How to upfit your vehicles in North America

Upfitting your trucks and vans appropriately is crucial to building the most efficient, safe and feasible operational fleet, one of the key tasks of many fleet managers in North America.  

For more information on fleet and mobility topics in the region, visit the North America on-demand streams of the Global Fleet Conference 2021. 

While benefit cars are of considerable focus in other regions of the world, adequately preparing your delivery and service vehicles is primordial for many fleets in North America, and here are some of the key points to keep in mind when doing so. 

First of all, it is probably a good idea to select your vehicle before considering upfit designs but planning both at the same time could be done with appropriate consultation.   

Remember to use a variety of sources when doing so. Defaulting to your current supplier is usually easier but being informed of all available options makes for a more efficient fleet manager.     
 
When preparing, don't only think of matching upfitting to your vehicles but also keep the needs of your drivers in mind.  For instance, those in cities with limited parking access will have different needs than those in rural areas which require more driving.  

One of the first things to consider when customizing your vehicle is knowing the weight of the upfit. With this, you will be able to determine the maximum payload capacity of your truck or van considering the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) specified by the vehicle manufacturer. 

Remember that weight impacts fuel efficiency, wear and tear and total cost of ownership (TCO). 

Other factors such as lead times for delivery and installation, length of warranties offered, and vehicle remarketing must be kept in mind. Although efficient operation within your fleet is of utmost importance, remember that certain upfit designs could impact vehicle resell values (e.g highly customized designs requiring numerous hole drilling). 
 
Upfit Design 

With that said, here are some of the main things to keep in mind when customizing your vehicle.  First of all, is a modular design necessary?  Will you have different demands from different drivers or is your fleet quite standard across the board. 
 
The functionality of your storage bins and drawers may not seem too important at first. However, considering the multiplicity of visits your drivers may make, remember that poor functionality will impact driver downtime and result in lost revenue.  

Other things to consider is the best type of rack system and side-door access for your vehicles. In urban areas, you may need to limit the height of your rack system owing to height restrictions in parking facilities or other vehicle access limitations. Also, having large side-door access is ideal in most cases but not in all.  

In terms of finding the right upfitting partner, you could ask your fleet management company or vehicle leasing provider but contacting upfitters directly is also an option. There are many throughout the United States and Canada but among them are listed below. 

Regardless of who you choose, carry out due diligence before making your decision, and always keep safety as well as efficiency in mind.   

Photo: (Source: Van Products, authorized dealer of Adrian Steel)