Work trucks

[cuttin edge]

What kind of setup do you guys run for a work truck. Not a service truck, but a pick and shovel hauling work truck. Mine is a half ton 4 door 2 wheel drive. I have a power lift gate, a couple side mount tool boxes. A rack up front for bars, and extra rakes and shovels. A piece of 4 inch plastic pipe mounted under one tool box for the rakes and shovels used every day. I built some storage shelves in one of the tool boxes for smaller stuff. Was thinking of building a smaller wooden box for my cut off saw, leaf blower and chain saw. I hide the cut off saw under some filter cloth in the front of the box, but some night someone is going to get ambitious enough to crawl in over the compactors and find it. I was thinking of making some type of file organizer. I have a plastic tote, but it gets pretty messed up sometimes. So much paper work. Always looking for good storage ideas.

 

[chidog]

Sounds like you need a van that you can lock everything in. A van, walk in type, can be like a mini work shop on wheels.
I've seen a few that are set up very nice, with work benches and nice lighting etc. even a sink.
In a rainy place like this state, having the cover is nice. A person could also have an awning, to work on things and keep dry.

 

[Camshawn]

I used a cardboard accordion file box that had a Flap to close it for paperwork in my work van, Invoices and packing slips, equipment hire forms, time sheets, etc that was turned in when I passed by the office.
You said you have a 1/2 ton PU? I would guess you are getting close to being overweight. The problem with organizing everything on racks and shelves is the weight adds up quickly.

 

[cuttin edge]

Sounds like you need a van that you can lock everything in. A van, walk in type, can be like a mini work shop on wheels.
I've seen a few that are set up very nice, with work benches and nice lighting etc. even a sink.
In a rainy place like this state, having the cover is nice. A person could also have an awning, to work on things and keep dry.

Our mechanic runs a cube van. Gas powered welder at the back door with the exhaust piped out the floor. Torches, compressor, tools. He also has a work bench.

 

[cuttin edge]

I used a cardboard accordion file box that had a Flap to close it for paperwork in my work van, Invoices and packing slips, equipment hire forms, time sheets, etc that was turned in when I passed by the office.
You said you have a 1/2 ton PU? I would guess you are getting close to being overweight. The problem with organizing everything on racks and shelves is the weight adds up quickly.

The heaviest things I would carry would be a plate tamper, and jumping jack tamper. Basic wrenches and tools so as not to bother the mechanic for everything. My work is asphalt prep, so rakes, shovels, couple big pry bars. Men working signs and stands. Sometimes I might need a roll of geotec. Truck has the 6.5 foot box, so the roll has to go up over the cab. That can be heavy. I mostly cut 20 foot lengths if I can get away without a roll. I was thinking about building an organizer for the space between the front and back seats in the middle. Besides plans for what I am prepping, it's mostly safety stuff. Daily hazard inspection cards, weekly toolbox talks. Forms for incidents, accidents, first aid. A lot of BS. As far as weight, I wouldn't want to over load her, but DOT never looks at anything under a one ton.

 

[Old Doug]

I have one pickup a Jeep wagon and 2 trucks. The pickup has a tool box i wish i could get it set up to do stuff but i never know what i will be doing or driving. If i take one of the trucks and need the the cut off saw then i need to take the tool box with the saws stuff. Then will it get put back in the pickup? Then if i am in the Jeep and go do a small mechanic job i have a bunch of stuff loaded in it. I wish i could go back to when i had 1 pickup. Maybe i can someday.

 

[treemuncher]

I've been running the same box for the past 25+ years on 4 different chassis/cabs over the years. It's a combo service truck and work truck to get to my jobs. On the newest version, 2019 F550 4x4 Lariat supercab, I've installed a PTO driven welder/generator or pressure washer via a hydraulic switching valve. It still looks like a 1 ton but carries up to 20k gross. Everything is lockable and in the dry.

Air compressor is powered by the generator and runs the pnuematic grease keg. Fuel transfer tank, 55 gal water barrel, saw, teeth, numerous parts, materials, fluids, tons of tools and 8 gal running water for washing hands. With the exception of fuel, I can normally work out of the truck for a week at a time if I need to.

It's a lot more than most people need to carry but for logistical purposes, it's cheaper to carry it and have it on site rather than waste time chasing tools & parts. Being self sufficient and time efficient is the name of the game, for me. I've had other trucks over the years but nothing else worked as well for me as this type of utility body. I still have a newer identical one to install if I can ever find the time to mount and move into it. Been waiting 4 years to get that job accomplished....

Mounted on a 2012 that was used for a few months while the new truck was on order and my '99 F550 4x4 had given out. 4x4 is a must have for me.

