Get feedback from drivers and technicians who use the vehicles. Conduct site visits to understand current vehicle usage. Select a fleet management company to help design vehicle specifications that optimize driver safety, efficiency and costs over the vehicle lifecycle. Standardizing vehicle specs allows for consistency across the fleet, faster ordering, and reduced costs from improved fuel economy, maintenance and driver retention. Partnering with experts ensures the right upfit solutions for your needs.

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THE BEST APPROACH TO
VEHICLE UPFITTING
WHITE PAPER SPRING 2017

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Well-designed vehicle and upfit specifications can increase driver efficiency
and safety while reducing costs over the vehicle lifecycle. However, the broad
range of chassis, equipment and installer options can be overwhelming,
making it difficult to know where to begin. Involving your fleet management
company and your drivers early in the spec’ing and ordering process will go a
long way preventing mistakes and ensuring you get the most value from your
upfit investment.

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WHERE TO START
Getting feedback from the drivers and technicians is the best place to begin.
They operate the equipment and know what they require performing their daily
job functions. Site visits with a Merchants Truck & Upfit Engineer to review the
current vehicle and upfit configurations can provide invaluable insight prior to
ordering replacement vehicles and equipment.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PARTNER
Picking a specific upfit vendor prior to establishing the vehicle and upfit specs
can limit equipment options depending on the application. You may also want
to consider a specific OEM and then look at which upfit vendors will be most
efficient based on facilities locations near the OEM plant. A full-service fleet
management company has experts in place to help you design and implement
the right solutions for your needs, and has access to a wide vendor network
that can deliver exactly what you require. In addition, your fleet management
company can also help you select the appropriate chassis and upfit options up
front so the vehicles you request are configured for the application.
EFFICIENCY OPTIMIZATION
An ideally spec’d vehicle should optimize driver safety, job efficiency, fuel
economy and ergonomics. Safety is a primary goal, and will be further
addressed in the next section. A key consideration is consistency across your
fleet. Standardizing vehicle and upfit specs has numerous operational benefits
such as streamlining initial vehicle ordering, consistent vehicle-to-vehicle
capitalized cost, reduced new driver training and providing flexibility to reassign
SELECT
THE RIGHT
PARTNER
CONDUCT SITE
VISITS TO
SOLICIT IDEAS
GET FEEDBACK
FROM DRIVERS AND
TECHNICIANS

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vehicles between locations if another vehicle unexpectedly goes out of service.
Well-spec’d vehicle and upfit designs should result in:
REDUCED DRIVER FATIGUE
Ergonomically designed interior packages and equipment reduce the effort a
driver/operator must exert under normal working conditions.
INCREASED DRIVER SATISFACTION
A thoughtfully designed work vehicle can reduce driver turnover, improve driver
morale and promote company loyalty.
REDUCED DRIVER TRAINING
Standardized vehicle and equipment design can reduce the time required
to train new drivers and the need for multiple versions of training materials
such as videos and written guides. One example is designating the street-side
forward compartment on service trucks to be the safety equipment storage
compartment for items such as a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, road flares, and
safety kits. Drivers will always know where this equipment is located and can
gain access quickly.
REDUCED VEHICLE WEIGHT
Lightweight equipment made from heavy-duty composite plastics or aluminum
for aftermarket body and interior equipment can minimize the unloaded vehicle
curb weight while increasing fuel economy and available payload capacity.
This is important for companies that want to keep fleet vehicles under the
Department of Transportation defined 10,001lb Gross Vehicle Weight limit to
avoid additional regulations.
FASTER ORDER-TO-DELIVERY TIMES
Standardizing vehicle and upfit specs allows for better order-to-delivery
forecasting, material stocking and consistent equipment production during the
upfit process. For example, duplicating 50 of the same vehicles with identical
chassis and upfit specs allows the OEM to provide fixed production dates and
the upfitter to order materials at the same time so there are no delays during
the installation process.
EASIER INTERCHANGEABILITY
Different business branches with similar operational requirements can
reassign vehicles quickly and with little to no modifications when equipment

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is standardized. If a replacement is needed immediately, transferring an
identically spec’d vehicle from another location or an unassigned pool can be
done seamlessly.
IMPROVING DRIVER SAFETY
Workers’ compensation insurance rates have been rising steadily, and
industries that rely on drivers and technicians to operate vehicle equipment are
at particular risk for claims. Well-spec’d upfit designs can significantly mitigate
that risk just as a poorly spec’d upfit design can create problems. Partnering
with an experienced Truck & Upfit Engineer will help ensure you take the right
approach and install the best options available.
REDUCING DRIVER INJURIES AND INSURANCE CLAIMS
Upfit packages that are ergonomically designed for specific job requirements
can lessen the chance for injuries and driver downtime. Equipment such as step
bumpers, side steps, grab handles and drop-down ladder racks can reduce
strains and fatigue while also improving efficiency.
REDUCING VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
Equipment such as rearview and/or side camera systems, exterior warning
lights, lane departure avoidance systems, front and rear sensing systems, back-
up alarms and spot mirrors can increase vehicle visibility, driver alertness and
awareness.
INJURIES &
ACCIDENTS
SAFETY

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REDUCING COSTS
In addition to reducing accidents and insurance costs, upfits that have been
correctly spec’d toward operational efficiency and vehicle lifecycle will provide
the greatest return on investment.
CONSISTENT CAPITALIZED COSTS
Standardizing vehicle and upfit specs can provide consistent vehicle-to-vehicle
total capitalized costs and make budgeting easier.
REDUCED OPERATING COSTS
Fuel and maintenance expenditures may be reduced by properly spec’ing the
chassis and upfit equipment based on what payload the vehicle is intended
to haul. For example, overloading a vehicle poses not only a safety concern
but can result in premature drivetrain, tire, suspension and brake wear. If the
vehicle will be required to tow a trailer, this also needs to be part of the initial
spec’ing discussion.
REDUCED ORDER-TO-DELIVERY LEAD TIME
Streamlining order-to-delivery time reduces the cost of rental and replacement
vehicle expenses and provides better order forecasting.

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REDUCED ACCIDENTS
Fewer accidents, insurance claims and downtime for both drivers and vehicles
can produce significant savings and an overall safer work environment.
INCREASED RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Properly spec’ing vehicle and upfit packages can increase residuals. Options
such as a Power Take Off provision and power group, for example, are
reasonably inexpensive factory options that make trucks more attractive to
future buyers. Safety features are another selling point as are driver amenities
such as Bluetooth connectivity.
THE BIG PICTURE
Creating a carefully designed vehicle and upfit strategy that takes safety,
operational requirements and lifecycle costs into account at the outset will
save time and money. The most difficult part is knowing where to start with all
the options out there, but you do not have to go it alone. A full-service fleet
management company can provide unbiased recommendations based on
a wealth of industry experience. Merchants Fleet Management helps clients
optimize upfits across a wide range of industries.