WHAT do you use your vans for? It is a simple question, but with a bit of thought you could find it helps your vans and drivers work harder.

Although a van is designed to start life as a big box, that doesn’t mean it will be used that way by every company.

For many users, the space needs dividing up, so a vehicle can carry tools and other equipment, sales displays and a range of items of very different sizes and dimensions.

Without some sort of order, the driver would spend as much time looking for tools and equipment as he spent driving.

Van racking provides a simple solution to keeping a van tidy and equipment easily to hand. With the right preparation, a fleet can help drivers to do their jobs and make them more efficient.

For example, Dane Housing (Congleton), used Bott to fit its fleet with transverse storage units spanning between the rear wheelarches of the vehicle for storage of parts and components. There is adequate space under the rack for storage of longer bulky items, along with two under-floor drawers accessible through the side door of the vehicle, for the secure storage of parts and equipment.

Construction and mining equipment manufacturer Terex used racking in its vans to create a versatile working environment that will enable service engineers to complete tasks using their own resources in arduous conditions at remote sites.

The vehicles will visit customer sites – often off-road and in remote parts of the country – where they will operate as mobile workshops.

And getting a van fleet prepared shouldn’t take long. The new Quick Ship service from Bott allows customers to specify a range of fully-assembled in-vehicle equipment for delivery in seven working days.

When choosing racking, fleets need to consider a range of issues, including crash safety. Sortimo warns that in case of accidents, fleets must be sure their racking systems are secure. The firm carried out crash tests on its systems to make sure they will perform safely under extreme conditions.

It has been proved in crash tests that if a vehicle with a load weighing 100kg collides at 50kph, the load becomes 40 times its weight and small objects become deadly as they are catapulted in the direction of the driver.

Modul-System has developed a new animation for its traditional installation method. It shows how a racking system should be fitted safely in the vehicle.

The installation method is crash-tested at Volvo Car Safety Centre.