Keep On Truckin'

When purchasing a vehicle for your pest control firm, you need to explore what purpose the vehicle will serve. For many it’s an easy answer — they need a truck that can reliably get them to their customers, allow them to organize their tools (and readily find them) and the ability of the truck to carry ladders. Some may say a small car will do because their service technicians don’t need to carry a wide variety of tools and materials. For others a small pick-up truck and a toolbox are plenty.

For my company, and I’m sure for many companies around the country, the answer can be complicated. We perform about 50 percent animal work and 50 percent insect control work. All of our trucks need commercial camper tops painted the same color as the truck. We need ladder racks to carry ladders for high animal work, repairs and high stinging insect jobs. I usually install a roll out bed so we can make the vehicle hold more types of equipment. Our technicians carry a wide variety of materials and tools to do their daily jobs. With the changing of the seasons, tool and equipment needs change. Cage traps come off and mole traps go on. Bee poles and bee suits go on, etc.

We look at the intended route that we’re purchasing the vehicle for, and then decide what type of vehicle we need. If it’s a residential pest management route, a small truck or car will do. When a route needs a truck that can carry a 40-foot ladder, that technician will obviously need a bigger truck. The vehicle we choose depends on the purpose and the route it will serve. Not all of the vehicles in our fleet need to be the same.

NECESSITIES. As our fleet grows, we can buy simpler, less specialized vehicles. Currently all but one of my vehicles are trucks that can carry ladders — so ladder racks are necessary. I designed the rack so we could put a ladder on a truck and not have to tie it down. We now have perfected the design so the ladder slides on the rack and an arm comes down that holds and locks the ladder in place. Technicians like this system because there are no ropes or bungee cords to deal with.

In St. Louis, where my company is located, a company vehicle is seen by about a million people, so we wanted to make a statement with our company vehicles. What does your truck say about you and your company? Do you have white, "plain Jane" vehicles that don’t leave much of an impression? One of our attention-getting vehicles is a PT Cruiser with the license plates "MOL-CZR." Using personal plates draws attention to your truck. The attention it draws causes people to read your plates…so they are likely to read your trucks as well.

What does your vehicle tell people? Does it tell potential customers what services you offer in addition to your company name? I had PT Cruiser custom lettered with drawings of mole tunnels on the side and a caricature of me on the back. I am known by the nickname "The Mole Hunter" and the caricature shows me in a safari outfit "going after" moles. Needless to say, this car draws a lot of attention for me and my company.

I believe you should use your vehicle to build your company’s brand. My trucks are rolling billboards. They carry a 24-hour a day distinctive message to the community. They show that we are different from our competition and why. Our vehicles tell potential customers what we do and what our specialties are. I believe this one-time expense will pay for itself many times over in the additional business a company may receive. There have been many times when someone with a cell phone called our office to make an appointment while following one of our trucks.

OTHER FACTORS. Gas prices are a substantial operating cost so another factor to be considered when choosing a truck is the gas mileage a vehicle can achieve. If you are outfitting your truck with a camper shell, check out the options that are available. All of our truck tops have a toolbox on the driver’s side for tools and/or chemicals. They have solid back doors and a door the length of the truck on the passenger side. Each truck has a roll-out bed and a shelf so there are two levels of storage inside the truck.

In addition, our truck tops are painted the color of the vehicle. They are made from heavy-duty aluminum with an interior light and cost about $1,500, including installation. Many times the top will be ready in about two or three weeks from the time it is ordered. A tip about aluminum tops: Fill the insides of the doorframes with foam-board insulation to protect the door in case something big and/or heavy falls against it. This helps prevents dents and dings.

I have my own ladder racks made and have compartments built on the inside to hold a stepladder and other equipment. I think the more customized your vehicle is, the easier it is to work with. When tools, chemicals and equipment have a specific place, it is much easier to find them and you look more professional to your customers.

CONCLUSION. Becoming distinct doesn’t happen by accident. It is a purposeful choice you make. It is something reflected in your paperwork, business cards, uniforms and vehicles. A picture of our trucks appears in our Yellow Pages ad. Where do you go for help to become more distinctive? Talk to the most creative people you know for ideas. My printer does a great job, as well as the sign company that works on our trucks. They are both creative types that can bring my thoughts to reality. I pay for their time and to me, the price is well worth it.

Some people want to be "incognito exterminators" instead of displaying that they are pest management professionals. Also remember that you’re driving a billboard and flying down the road cutting people off is not good for business either. In addition, the types of places your vehicles are parked give some semblance of the type of company you are. Remember, your trucks will be continual advertising for your company, even if it’s negative advertising.

The author is president of Holper Pest & Animal Solutions, St. Louis, Mo. He can be reached at jholper@pctonline.com.