When it comes to organization, Shawn Schwoyer is Hall of Fame material. For proof, look inside the well-stocked, meticulously organized truck he operates as owner of All-Pro Plumbing in Allentown, Pa.
This 2002 Isuzu NPR truck carries a Hackney P2000 plumbing service body, 12.5 feet long, 7 feet wide, 79 inches tall. Its adjustable-shelf storage system holds 75 plastic bins, each labeled with a letter and numbers. The numbers on the right-side bins start with “R,” and the numbers on the left-hand bins start with “L.” The numbers correspond to specific parts, and a spreadsheet printout shows what code number goes with what part.
“For example, the spreadsheet tells me that R26 is a 1/2-inch copper fitting, so that puts me right where I need to go,” Schwoyer says. “If I know exactly what I have on the truck and where it is, I can finish jobs faster and get to my next service call quicker. The more billable hours I achieve, the more profitable I am.
“I like to be organized. If I have three service calls in a day, and I’m not organized, I might not make it to all of them. Plus, I use flat-rate pricing, and the customer’s not paying me to spend time driving to a supply house, or spend an hour looking for a repair part on the truck.”
Being organized yields another benefit: tighter inventory control. Schwoyer religiously keeps track of parts on-hand, so he knows when it’s time to replenish stock. “I don’t waste money by overstocking with parts and pieces that I’m unaware of because they’re scattered in different places on the truck,” he says. “I don’t understock, either.”
Moreover, Schwoyer believes a well-organized truck boosts customer confidence: A neat truck translates to neat work. “That’s how it flies in this business,” he says.
In business for 11 years, Schwoyer used to drive a box truck with a 36-inch-wide side door and a large rear door. The side door took away valuable storage space, and the big, bulky rear door was a hassle to open and close. He loves the Hackney body’s back door, which is split into two independent halves. “I only need to open one door to get in and out,” he says.
Schwoyer also touts the truck’s slide-out rear ramp, which makes it a breeze to move drain-cleaning machines and other items by himself. “It’s a lot less strain on my back,” he notes. The adjustable shelving lets him carve out enough room to keep a toilet on the truck, or tote a water heater when needed.
The truck carries two machines from Gorlitz Sewer and Drain Inc.: a GO 68 drum machine for up to 6-inch lines, and a GO 380 for up to 3-inch drains.
On the exterior, the Hackney body has few exposed rivets, and that makes advertising look better. Schwoyer takes full advantage with a bold, bright-yellow-and-black vinyl wrap with red accents. The highlight is a humorous and eye-catching image of a woman jumping for joy below his company logo: Finally, plumbing that’s pain free! The company name, phone number and Web address appear boldly on both sides and on the rear doors.
“Anecdotally, I know that the truck generates new business,” Schwoyer says. “Whether you like the design or not, you can’t miss the truck. I incorporated the same artwork that appears in my Yellow Pages ad onto my truck. Consistency breeds top-of-mind awareness. I also pay for advertising space on two bus shelters in town. I keep all the advertising consistent so that when people see it, they automatically think, ‘Oh, there’s All-Pro.’”
