From the Workshop

Notes, advice and opinions from the people who actually build the racking. No fluff, no upsell — just what we’ve learned from fitting out thousands of working vans.

28 September 20264 min read

The tradesperson's Monday morning routine — how a properly set up van starts the week right

Every tradesperson knows both versions of Monday. In one, you're off the yard by quarter past seven, the week's materials are on board, the batteries…

21 September 20264 min read

Van racking for groundworkers — the setup that keeps heavy kit under control

Groundworks is harder on a van than almost any trade. The kit is heavy, most of it is filthy by ten in the morning, and the items that cost the most…

14 September 20264 min read

Why more tradespeople are building sheet storage into their van floor

A false floor is close to standard now. Flat deck over the ribs, storage underneath for rails, clamps and long lengths, and you load on top as…

7 September 20263 min read

Why the best fleet operators run the same van setup across every vehicle

Running one van well is straightforward enough. Running ten, twenty or fifty is a different challenge — and the businesses that do it most…

31 August 20264 min read

Why more tradespeople are choosing a pickup truck over a van — and why it works

Look across any site car park now and the mix has changed. Alongside the vans there's a row of double cab pickups — Rangers, Hiluxes, Amaroks,…

24 August 20264 min read

The one upgrade that pays for itself faster than any tool you'll ever buy

Nobody hesitates over a tool that earns. If a £600 machine takes an hour off a job you do regularly, you buy it, and you're right to. What's odd is…

17 August 20264 min read

Why the best tradespeople treat their van like a workshop

Nobody working in a decent workshop has to think about where anything is. The bench sits under the window, the fixings are on the wall above it,…

10 August 20264 min read

What your van says about you before you've said a word

You've been doing the work for years and you know it stands up. The customer on the drive doesn't know that yet. They've got your price and probably…

3 August 20264 min read

Van racking for carpenters — the setup that saves you an hour a day

Carpentry loads a van with more variety than almost any trade. A full cordless line-up and the cases it lives in, a mitre saw and a stand, a track…

27 July 20264 min read

How to carry ladders and long materials safely in your van

Almost every trade carries something too long to sit in a rack. Ladders, 3 metre lengths of pipe, conduit, timber, skirting, coving, ducting —…

20 July 20264 min read

How a properly fitted van adds value when you come to sell it

Most tradespeople buy a fit-out for the years they're using the van, not the day they get rid of it. Fair enough — you rack a van so you can find a…

13 July 20264 min read

Van racking for heating engineers — carrying boilers, parts and tools without the chaos

Few trades load a van as hard as heating. On any given week you might be carrying a combi boiler, a cylinder, coils of pipe, a MagnaClean or two, a…

6 July 20264 min read

How to fit out a new van from scratch — what to do before your first job

A new van is a clean slate, and that's exactly why the first week matters. Before the back fills up with tools, offcuts and half-empty fixings boxes,…

29 June 20264 min read

The real cost of a van break-in — and how the right setup reduces your risk

Every trade knows someone it's happened to. You park up overnight, come out in the morning, and the side door's been peeled open like a tin of beans.…

22 June 20263 min read

Van racking for plumbers — the setup that saves you an hour a day

For a plumber, the van is your workshop, your stores and your parts counter rolled into one. Few trades depend on organisation as heavily as plumbing…

15 June 20263 min read

Your Messy Van Is Costing You Money — Here's How to Fix It

Ask any tradesperson if their van is organised and most will shrug and say "it does the job." But a van that "does the job" and a van that genuinely…

4 June 20264 min read

Best Van Racking for Electricians

Electricians have some of the most specific van storage requirements of any trade. Between cable reels, conduit, testing equipment, power tools, and…

28 May 20263 min read

Standard Ply vs Hex Phenolic: Which Van Racking Material Is Right for You?

When it comes to van racking, one of the most common questions we get asked is: what's the difference between standard ply and hex phenolic — and…

12 May 20262 min read

Ply Lining vs Rubber vs Carpet: Which Van Floor Wins?

Three different ways to protect a van floor — three very different lifespans. Here's how to choose between ply lining, rubber matting and carpet for your work van.

18 April 20263 min read

What to Look For in a Van Fit-Out (and What to Avoid)

Not all van racking is built the same. Here are the details that separate a fit-out you'll still love in five years from one you'll be ripping out in two.