Chris's Commercial Refrigeration Truck Setup
RIG DETAILS
| USED FOR | HVAC Refrigeration |
| TYPICAL JOBS | commercial service |
| MODEL | Ford Transit |
| BODY | Full-Size Cargo Van |
ORGANIZATION
Chris does commercial refrigeration service in Boston, MA. He's got the HVAC skills, but he doesn't do a lot of that anymore.
Chris has produced a ton of videos on his Youtube channel dedicated to helping out newbies to the trade, like tools for beginners, how to talk to a customer, and lots of how-tos and troubleshooting.
He keeps his refrigeration van organized and cleans the van on a regular basis. He says:
Always keep your truck neat, as well. I've seen plenty of guys, they've got s*** everywhere. You can't work out of a truck like that. And if a customer sees it too, you look unprofessional.
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Always keep your truck neat, as well. I've seen plenty of guys, they've got s*** everywhere. You can't work out of a truck like that. And if a customer sees it too, you look unprofessional.
Refrig Upfit
He has a pretty standard upfit in his truck, with commercial steel shelves and bins that hold all his inventory and tools.
He says that he used to carry a lot more inventory, until his company realized that they were carrying a lot of inventory that was never being used.
Besides freeing up physical space, this also frees up mental space! Having stuff on your work truck that you don't use is more stuff that your eyes need to scan when looking for something.
He's got a Ridgid and a company-provided cart for transporting gear which is good for those long hauls on the jobsite.
Get Out of a Bind
Chris lists out his inventory and why he carries the stuff that he does. Lots of stuff is there for emergencies and dealing with problems when there isn't a supply house nearby.
For instance, PowerTwist A and B belts are a life saver on the weekend when he needs to do a belt replacement and the supply house is closed.
He saves small leftover parts like gaskets since new parts don't always come with new gaskets.
One of his cool little tricks is for dirty strainers in expansion valves: He keeps strainers that he's cleaned up on the van. When he does a job where a strainer needs to be replaced, he can quickly swap out the dirty strainer. He takes the dirty strainer, cleans it up later, and uses it to restock his strainers.
A Few Notes
Chris has some essential gear:
- Wasp and bee killer, especially in the summer.
- Since he does refrigeration, he always has his winter gear on hand since he can end up in a freezer all day.
- He carries a few manuals and books, but he says he's taken a lot out of his truck since you can get most of them online now.
See some of his other videos:
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