Business Vehicle Upgrades: 10 Modifications To Consider
When most of us think of vehicle mods, we tend to think of performance-boosting/cosmetic upgrades for personal vehicles. However, there are also a number of practical upgrades that can be useful for business owners.
From turning your vehicle into a mobile workshop to using your vehicle for advertising, here are some of the amazing modifications that can be useful to commercial vehicles.
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Shelving units
If you’re a tradesperson or you run a delivery service, you could potentially benefit from adding some shelving units in your vehicle.
These could be useful for storing and organizing tools, supplies or shipments. There are companies that can build custom shelving to fit your vehicle, as well as installing it for you. Efficiently designed shelves could turn your van or truck into a walk-in stock cupboard on wheels.
Alternatively, there may be options like slide-out racking that you can explore to maximize storage space.
Mobile workstation
A van or truck could also be converted into a portable workshop or office by building a workbench or desk in it. This could be useful for everything from carrying out on-the-go repairs to handling administrative tasks on a laptop.
You could consider creating a workstation that can be folded away, allowing you to use the space for other potential purposes. Seating can also be built into the vehicle so that you can sit at your workbench or desk.
Tie-down points
When transporting equipment or goods, it can be useful to have the option to tie down these items for safety and security. In fact, this is an essential feature for many delivery companies that transport fragile or valuable goods.
While some vehicles may already come with anchor points, installing them on a vehicle yourself allows you to decide how many tie-down points you need and where to place them based on the types of loads you typically carry.
Vinyl wrapping
Vinyl wrapping involves applying a plastic layer to the bodywork of your vehicle. This plastic layer can have various custom information, colours and imagery printed on it.
Vinyl wraps are typically used to display logos, contact details, business information or brand colours – effectively turning your vehicle into a moving billboard.
Unlike painting directly onto the vehicle, a vinyl wrap can be easily peeled off when you no longer need it – allowing you to easily change information, rebrand or sell your vehicle. There are vinyl wrap companies that can design, print and apply the vinyl wrap for you.
Personalized number plate
It may also be possible to use a personalized number plate to bolster your brand. This number plate could contain letters or numbers that relate to your brand name or industry, helping to make your vehicle more memorable and easy to identify.
You can find many private number plates for sale online. These number plates can be taken off when you sell your vehicle and placed onto a new vehicle. Just make sure to keep your old vehicle’s original number plate and register it before you sell.
Dash cam
Fitting a dashcam on a commercial vehicle can have many benefits. Dashcams can first and foremost be used to record legal evidence of any incidents that happen on the road.
This evidence can be given to an insurer in an accident to prove you weren’t in the wrong or used to defend you from a false lawsuit, helping to protect you financially.
Dashcams can also be used to record employees’ driving to ensure safety and for training purposes. You can install a front-facing or rear-facing dash cam.
Phone mount
A phone mount holds your phone in place while you drive so that you can use it for GPS navigation or hands-free calls. This allows you to safely use your device while driving.
Phone mounts can be stuck to the dashboard or may be possible to clip onto vents.
Some can also charge your phone while holding it. It’s possible that you may not need a phone mount in some modern cars – many modern infotainment systems can be connected to your phone via bluetooth, allowing you to use GPS or take phone calls directly through the car itself.
Wi-fi dongle
Having internet access on the go could be very useful as a business owner. While you may be able to use your smartphone as a hotspot, investing in your own wi-fi connection for your vehicle could prevent you from using up your phone’s data and battery.
A wi-fi dongle can attach to your car via the USB port – giving you unlimited internet access wherever you go for answering emails, taking payments and researching information.
Of course, you should double check that your vehicle doesn’t already have in-built wi-fi before buying a dongle (this is a feature in some modern vehicles and some drivers don’t even realize they have it).
Rear camera/sensors
To help make reverse parking easier, it could also be worth installing a rear camera or parking sensors to the back of your vehicle.
This could help to reduce the risk of accidents and could be particularly useful on higher vehicles or vehicles without rear windows. Some modern vehicles already have parking sensors or a rear camera fitted. Older vehicles are less likely to have this safety feature.
Improved lighting
Another option to consider could be improved lighting. This could be useful for driving at night or navigating dark job sites.
You could consider upgrading your headlights or adding additional lighting on the top of your vehicle. Farmers and road maintenance workers can typically benefit from this lighting when having to attend to jobs in poorly lit areas at night. Make sure that any lighting installed is safe and legal to use.
Conclusion
These are just a small selection of some of the vehicle upgrades you can consider. Most of these may only be possible if you own your vehicle – however options like vinyl wrapping and a phone mount may also be possible if you lease your vehicle. Prioritize the modifications that you think would be most useful to your business.
