Key Highlights
- Always lock your truck doors and consider modern auto-locking systems with alarms for added security.
- Install dash cams and interior cameras to record incidents and deter theft or vandalism.
- Maintain situational awareness by varying routes, staying alert, and engaging with your surroundings to enhance personal safety.
- Park in well-lit areas with clear visibility and face shop doors to improve safety and customer interaction.
- Address everyday hazards like slippery stairs and sharp displays to prevent injuries and promote a safe environment.
Safety and security of ourselves and our tool trucks is something few of us think about daily, but it is one of the most important parts of our day. For many, if something were to happen to their tool truck that led to it being inoperable, that would either limit how they can run their route or put their business at a standstill entirely. Or if tools and equipment were stolen – you can’t sell what you don’t have. And of course, if something happens to you, who’s going to run your business? Keeping safety and security top of mind helps prevent situations that lead to those end results.
Keep it under lock and key
I’m sure many of us have heard the old saying, “Locks only keep honest people out,” and though this saying is somewhat true, we don’t have to make it easy for people looking to do us wrong. It should go without saying that locks are the first step to security.
Depending on the type of truck you have, there may be a divider door of some kind that separates the driver from the back. Do you use this during the day when you’re not in the truck or only at night? Do you even use the divider at all? Engaging the divider keeps unwanted “guests” from entering your space. Though in theory, you’ll always be on the truck when there are other people present. It’s easy to think you’ve locked your truck, even if you’ve actually forgotten.
That’s where the modern alarms and auto locks that are available come in. My current truck came with an automatic side door lock and alarm with a key fob. It is so much easier than having to fumble with keys to lock and unlock the doors. Ask yourself, do you always lock all the doors on your truck before you go into a shop, or do you say, “I’ll just run inside and grab some of the guys really quick.” It only takes a person a few seconds to do a lot of damage.
Another thought, are those thin plexiglass windows really going to stop anyone? I know they are not big, but they are a weak point. Consider installing some type of grid or bars attached to the inside to strengthen them up some.
Caught on candid camera
Almost everywhere we go, there are cameras – in our homes, on our front doors, attached to traffic lights, in and outside buildings. It would be a challenge to find places that don’t have them. The question is, does your truck?
Dash cams are a great insurance policy. Driving a truck, we’ve likely all experienced drivers who don’t want to be behind a truck or next to us, and who think we can stop just as well as a small sedan. That dash cam recording can be helpful in case of an accident.
How about a camera inside the truck? A useful tool for security that is out of sight and out of mind until something happens, and we can go back and take a look. Maybe you have a feeling that someone picked up a tool and “accidentally” put it in their pocket. A recording would be the golden ticket in making sure that the feeling was correct. It can also help you find the stapler you lost.
Stay aware of your surroundings
I believe street smarts should be a class taught in school and not something that is learned the hard way. Until then, there are things we can do to help keep ourselves safer. Situational awareness is probably the most important. Keeping an eye on what is going on around you, making eye contact with people, and knowing what is happening in your vicinity are key. Keep your back to your truck and stay aware when fueling up. Don’t engage with people you don’t know or are unsure of.
As distributors, we break a lot of rules when it comes to safety.
- We do the same route each week. Though this is an important part of our work, and our customers count on this, it makes our whereabouts predictable. Changing your route every few months may be a little extreme, but try small changes like switching a few shops around in a day, so the times are slightly different. Or switching the route you take to get to your customers.
- We carry cash. Not as much nowadays, but we are known to have cash with us, and that makes us a target. Though it seems obvious, be sure to keep your cash in a locked location, and certainly, don’t do anything that could advertise to others that you’re carrying a large sum of cash.
- The doors are closed, and we aren’t seen very well. During the winter and summer, both the shop doors and our truck doors are closed for heating and air conditioning. So, we are not easily seen. With these visibility concerns, I’ve had many conversations with my customers about how I would certainly hope they keep an eye out for me, or if they saw someone they were not familiar with get on my truck, that they would come out and “check” on me.
Parking is also a way we can improve this issue. Try parking with your entrance door facing the shop doors. Also, park in well-lit areas with a clear path to the shop entrance. Not only does it make it easier for your customers to see you, but also safer for you and your customers to get on and off.
Everyday safety
Keeping yourself and your customers safe while on your truck also means looking at more mundane hazards, such as the stairs leading into your store. Do you have grip tape on the stairs, so no one slips? Or what about a mat by the entrance to keep water from making the floor slippery? Do you handle your knife display so customers don’t cut themselves when taking knives out? There are always small ways we can improve to look out for everyone’s well-being.
With all the new tech and advanced equipment available these days, there are a lot of options we could add that would make our trucks safer and more secure. If you take a few minutes and look around and think about safety, I am sure you could find a few things. Stay safe out there.
About the Author
Kevin Haitmanek
Kevin Haitmanek signed with a flag in December of 1995 and was with them until 2015, at which time he joined the Gearwrench Street team. Haitmanek received many Top 100 and a few Top 25 awards while with the flag, but has found nothing as rewarding as being independent. With a very unusual selling technique, an exceptional knowledge of tools, and the support of his wife, who has been by his side for 33 years, their business is still going strong. Based out of Westminster, MD, and servicing both Baltimore and Carroll County, Haitmanek's route is ever-growing.