and they needed a vehicle that could handle the rougher terrain.”
Some customers were as far as five hours away, and some jobs required a team of employees, which meant that a work van with room for two was no longer a feasible solution. “If they were working on a larger project,” Chang adds, “they would always need to take a second vehicle, which only added to their costs.”
From vans to pick-ups
The team at Expertec put their heads together, Chang says, and they came up with a solution that would allow Comtek to send a crew to some of these remote job sites, without the need for a second vehicle.
“We noticed that they weren’t using all the space in their work vans effectively,” Chang explains. “We also thought that with the kind of off-road terrain they had to deal with, that a four-wheel-drive vehicle would be a better option. That’s why we recommended a pick-up truck.”
Notably, pick-ups don’t have as much cargo space as a van, but the team at Expertec had a solutions. “We introduced them to a product called SpaceKap,” Chang says. “These service bodies are made of fibreglass, they’re lightweight, and they simply tuck into the box of the truck. They provide ample space, and we were able to add shelving and a cargo slide. Moreover, the enclosures have locks embedded into the doors, which means everything is safe. In addition to the interior storage space, we also added a cargo rack for ladders, along with a conduit carrier.”
Accommodations on wheels
Another challenge was the need for accommodations, since hotels and motels weren’t always readily available in some of the more remote parts of the province where Comtek staff had to work. “Because the service body is lightweight, and because they opted for a one-ton diesel pick-up, they had enough power to tow a trailer,” Chang says. “So now, instead of looking for a motel in a nearby town, they can jump into the trailer after a hard day’s work.”
Expertec’s upfitting solutions ticked all the boxes. The pick-up’s crew cab has enough room for four or five, which means that a second vehicle is no longer necessay, and the truck can handle rough terrain because it’s a 4x4. The SpaceKap service body has room for all the tools and supplies, and the trailer serves as a mobile home when hotels and motels aren’t available.
“The SpaceKap service body is also transferrable,” Chang concludes, “which is a return on investment and saves them money when the times comes to switch over to the next truck.”
