After nearly six years in the business, Junior Roskopf decided his truck needed a facelift. Roskopf, a Cornwell Tools dealer based out of West Bend, Wis., recently updated his truck to a 2016 Model 334 Peterbilt, in an effort to improve business efficiency and his customer experience on the truck. His new truck, built by Summit Bodyworks, features taller shelves and an updated layout.
To prepare for the new truck’s arrival, Roskopf took the entire month of December off. “We did a physical inventory at (the) time of new truck delivery,” says Roskopf.
“We were able to take a shelf at a time from the old truck to the new truck. And what we did was we laid it out on the new truck to make sure it fit and looked right.” He added, “When we were happy with that shelf, we went to the next shelf.”
Roskopf likes that on his new truck, product categories are properly displayed by type. “There’s certain areas on my truck for lighting, Milwaukee tools, vertical slide-outs.” Roskopf uses his vertical slide-outs to display smaller hand tools and specialty tools by category including: oil-change, body shop, disconnect and tire tech. The slide-outs help maximize space on his truck. This is especially effective for trucks with little to no staple space.
The rest of his truck is organized into categories such as: diagnostics, knife displays, flashlights and worklights, air tools, pliers, screwdrivers, ratchets, gloves and more.
Roskopf says that, as far as improvements from his previous truck, this truck has much better lighting, a more efficient air conditioning system, electrical deadbolts and a camera system. “The camera system in the truck is great. Even if the screen is not on, in (the customers’) minds, they know they could be getting recorded, and I think that’s going to be a big help.”
If there’s one thing that Roskopf likes most about his new truck, it’s the workstation. His workstation forms an L-shape behind the passenger seat of the truck. This gives him a clear view of the entire truck when he is in the workstation, and it also gives customers a place to set down merchandise they would like to purchase.
Behind the workstation, and new to this truck, Roskopf has five day drawers – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Each drawer has been lined with vinyl to help increase durability. Any orders are placed in the drawer for the specific day that he will see the customer. “That way the customers know exactly where to go,” he says.
The only downside to the workstation?
“Adding (the workstation) to the truck, you lose 4’ of merchandise room.” As a cautionary statement to other tool dealers, Roskopf notes, “Instead of buying the 22-footer, I should have bought the 24-footer to make up for that loss.”
But, he says that foot traffic is up since the purchase of the new truck because of the new layout. “My customers know where everything is now.”
