I recently had the opportunity to ride along with Chris Nelson, a Mac Tools distributor operating in Sacramento, California. At some shops, customers are lined up outside the door before the tool truck even comes to a stop. At others, it can take a little longer, but there is always plenty of business. Once the initial rush dies down, Nelson will sometimes hop off the truck and take a walk inside the shop to see who is around that hasn't visited the truck today.

At one stop, Nelson walks into the shop and starts chatting with a technician who is working on a bulldozer with a broken axle. The technician doesn't seem to be having much luck with the repair, and after a few minutes of back and forth Nelson figures out exactly what tool could be used to help. The two walk directly back to the tool truck, and a sale is made.

Sometimes, it pays to get off the truck, enter the shop, and engage the technicians.