fleet vans for electrical service calls sucking my budget dry man

been running my one-man electrical outfit outta the greater Atlanta area for about 8 years now, and these fleet vans are killing me with maintenance costs. last month i had to drop $2k on a new alternator for my ford transit after it crapped out mid-job wiring up a subpanel on a resi remodel. im using milwaukee m18 tools and all, but hauling 14/2 romex and breakers everywhere means the van takes a beating, especially with all the stop and go in traffic here. saw a thread on r/electricians about upgrading to a sprinter but that seems like more headache, and some guy in the electricians network fb group was ranting about insurance hikes on work vans. anyone else feeling this pinch on your electrical service fleet?

goddamn vans are money pits, i swear every electrical job i take the thing needs something new like tires or brakes after 50k miles.

stick with ford transit over sprinter for electrical work, cheaper parts and easier to wrench on yourself.

same here brother, my transit died on a panel upgrade job last week, towed it 20 miles and ate the time.

finally wrapped my new ram pro master in electrical branding, looks pro and pulls clients from the street now.

ugh the rust on these vans from carrying wet tools after outdoor wiring jobs, its nonstop battle.

insurance on my electrical van jumped 30% this year, blame the claims from a fender bender hauling pvc conduit.

yep, fleet life sucks when youre solo, but a good wrap makes it worth the hassle for advertising.

dude in the contractors network fb group just sold his beater van for a used e350, cut his payments in half.

my van transmission went at 80k, $4k fix that wiped out a months profit from service work.

tracking mileage with an app helped me deduct more on taxes for the electrical fleet runs.

these atlanta roads beat the hell out of vans faster than anywhere else ive worked.

ford transit all the way, ive got 150k on mine and still hauling wire daily.

van down mid job is the worst, had to uber breakers from home depot once.

what ya charging for fleet maintenance in your area? mine is $150/hr at the shop.

shittiest part is the downtime, lost a whole day rewiring a garage cuz van wouldnt start.

lease a new one every 3 years, avoids the big repair bills on old electrical haulers.

dude the ac in my van died during a heatwave, $800 to fix just to stay cool pulling wires.

get a cargo liner for the van floor, protects from spilled wire lube and tools.

proud of my setup, custom racks for milwaukee packs and klein tools, van organized like a dream.

sharktanks are trash for electrical vans, stick to purpose built cargo ones.

insurance companies screwing us on fleet rates after one claim, its bs.

had a guy in r/electricians post about van wraps paying for themselves in a year, trying it next.

these vans rust out fast if you dont wash em after rainy wiring jobs.

commercial insurance for electrical vans is robbery, up 40% no reason.

wrapped mine and got three calls from a single parking lot job site.

dont skimp on tires, had a blowout hauling a subpanel, nearly wrecked.

my ford e transit electric is a game changer for short electrical runs, no gas bs.

vans breaking down is the real killer, eats into your hourly rate bad.

customer saw my beat up van and lowballed the quote, perception matters.

up in atlanta traffic, the stop start kills batteries faster on service vans.

what size van you running for electrical work? mine is 250 and its perfect.

added a roof rack for ladders, but wind noise on highway sucks.

insurance claim after a break in, stole $2k in tools from the van.

custom shelving from uws, holds all my mc cable and emt without rattling.

these fleet costs are why im sticking solo, no headaches with employee vans.

watched electrican u video on van organization, totally revamped mine.

pro master city is underrated for small electrical jobs, nimble in tight spots.

had to replace the whole wiring harness in my van, $1200 nightmare.

hit 200k miles on my original transit, still going strong with regular oil changes.

add a gps tracker, caught a guy trying to steal my van once.

van maintenance apps like fleetio saved me hundreds tracking services.

screw the big vans, im rocking a wrangler for light electrical calls.

commercial rates for vans are insane, shopped around and saved 20%.

down time from van issues cost me a $3k panel job last month.

shoutout to the electricians network group, tons of van tips there.

my sprinter payment is $600/mo, but the ac jobs pay it off quick.

finally got led work lights installed in the van, night jobs way better.