The Truck Stock Checklist

Why this matters

A truck that runs dry mid-week costs you a job, a drive to the supply house, or a return trip, and it always happens on the busiest day. Restocking from memory guarantees you notice the gap only when you reach for the part that is not there. This card turns restock into a scan against a fixed par level: what should be on board, in what rough quantity, checked the same way every time. Run it on a set rhythm so the truck is a rolling supply house, not a surprise. Safety stock comes first because a missing part costs a trip, but a missing extinguisher or spill kit costs a lot more.

Phase 1: Safety and PPE stock (check first)

These protect you and the customer, and running out is never acceptable. Verify presence and condition, not just that a slot is filled.

• Fire extinguisher present, charged (gauge in the green), and within its inspection date.
• First-aid kit stocked, with nothing expired or already used up.
• Spare PPE for the trade: eye protection, gloves matched to the work, hearing protection, respirator or masks if you cut or handle chemicals.
• Spill and containment supplies appropriate to what you carry: absorbent, bags, a way to contain a leak.
• Warning gear: cones or triangles, a working flashlight or headlamp, high-visibility vest.

Phase 2: Consumables and fasteners

The burn-rate items. You do not track these one by one; you keep them above a par line so you never hit zero.

• Fasteners in the sizes you use daily, sorted so a gap is visible at a glance.
• Sealants, tapes, thread compound, and adhesives, none skinned over or past date.
• Wire connectors, terminals, or fittings in the common sizes for your trade.
• Rags, cleaner, lubricant, and the shop-standard prep supplies.
• Blades, bits, tips, and wheels, with spares for the ones that wear out mid-job.

Phase 3: Common repair parts

The parts that turn a diagnosis into a same-visit fix. Stock the ones your call history actually uses, not the ones that seemed like a good idea once.

• The handful of parts that resolve your most frequent calls, at a par level set by how often they move.
• The one or two "job-stopper" parts: cheap items whose absence halts a whole job.
• Anything used on the jobs booked for the next day or two, staged and confirmed on board.
• Slow, dead stock pulled and returned to central inventory so it is not eating a bin you need. See related: The Dead Stock That's Quietly Costing You.

Phase 4: Tools present and working

A tool that is missing or broken is the same as a part that is not there.

• The core tool kit accounted for, nothing left at the last job site.
• Cordless batteries charged, with at least one charged spare per tool platform.
• Meters and test instruments powered, calibrated, and with good leads or probes.
• The specialty tools for tomorrow's specific jobs confirmed on board.

Phase 5: Paperwork and the job kit

• Blank work orders or a working device and app to capture the job.
• Business cards, warranty documents, and any leave-behind the shop provides.
• A camera or phone with storage free for job photos.
• Payment capture ready: the card reader charged and connected, or the paperwork to collect.

References

• Trade-standard practice for field-service truck-stock par levels and restock discipline
• OSHA general industry guidance on workplace fire extinguishers and first-aid supplies
• See related: The Truck Stock That Earns Its Space; The Dead Stock That's Quietly Costing You