 

[cuttin edge]

I've been running the same box for the past 25+ years on 4 different chassis/cabs over the years. It's a combo service truck and work truck to get to my jobs. On the newest version, 2019 F550 4x4 Lariat supercab, I've installed a PTO driven welder/generator or pressure washer via a hydraulic switching valve. It still looks like a 1 ton but carries up to 20k gross. Everything is lockable and in the dry.

Air compressor is powered by the generator and runs the pnuematic grease keg. Fuel transfer tank, 55 gal water barrel, saw, teeth, numerous parts, materials, fluids, tons of tools and 8 gal running water for washing hands. With the exception of fuel, I can normally work out of the truck for a week at a time if I need to.

It's a lot more than most people need to carry but for logistical purposes, it's cheaper to carry it and have it on site rather than waste time chasing tools & parts. Being self sufficient and time efficient is the name of the game, for me. I've had other trucks over the years but nothing else worked as well for me as this type of utility body. I still have a newer identical one to install if I can ever find the time to mount and move into it. Been waiting 4 years to get that job accomplished....
View attachment 283306
Mounted on a 2012 that was used for a few months while the new truck was on order and my '99 F550 4x4 had given out. 4x4 is a must have for me.

The main pipe crew has a box like that without the top. His is a crew cab F350. As well as the truck, they have a 48 foot dry van for a job trailer. Their last job trailer had a lunch room in the front. Decided they would rather have the storage space when they geared up the new one.

 

[cuttin edge]

One thing I like about my truck is that being 2 wheel drive, and having the short box, it never goes out to one of the snow shoveling crews in winter. They pile bags of salt and a snow blower on the back, and they come back to the shop in the spring dirty and stinkin. I have been laid off except for plowing since December, and my truck has been parked at my home, and no one wants it. I'll soon start to clean it up a bit, and put the tools back in for spring start up. Probably go to the shop next week and grab some stuff to tune up my small engine equipment.

 

[CM1995]

We run SRW pickups and a DRW flatbed in addition to 2 4x8 mini conex's for job site boxes. The job boxes each have a double barrel gas compressor, grease keg, air and grease hose reels. There is space left over in the box for small tools, shovels, parts, etc. That allows us to free up what we carry on our pickups. The job boxes are small enough to easily transport to the job on a CTL trailer so we'll move one even to a small job.

My superintendent likes a 3500 CC 4WD 8' flatbed with 110 gal off-road tank, 2 boxes on top and 2 boxes underneath with a UWS 4 drawer tool box. He can put the mini hammer, 30" 325 bucket and other things on the back of the flatbed. Works well.

One of our spare trucks is a 350 SRW CC 4x4 that has been past down through ranks, it was originally my personal truck 10 years ago but still a good truck and runs well. Plan is to put a service body on it with a lube skid for PM and maintenance. The other spare is a 250 EC.

My truck is a 350 CC SRW 6' bed carrying a 95 gal L-tank and small WG toolbox with a UWS 4 drawer slim toolbox at the tailgate for small hand tools. The 4 drawer is great for working on things on the tailgate as all my wrenches, sockets and screwdrivers are right there.

 

[Welder Dave]

I've been running the same box for the past 25+ years on 4 different chassis/cabs over the years. It's a combo service truck and work truck to get to my jobs. On the newest version, 2019 F550 4x4 Lariat supercab, I've installed a PTO driven welder/generator or pressure washer via a hydraulic switching valve. It still looks like a 1 ton but carries up to 20k gross. Everything is lockable and in the dry.

Air compressor is powered by the generator and runs the pnuematic grease keg. Fuel transfer tank, 55 gal water barrel, saw, teeth, numerous parts, materials, fluids, tons of tools and 8 gal running water for washing hands. With the exception of fuel, I can normally work out of the truck for a week at a time if I need to.

It's a lot more than most people need to carry but for logistical purposes, it's cheaper to carry it and have it on site rather than waste time chasing tools & parts. Being self sufficient and time efficient is the name of the game, for me. I've had other trucks over the years but nothing else worked as well for me as this type of utility body. I still have a newer identical one to install if I can ever find the time to mount and move into it. Been waiting 4 years to get that job accomplished....
View attachment 283306
Mounted on a 2012 that was used for a few months while the new truck was on order and my '99 F550 4x4 had given out. 4x4 is a must have for me.

I'd be interested in seeing the PTO welder and generator set up. Apparently PTO driven welders on small diesel trucks are common in Japan. Knew a guy that went over there on a student exchange many years ago.

 

[cuttin edge]

We run SRW pickups and a DRW flatbed in addition to 2 4x8 mini conex's for job site boxes. The job boxes each have a double barrel gas compressor, grease keg, air and grease hose reels. There is space left over in the box for small tools, shovels, parts, etc. That allows us to free up what we carry on our pickups. The job boxes are small enough to easily transport to the job on a CTL trailer so we'll move one even to a small job.

