Truck stock is the inventory that rides with the tech. When it is right, the tech fixes the problem on the first visit. When it is wrong, the job turns into a parts run or a second appointment, and a second truck roll costs you the drive, the time on site and a slot someone else could have had.
This page gives you three things to copy: a weekly count checklist, a starter stock list, and a min/max sheet. The field service inventory management guide covers the bigger system around them.
1. The weekly truck count checklist
Do this on the same day each week, at the end of the day, with the tech present. Fifteen to thirty minutes per truck is a reasonable target once the shelves are labelled.
- Truck parked, safe to open, interior light on. Pull the current min/max sheet for this truck.
- Count every bin on the sheet. Write the count, not "OK".
- Mark anything below its min as a reorder.
- Check the parts used this week on finished jobs against what is missing from the bins. A gap means parts are leaving without a job record.
- Pull returns: wrong parts, extra special-order parts, defective parts with a tag saying which job.
- Check warranty parts: tagged with the job, customer and date, separated from new stock.
- Check consumables: tape, fasteners, sealants, wire nuts, cleaner, rags, gloves, shoe covers.
- Check expiry or shelf life on chemicals, adhesives and sealants.
- Check that hazardous items are stored and secured as their safety data sheets say: refrigerant and gas cylinders upright and strapped, flammables away from heat.
- Check the tools-and-equipment list: meters, gauges, ladders, extension cords, PPE. Anything damaged is tagged out and replaced.
- Look for parts that have not moved in 90 days. List them for review.
- Sign and date the sheet. The tech and the person counting both initial it.
- Restock to max before the truck goes out again.
2. A starter stock list
A starter list is a first draft, not a standard. Every shop should replace it with its own usage data within a few months. Start with parts that are small, cheap relative to a second trip, and used on many job types.
Every service truck
- Fasteners: assorted screws, anchors, bolts, washers, zip ties
- Electrical basics: wire nuts, connectors, electrical tape, fuses in your common sizes
- Sealants and tapes: thread seal tape, pipe dope, silicone, foil tape, duct sealant
- Cleaning: shop rags, cleaner, drop cloths, shoe covers, trash bags
- PPE: gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, dust masks or respirators where your work needs them
- Job paperwork or a charged tablet and spare charger
- Flashlights, spare batteries, extension cord, step ladder
HVAC additions
- Capacitors and contactors in the sizes you see most
- Igniters, flame sensors, pressure switches for the furnace brands in your area
- Common filter sizes for maintenance visits
- Fuses, relays, thermostat wire, a universal thermostat
- Condensate pump, drain line fittings, drain tablets
- Refrigerant only as your EPA certification and your company policy allow
Plumbing additions
- Supply lines, shutoff valves, compression and push-fit fittings in common sizes
- Fill valves, flappers, wax rings, closet bolts
- Faucet cartridges for the brands you see most
- Water heater parts: thermocouples, anode rods, drain valves, T&P valves in common ratings
- Drain cleaning: plungers, hand augers, the cable sizes your machine takes
Electrical additions
- Breakers for the panel brands in your area
- Receptacles, switches, GFCI and AFCI devices, cover plates
- Wire in common gauges, boxes, connectors, staples
- Smoke and CO alarm replacements if you install them
3. The min/max sheet
For each bin, two numbers: the min (reorder when you hit it) and the max (restock up to it).
| Part | Bin | Uses per week (U) | Restock lead time in weeks (L) | Safety (S) | Min = U × L + S | Max = Min + U | Count | Reorder? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45/5 µF capacitor | A3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| Toilet fill valve | P1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 20A single-pole breaker | E2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
The rows above are illustrative. Use your own usage counts.
The reorder arithmetic
Why the min is usage times lead time plus safety: between the moment you notice you are low and the moment the restock lands, the tech keeps using the part. The min has to cover that gap, plus a cushion for a heavy week.
Why the max is one week above the min: if you restock weekly, the truck needs to carry about a week of usage on top of the min. Carrying much more ties up cash and space and leads to parts that sit for months.
What a stockout costs. Compare the price of a part to the cost of a return visit. If a return trip costs you D minutes of drive, T minutes of setup and paperwork, and a lost slot worth R in revenue, the miss costs roughly (D + T) × your loaded cost per minute + R. Run your own numbers in the truck roll cost calculator. For a small part, the second trip usually costs far more than carrying two more of them.
How to adapt it
- Start from usage, not memory. Pull three months of parts used per job type. The parts used on more than a few percent of visits belong on the truck.
- Standardise bins across trucks. Same part, same bin, same label on every truck. A tech covering another truck finds things, and counts go faster.
- Track the misses. Every parts run and every second visit caused by a missing part gets logged with the part name. That list is your best signal for what to add. It also moves your first-time fix rate.
- Record parts on the job. The weekly count only reconciles if parts used are written on each job. In CrewLink's tech app, for example, the tech records parts used on the job along with notes and photos, which gives you the usage numbers for the min/max sheet.
- Review the 90-day list monthly. Parts that never move go back to the shop or the supplier.
What to take away
- Count every truck weekly, with the tech, and write counts, not checkmarks.
- Set each bin's min as weekly usage times restock lead time plus a safety cushion, and max as min plus one week of usage.
- Build the stock list from three months of parts used per job, not from memory.
- Log every parts run and second visit by part: that list tells you what to add.
Common questions
What should be on a service truck inventory list?
Fasteners, electrical basics, sealants and tapes, cleaning supplies, PPE, and the trade-specific parts you use on many job types, such as capacitors and igniters for HVAC, supply lines and fill valves for plumbing, or breakers and devices for electrical. Replace any starter list with your own usage data within a few months.
How often should you count truck stock?
Weekly is a practical rhythm for a service company, on the same day each week with the tech present. High-volume parts or high-value items may be checked daily. Monthly is usually too slow to catch shrinkage or stockouts before they cost a second visit.
How do you set min and max levels for truck stock?
Min equals weekly usage times the weeks it takes to restock, plus a safety cushion. Max equals the min plus one week of usage if you restock weekly. Recalculate every few months as usage changes.
Who is responsible for truck stock, the tech or the company?
Usually both: the company owns the stock, sets the list and restocks it, and the tech is responsible for recording parts used and keeping the truck organised. Signing the weekly count sheet together makes that split clear.