Dave Fulkman has been a Mac Tools dealer for five years. He previously worked in aviation doing composite repair and custom interior. Since he knew tools well, Fulkman decided to sell them. He now enjoys running a route in southeast Indianapolis, Indiana, selling tools to mainly heavy duty and mom and pop shops.
Since Fulkman started, he’s upgraded his ride three times. His first truck was a 2006 C5500 GMC Topkick with an 18’ box, and his second was a 2011 Freightliner NC55 with a 22’ box. Now, he owns and operates a 24’ 2020 Peterbilt 337. His latest and greatest truck is a custom Black Wolf edition with a black ceiling with red lace, black AC covers, and dark walls. It also has stacks on the front and black milled wheels from American Racing, a feature that makes him stand out.
“Everybody knows me as the tool truck guy with the black wheels,” Fulkman laughs.
Fulkman worked alongside Tim Herr, owner of Herr Display Vans, to custom design his new truck. With many options to choose from, having previous selling experience – and trucks – helped him decide how he wanted to organize and structure his new workspace.
“I took a day off and drove out to see Tim,” he says. “We sat down, and he drew up a design on his program. When you buy a new truck, you can do whatever you want with it; so just trying to figure out how you think you want it was the biggest challenge for me.”
For functionality, he went with an L-shaped desk in the corner on the driver’s side. For displays, he made sure to have a designated area for power tools, ratchets, scan tools, and torque wrenches. And for himself, he left room for a refrigerator and microwave to keep him from eating out all the time.
With just a few last-minute changes, the truck was ready in February 2020. Before taking it home, he drove it to the annual Mac Tools Tool Fair in Denver, Colorado to be featured.
Once home, Fulkman packed the truck full of tools – all organized and with a purpose, because that’s how this tool dealer likes it.
“I like to keep things very organized,” he says. “I don’t like clutter. As much as I try to pack it all in, I don’t like things unorganized.”
To help keep him organized, Fulkman utilizes pull-out drawers.
“I like pull-out drawers,” he says. “I have 12 pull-out drawers and they are all organized with wrenches, electrical, lighting, bit sets, […]. [This way] I’m able to fit more on the truck.”
He also uses every space strategically, including the ceiling.
“I can’t stand seeing a truck with a bare ceiling, so my ceiling is packed full,” he says. He has tools from mirrors and magnets to pick-up tools, scrapers, and pliers. “When you look up, it’s not just random,” he adds. “Everything has a purpose.”
Fulkman always keeps his truck fully stocked, a quality his customers have picked up on.
“They always say I’m well-stocked and that I have the most tools [compared with] the other tool trucks around,” he says. “If you don’t stock it, you can’t sell it.”