My superintendent likes a 3500 CC 4WD 8' flatbed with 110 gal off-road tank, 2 boxes on top and 2 boxes underneath with a UWS 4 drawer tool box. He can put the mini hammer, 30" 325 bucket and other things on the back of the flatbed. Works well.

One of our spare trucks is a 350 SRW CC 4x4 that has been past down through ranks, it was originally my personal truck 10 years ago but still a good truck and runs well. Plan is to put a service body on it with a lube skid for PM and maintenance. The other spare is a 250 EC.

My truck is a 350 CC SRW 6' bed carrying a 95 gal L-tank and small WG toolbox with a UWS 4 drawer slim toolbox at the tailgate for small hand tools. The 4 drawer is great for working on things on the tailgate as all my wrenches, sockets and screwdrivers are right there.

A lot of our work trucks are passed down from the owners, so they can be pretty fancy. There is a 2012 F150 Lariet 4x4. Pretty useless. Only has a 5 foot box. Mostly the supervisors or surveyors take them. Mine was ordered along with 2 others for Irving equipment. They were missing some things that they ordered so they didn't take them. The only other company around with a similar orangey yellow and black color scheme was us, so I guess they gave us a good deal on the 3 of them. They are a 2018 F150 XLT 2 wheel drive. Only thing I don't like are the carpets, but thankfully they came with huge floor mats. The guy that had it before me pretty much junked the front seats for the short time he had it. Stained and ripped, and I think he threw his keys on the dash all the time as it is marked up bad. I know I don't own it, but I like to keep it as ship shape as I can.

 

[treemuncher]

I'd be interested in seeing the PTO welder and generator set up. Apparently PTO driven welders on small diesel trucks are common in Japan. Knew a guy that went over there on a student exchange many years ago.

What I have is a Miller Big Blue 400 that had a blown engine that I purchased for $500 years ago for this project. The hydraulic tank sits where the fuel tank used to be. It's black but you can see the large drain plug just above the yellowed sticker on the frame rail.

I sourced a hydraulic motor that provided the required RPM output for the welder when the PTO pump was at about 1200-1500 RPM truck engine speed. I built the motor mounting plate out of thick aluminum plate due to the stand off requirements to affix the flex coupler. I machined that plate out on my vertical mill. It was all pretty simple. Vendors want way too much for off the shelf systems like these, IMO.

The valve body to the left of the pressure washer pump is the change over valve that allows me to choose PW or welder. There is a long steel rod that operates that valve from the control end of the welder. The PW is 4kpsi and 4 GPM and the hose is mounted on a manual reel near the back door of the truck, next to the air reel and the 120v extension cord reel. The valve body behind the PW is a variable flow valve that allowed me to fine tune the truck's PTO pump flow and regulate the pressure coming off of it. Once everything was tuned correctly, I've never had to adjust it again.

Looking back, I wish I had done this with my Lincoln 250 instead but it still has a good engine in it. The Lincoln has another 2kW over the Miller, has more functions and just welds better. But, I don't have to weld as much in the field as I used to. The air arc is what is used the most if I ingest a bunch of cable/wire in a machine. Mostly, I need the generator to run my air compressor to run my grease keg and air tools. The PW works great on my glass and keeps the dust minimal in the engine compartment and radiators. Best of all, I got rid of an extra battery-oil changes-radiator-filters and every other problem associated with having another engine to deal with every day. Fewer engines = fewer issues to deal with = better efficiency = better use of my time.

 

[Welder Dave]

Very impressive! I would have used steel hydraulic fittings rather than galvanized pipe fittings though. Galvanized fittings aren't recommending for hyd's. and pipe fittings aren't rated for hyd. pressures. A lot of people have used pipe fittings but it could be asking for trouble. I'd imagine being hydraulic drive acts like a governor or do you have to turn it a little faster when using higher amps? I traded a Trailblazer 55D for my skid steer trailer and got some cash to boot. The place that got the welder stopped using it because it needed a new contactor. They said it wasn't available and too costly to fix. They never bothered to talk to a Miller repair shop. They pulled the diesel engine to put in an old skid steer and left the machine to die. It would be a great candidate to run like your's and a contactor is available. I think the contactor is made by Allen Bradley and from what I've read is the only weak point of the machine. Knew another that had one and he said it could probably put out 700 amps and it wouldn't phase it. It was so sad to the machine sitting it the back of their yard in an early grave. I really wish I could have kept it. A new one was about $14,000cad. in 1985 when I bought it. Mine was a 1975 and I paid $2750 for it. It was used for automatic pipeline welding and had the Arctic modification that included radiator shutters.

