Technicians at The Waterworks view their trucks as much more than just smart-looking workshops on wheels. They also consider them trusted business partners.
That’s because the company’s technicians are paid based on how much work they get done every day. And the trucks, with fiberglass Spartan box service van bodies, made by Supreme Corp., atop a Chevrolet one-ton chassis, provide valuable assistance.
“These trucks save technicians a lot of time because they don’t have to go back and forth for supplies,” says David Specht, president of the company, which provides drain-cleaning services in a seven-county area in central Ohio. “They can do more jobs per week and handle more types of jobs, which increases customer satisfaction. That also helps the technicians make more money because they’re paid based on productivity.”
Many amenities
Each truck carries $8,000 to $10,000 worth of repair parts, along with tools and a water heater. Each also carries a RIDGID K-7500 heavy-duty drum drain cleaner and a RIDGID K-40 sink and tub drain cleaner. Most also carry RIDGID SeeSnake cameras.
Specht says The Waterworks owns almost 70 of the trucks and is slowly changing over its entire fleet to the Chevrolet/Spartan combination. Each has amenities such as a slide-up rear door, slide-out ramp, spacious headroom, rear safety step, GPS, backup camera that shows what is behind the truck, shelving and storage systems, security alarm, exterior side-storage compartments, a sleek windshield wind faring that increases gas mileage, and a side compartment door that doubles as a workbench.
“I grew up a plumber and wish I would have had a truck like this,” Specht says.
The trucks also support marketing. “They’re an integral part of branding our company,” Specht says. The graphics display the company name and logo over a large, gold pipe wrench, along with the company slogan.
Skilled professionals
“We include photos of the trucks in all our marketing material,” Specht says. “People recognize the trucks. It’s almost like a big yellow school bus – people know right away what it is.” The sides also display a “vanity” phone number different from the main company number. That lets the firm track how much business the trucks generate.
Technicians are responsible for keeping the trucks clean inside and out. “They help reinforce our image,” Specht says. “People know that if the truck is clean, we’ll keep their house clean, too. It also sends a message that this is a skilled profession – that people can make a good living in this business.”
Especially with an efficient, four-wheeled business partner along for the ride.
