An intelligently designed vehicle racking system ensures safety, provides a clear overview of what you have onboard and makes your work easier. Anyone who is unfamiliar with such systems, and is neither aware of the various options nor what must be taken into account, can easily make a lot of mistakes when planning and ordering a vehicle racking system. Our blog post explains which five most frequent mistakes it is essential to avoid when you are planning the installation of racking systems in your vehicle or vehicle fleet.
1. Ordering a vehicle racking system without appropriate planning
It’s easy, all I need to do is order a couple of boxes, drawers and an in-vehicle rack online. or what? Not a good idea... The more precisely a vehicle racking system is planned, the better the result will fulfil the specific needs of your particular business segment, your company and all its customers and employees. Instead of opting for a quick solution that appears to be attractively priced at first sight, you should sit yourself down and take the time to carefully plan the ideal system for installation in your vehicle. This is particularly important when you are planning to install racking systems in several vehicles of your company fleet.
2. Planning a vehicle racking system without due consideration
Start the planning of your vehicle racking system only when you know exactly which vehicle it will be installed in. This means: First order your vehicle and then plan and order the racking system to be installed. The reason why: every vehicle has different dimensions and features. You must take numerous factors into consideration to ensure that the vehicle racking system perfectly fulfils the needs of your fleet, for example: the brand and model, its length, width and height, the shape of the roof, the number and types of doors and many other factors. Also take the delivery time into account, which can sometimes be very long in the case of commercial vehicles.
3. Not involving your employees in the planning of your vehicle racking system
Vehicles are often ordered by the company’s purchasing department or a member of the office staff. Choosing a vehicle without discussing it with the people who will use it can lead to solutions that are more or less useless in everyday working scenarios. To avoid this, always involve the colleagues who will be using the vehicle to visit customers, will transport their tools, materials and products in it and may even use it as a mobile workshop. Answer the following questions:
- What will be transported in the vehicle?
- Is the vehicle a mobile workshop?
- Are small boxes, short drawers, large trays or a shelving unit what you need?
- Wer fährt den Transporter?
All these points will be reflected in an intelligently designed vehicle racking system. This is why, for instance, it is important to know whether a diver is 1.90 metres tall or only 1.70 metres. The better and more detailed your knowledge of all requirements, the easier it is to order an ideally dimensioned made-to-measure system.
4. Failure to consider where your vehicles will be deployed
Rear doors that need a lot of room when opened can be a serious disadvantage in narrow streets or alleyways. If your employees frequently drive long distances, often on motorways, it is a particular advantage when the vehicle racking system is not be made of heavy steel. Take the typical operational radius of your vehicles into account. Rural communities? Big cities? In the immediate vicinity? If, for example, your service personnel predominantly drive long distances, a lightweight aluminium system will save weight and reduce your fuel consumption.
5. You don’t want to consult a professional supplier of vehicle racking systems
You have absolutely no experience with vehicle racking systems, but you think it can’t be all that hard to knock up something suitable with a couple of boxes and drawers. It’s bound to fit... To be honest, it probably won’t! Take advantage of expert advice, especially if you are a total newcomer to vehicle racking systems. Suppliers of high-quality vehicle racking systems offer expertise and advice, can answer all your questions and know what an intelligently designed in-vehicle system must offer and what’s important when it comes to securing loads.
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When choosing a suitable system supplier, always make a note of which of them offer modular systems that are flexible, customisable and can be expanded at any time in the future. Another important question: what material is your racking system made of? Light and strong aluminium or heavy steel? Computer programmes that can visualise the optimal system for your needs in 3D help you gather an impression of what it will look like in reality and enable you to quite simply discuss the design drafts with your colleagues and superiors. Do purchased vehicles make up the great part of your fleet? A warranty with such a long term speaks for quality, and products with a long service life are particularly cost-efficient.
The advantages of an intelligently designed vehicle racking system
1. Efficient working
Keeping all tools, spare parts and products easily accessible and in logically organised locations saves you time and increases your working efficiency. At the same time, an intelligently organised system enables you to utilise available space more effectively and load more without exceeding the permissible gross vehicle weight.
2. Professional impression
A clearly laid out, well organised and tidy vehicle makes a professional impression and speaks for a correspondingly conscientious and well-structured approach to the work at hand.
3. Safe driving
An intelligently organised in-vehicle storage system with good load securing options prevents to tools and equipment coming loose and potential damage in the event of an emergency braking situation. The risk of injury in the case of an accident is also significantly reduced.
The bottom line
Fitting out a commercial vehicle is a complex task and can’t be done ‘on the fly’. You need time and the appropriate know-how to plan everything unhurriedly and well in advance. Ordering an in-vehicle system too quickly and without much consideration, and above all without concrete input from the employees who will be using the vehicle, simply can’t expect to get optimal results. It is essential that you draw on the expertise and professional advice of a serious provider, discuss your specific needs and work together to plan precisely the system you need, especially when you have no prior experience with vehicle racking systems. This ensures that your vehicle racking system makes best use of the available space, that tools, materials and products can be safely and securely stowed and that the vehicle is not overloaded.
You can read our practical guide and use the checklist included to find out which are the ten most important points to be taken into account when planning a made-to-measure vehicle racking system. You can download your free copy here.