 

[cuttin edge]

Very impressive! I would have used steel hydraulic fittings rather than galvanized pipe fittings though. Galvanized fittings aren't recommending for hyd's. and pipe fittings aren't rated for hyd. pressures. A lot of people have used pipe fittings but it could be asking for trouble. I'd imagine being hydraulic drive acts like a governor or do you have to turn it a little faster when using higher amps? I traded a Trailblazer 55D for my skid steer trailer and got some cash to boot. The place that got the welder stopped using it because it needed a new contactor. They said it wasn't available and too costly to fix. They never bothered to talk to a Miller repair shop. They pulled the diesel engine to put in an old skid steer and left the machine to die. It would be a great candidate to run like your's and a contactor is available. I think the contactor is made by Allen Bradley and from what I've read is the only weak point of the machine. Knew another that had one and he said it could probably put out 700 amps and it wouldn't phase it. It was so sad to the machine sitting it the back of their yard in an early grave. I really wish I could have kept it. A new one was about $14,000cad. in 1985 when I bought it. Mine was a 1975 and I paid $2750 for it. It was used for automatic pipeline welding and had the Arctic modification that included radiator shutters.

I didn't thing Allen Bradley made anything weak.

 

[Welder Dave]

It takes thousands of cycles to wear out a contactor. The contactor is used when doing Mig or flux-core welding in CV mode with a wire feeder. It turns the current on and off and the wire feeder drive rolls when you pull and release the trigger on the Mig gun. Some cheap units don't have a contactor and the wire is "hot" all the time. Some voltage sensing feeders that work off of the welding cables don't use a contactor either. It can be a real PIA when the wire is always hot, especially if touching the wire also starts the wire feeder feeding the wire. I've put a gun down and had the trigger get pushed and feed a bunch of wire but thankfully it wasn't grounded on the piece I was welding.

 

[treemuncher]

Very impressive! I would have used steel hydraulic fittings rather than galvanized pipe fittings though. Galvanized fittings aren't recommending for hyd's. and pipe fittings aren't rated for hyd. pressures. A lot of people have used pipe fittings but it could be asking for trouble. I'd imagine being hydraulic drive acts like a governor or do you have to turn it a little faster when using higher amps? I ...

Those are "black iron" fittings, although they do look light in color sort of like galvanized components. And they are only used on the return line fittings back to the filter on this install to make my life easier. I have used black iron pipe for hydraulic lines with pressures exceeding 5kpsi for many years on my excavator mulcher without problems. Not my idea to use that but it was what the manufacturer supplied and it's been mostly trouble free over the past 25+ years. If I remember correctly, 1" schedule 40 has a 10,000 psi burst pressure as a minimum. The threads....likely not so much.

The PTO system is like cruise control. Set the desired RPM and forget it - it will maintain that RPM regardless of load. It's all adjustable and once you get it set where you want it, nothing else to adjust. I just need to set the park brake pedal, have the engine running with the trans in park and hit the PTO button to start the system up.

 

[Welder Dave]

I didn't realize the fittings were for the return oil. Pipe is a little different. Standard plumbing pipe will split much easier than structural pipe like A106 or A53 or hyd. tubing. That is a pretty slick set up. I'm guessing there's a good size hyd. reservoir and/or a good cooler?

 

[92U 3406]

I've been running the same box for the past 25+ years on 4 different chassis/cabs over the years. It's a combo service truck and work truck to get to my jobs. On the newest version, 2019 F550 4x4 Lariat supercab, I've installed a PTO driven welder/generator or pressure washer via a hydraulic switching valve. It still looks like a 1 ton but carries up to 20k gross. Everything is lockable and in the dry.

Air compressor is powered by the generator and runs the pnuematic grease keg. Fuel transfer tank, 55 gal water barrel, saw, teeth, numerous parts, materials, fluids, tons of tools and 8 gal running water for washing hands. With the exception of fuel, I can normally work out of the truck for a week at a time if I need to.

It's a lot more than most people need to carry but for logistical purposes, it's cheaper to carry it and have it on site rather than waste time chasing tools & parts. Being self sufficient and time efficient is the name of the game, for me. I've had other trucks over the years but nothing else worked as well for me as this type of utility body. I still have a newer identical one to install if I can ever find the time to mount and move into it. Been waiting 4 years to get that job accomplished....
View attachment 283306
Mounted on a 2012 that was used for a few months while the new truck was on order and my '99 F550 4x4 had given out. 4x4 is a must have for me.

25 years is impressive. Unheard of to see bodies last that long and still look that good in these parts.

 

[Welder Dave]

I was wondering if they make fiberglass service bodies similar to what mobile vets use. They are expensive but look like they would last a long time.