Masters of Multi-Tasking
The Mobilized Workspace of Walk-In Trucks
By Mike Knaack

Anyone who is used to running back to the shop for that special part or particular tool will love the walk-in truck (a.k.a. step van). In short, it’s the truck that has become the ultimate take-it-all-with-you mobile garage and workshop for utility fleets.

Now, it’s not a glamorous bombshell, with curvaceous fenders and clean lines of chrome. You’re at the wrong party if you’re looking for that. This truck is all business. That might sound boring, until you need that odd part, place to work out of the rain, easy access to multiple kinds of power or something to haul a crew and a trailer — a truck that let’s you gas up just one vehicle for multiple jobs.

Walk-in trucks have long been the backbone of the nation’s biggest delivery fleets, but aren’t quite as well known for their utility applications. Still, they’ve been around more than a block or two doing utility work, and recent chassis improvements and new mobile power capabilities have further boosted their advantages.

Oddly enough, the vehicle, whose looks haven’t changed in 30 years or more, is right in step with today’s multi-tasking demands. As rising fuel costs and the need for increased productivity prod fleets to scrutinize their operations, walk-in capabilities are earning new respect. Perhaps this is the time where we remember — it’s what’s inside that counts.

Easy Workin’

Here’s your moment of Zen: For all the new gadgetry and polish that’s now available, the walk-in’s core strength remains its somewhat-less-than-hip design — the one-piece cab and cargo hold with a low platform that rests between the wheels, not on top of them, and side steps that reach close to the ground. Easy stand-up access from cab to cargo hold, a low rear platform to pull major items in and out of and side steps that act as a simple stairway all make this an easy truck to work from. It’s the closest thing to walking in and out of your garage that you’ll find on wheels.

Compare that to the simple box thrown on top of a chassis cab. With this kind of box truck you’re getting out, going around the side and crawling up to a platform that rests on top of the wheels to get your equipment and materials. Or, if the cab’s attached to the box, you’re crouching way over to get into the cargo area from the cab and then getting off the same high platform in the back with whatever materials you have. It usually doesn’t take many trips like that to appreciate the walk-in. Fleet managers also appreciate fewer workmen’s compensation claims.

Inside the walk-in, you’re standing in a cargo area with a typical height of 81 or 85 in. and typical widths 86.5 and 93.5 in. Utilities also tend to use 12- to 16-ft cargo hold lengths, resulting in a cargo capacity ranging from 535 to 820 cu ft.

For service work, that means you can bring more with you and keep it organized better than with a cargo van. Being able to take whatever you might need in terms of tools and materials, and to quickly and easily access them, is an especially big plus when under the gun to quickly fix an outage or broken main. Furthermore, with an interior workbench, you can comfortably work standing up and out of the weather.

Typical Tasks

For electrical utilities, walk-ins are typically favored as mobile workstations for two kinds of jobs — underground cable work and substation maintenance. The walk-in can back up to a manhole with an onboard generator to supply power to light the manhole and the surrounding scene at night if necessary, including the required flashing safety lights. As a mobile power source, it can do everything from pump water out of the manhole to assisting with ventilation. Meanwhile, the crew has its warehouse and workshop right outside the hole for whatever it may need. The same is true when a crew visits a substation.

Gas and water companies typically use walk-ins for laying and repairing service mains. Again, the ability to haul fittings and pipe of different sizes for whatever situation they may encounter is a big advantage, along with having pneumatic and electrical power available to run jackhammers that help dig where repairs or installations are needed.

New Capabilities

Most utility trucks generally run toward the higher end of walk-in gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) capabilities in order to carry as much of the heavy materials and tools as possible. One of the walk-in advancements in recent years has been the development of more choices in higher GVWR ranges, such as 19,500- and 23,500-lb GVWR. For example, Workhorse Custom Chassis, a major manufacturer of walk-in chassis, has recently added both diesel and gas options for these GVWRs.

“What we’ve heard from our utility customers is that they want more chassis options for these trucks,” said Jim Gavaghan, vice president of sales for Workhorse. “They’re basically trying to do as much as they can with a single truck and that means putting more on them. And they now want gas as well as diesel engine options, whereas before, higher GVWR trucks were exclusively diesel.”

On top of that, a host of technological developments in recent years by both chassis and body manufacturers have further added to these trucks’ capabilities as mobile workstations. For example, a new power take-off (PTO) system from Workhorse is integrated into the truck and can use the truck’s engine to generate electrical, pneumatic and even hydraulic power in different combinations.
“Again, fleets are looking for these innovations that will help them streamline and facilitate their work as much as possible,” said Gavaghan. “With an integrated PTO system they can tow something else besides an air compressor or free up the space a compressor or generator might have taken up on a truck. Add this to such options as additional cab seating and they might find they can do with one truck what they used to do with two.”

A bigger wheel cut and improved ride and handling characteristics have also made today’s walk-ins more maneuverable and more comfortable to ride in than their predecessors. Back-up cameras, GPS systems and remote diagnostic capabilities are some of the other advanced options.

“Once you’re behind the wheel you will quickly realize that this is not your father’s walk-in,” said Gavaghan. “We’ve worked hard to improve the ride and handling and, along with features such as high performance brakes, the walk-in matches the advancements found in other vehicles. It may look the same, but it has become a new truck underneath.”

Popular Options

Along with suspension improvements that have made the ride much better, various other driver comfort features include such things as CD players/radios, cupholders, high backed seats, cab worktables and noise reduction insulation.

All this comes at a price, of course. Because of their excellent capabilities as mobile workstations and the fact that they are a moveable feast of options, walk-ins are on the pricey side of the initial cost equation. A 12-ft, basic truck can start at around $40,000, while a 16-ft fully-loaded walk-in can end up in the $75,000 range.

But the walk-in usually more than proves its value over time: by both the multiple capabilities and efficiencies it brings to a jobsite and its exceptional longevity. In terms of the latter, walk-ins have aluminum bodies that don’t rust and can stay looking good for a long time. They have a style that, well, doesn’t go out of style. And, with proper maintenance, they can run well for many years. The usual lifespan of a walk-in truck is 15 to 20 years, which in most cases doubles the longevity of a box truck.

Nowadays, of course, with fuel prices pushing into the $4 to $5 per gallon range, fleets are looking at whatever edge they can get. Accordingly, engines, in particular, are being reassessed by fleets.

New Gas vs. Diesel Equation

For utility contractors, the conventional trade-off has been that a gas engine costs less up front but a diesel engine is a more durable, less expensive to maintain and over time, makes up for the initial price difference. Especially if you’re going to be putting around 20,000 to 25,000 miles a year on these trucks, diesel has been seen as a no-brainer.

Well, there was also a time when diesel fuel was less expensive and we know that part of the equation is no longer true. Other things have changed as well. First among them is that diesel engines have become even more expensive than gas powerplants (by $7,000 or more) due to the increasingly stiffer emission-control requirements. Engine costs jumped in 2007 as a result and are expected to rise again as new standards set to take effect in 2010 are addressed.

At the same time, gas engines have also improved in terms of durability, fuel economy and maintenance. General Motors Corp.’s new 4.8L and 6.0L Vortec engines are prime examples. Fuel economy is rated at 7 to 10 percent better than previous models. With such improvements as oil-change intervals at 7,500 miles, a coolant life of 150,000 miles and major maintenance intervals at 100,000 miles, maintenance costs have also fallen.

Nowadays these kinds of gas engines can hit the 200,000-mile mark. That is still less than the 250,000 to 300,000 miles expected from a diesel, but the mounting cost difference between the engines has made diesel’s savings less significant. Then add that, as of this writing, diesel fuel has been running as much as 90 cents more per gallon than gasoline, and, as Gavaghan noted, a lot of people are eyeing gas engines more seriously.

There’s also another factor you might not think about — the weight of the engines and chassis. Gas engines are several hundred pounds lighter than diesel engines. So lighter engines will increase payload capacity or, all other things being equal, improve fuel consumption. In fact, diesel engines themselves can vary considerably in weight, as much as 430 lbs in one instance, again with the lighter engine improving payload capacity and/or fuel consumption.

Fuel conservation, of course, has also been fueled by the development of electric hybrid vehicles and vehicles that run on alternative fuel like natural gas. Options such as an automatic shut-off switch will also prevent vehicles from idling more than a programmed number of minutes.

Another recent development to be aware of is new extended warranty options that can go up to 100,000 miles.

To sort through these various options, utility contractors often find it helpful to work with a dealer who has experience with pulling the whole package together, unless they already have working relationships with particular manufacturers. Buying a customed-spec’d walk-in involves coordination between the chassis manufacturer and body builder and, in some cases, a local upfitter. Most buyers begin by assessing the kind of chassis and capacity they want in terms of GVWR. As mentioned, the availability of different gas and diesel engine options are a prime consideration.

Mike Knaack is the truck writer for TagiMarks Inc., Elkhart, Ind.