Mobile Millwright tool storage

[OwenDr11]

Hey everyone. I recently started my own mobile millwright company, while still working my full time millwright job. I'm also a CWB welder. I'm wondering what the most efficient tool storage would be for the back of my truck. I've been debating between a steel tool box top vs a milwaukee packout. I'm leaning towards a packout, but don't know how well it will hold wrenches and sockets in a general spot. Just wondering what your thoughts are.

Owen

 

[nicholsmf]

I've never done that type of mobile work but I do contract out a lot of work to millwrights. The overwhelming majority that I see use the steel jobsite boxes and then have multiple smaller bags pouches, bags, etc, they keep setup for specific types of work. I've always assumed that must be the way to go since 99.9% of them do it.

 

[OwenDr11]

Thanks! I haven't thought about the big jobsite boxes. Most of my work is farm repair. Tractor attachment and conveyor and bunching equipment.

 

[Firstram]

Thanks! I haven't thought about the big jobsite boxes. Most of my work is farm repair. Tractor attachment and conveyor and bunching equipment.

If most of your work is private service call type stuff, I’d think about a truck with a service body. Working out of a job box ***** and should only be considered if you’re in a plant and need to lock everything down constantly!

 

[OwenDr11]

That's a good point. I'm not getting into any bigger jobs quite yet. It's mostly small repairs. Not enough to justify another truck

 

[gizardlizard]

Just wanted to say hey to a fellow millwright. 30 year journeyman here with 34 total years. Salute.

 

[OwenDr11]

Hello back! I'm 22 and just starting out. Taking my journeyman test soon

 

[Firstram]

I'm 22 and just starting out.

So jealous, it seems like yesterday!

 

[OwenDr11]

Thanks for the welcome guys. So my option are now a job box, tool chest top, or Milwaukee packout. Tough to narrow down

 

[LeeG]

Plan on making changes whatever you decide. That being said, keep your initial costs low, so it doesn't hurt as much to change them as your business grows and your work needs evolve. Perhaps start with a job box, then refine as time goes on and you have actual income to pay for it.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Look into the Dewalt tough system, to me it has a better design than the pack out. The boxes can be accessed individually without removing the top one. They hang on foldable brackets individually and you can add racks and use on their hand truck.

 

[OwenDr11]

Thanks guys. I like those DeWalt boxes. If I can keep some tools organized, I'm happy. I'm thinking about a metal tool box and a job box/plastic box for bigger stuff like supplies and power tools.

 

[ObnoxiousFumes]

I’ve recently started a job (apprentice?) doing a lot of this sort of work, installing boilers all over the country.
Our electrician uses the Dewalt boxes but I find them rather under-built and clunky, I’d take Packouts any day and I’m by no means a Milwaukee guy.
For ratchets and sockets one option might be the Milwaukee sets, one of my coworkers has a few of them and they are very nice.

 

[OwenDr11]

There's a tool sale near me where all milwaukee and Dewalt stuff is 30% off so I'll take a look at both. I do have my eye on the packout socket sets.

 

[LXCam]

I’ve recently started a job (apprentice?) doing a lot of this sort of work, installing boilers all over the country.
Our electrician uses the Dewalt boxes but I find them rather under-built and clunky, I’d take Packouts any day and I’m by no means a Milwaukee guy.
For ratchets and sockets one option might be the Milwaukee sets, one of my coworkers has a few of them and they are very nice.

I’d suggest to you both to look at Klein’s mod-box stuff. We’re pretty impressed with it all though I’d prefer the drawer units over the hinged lid. Unfortunately those were only recently released.

 

[ObnoxiousFumes]

I’d suggest to you both to look at Klein’s mod-box stuff. We’re pretty impressed with it all though I’d prefer the drawer units over the hinged lid. Unfortunately those were only recently released.

Interesting, I haven’t seen those in the wild yet, I’d be curious to check them out.
Milwaukee does have drawer units too though.

 

[LXCam]

Interesting, I haven’t seen those in the wild yet, I’d be curious to check them out.
Milwaukee does have drawer units too though.

They’re a little larger than the pack out and the best part is the handle is removable from the base. I bought all the guys a complete set for Christmas last year. One of them was a ******** pack out guy and he switched if that means anything.

 

[walta]

Taking my journeyman test soon

Will your employer / union allowed you to do side jobs?

Generally, when I read journeyman, I think union and I thought taking side work would get I kicked out of the union or in hot water.

Most employers tend to get pissed when competing for customers with employees.

Not that I know anything about being a millwright.

I am happy with my DeWalt Toughsystem box for a few years now.

Walta

 

[OwenDr11]

I'm not in the union, and side work is OK. My free time is my free time. Customers are completely different as well. I work in a fabrication/millwright shop where we build machines for the logging and drywall industry. I'm the shop foreman there.

 

[Firstram]

I'm not in the union, and side work is OK. My free time is my free time. Customers are completely different as well. I work in a fabrication/millwright shop where we build machines for the logging and drywall industry. I'm the shop foreman there.

I don’t mean to be rude but, you’re the shop foreman at 22 and asking questions like what kind of toolbox do I need. Is this a shop with more than one employee?

 

[OwenDr11]

We've got 7 employees. We never leave the shop so none of us have mobile set ups. In trying to get into that work as well. Hence the questions. I just wanted to know what works for other people.

 

[ObnoxiousFumes]

My supervisor’s truck has an aluminum three drawer full length box kinda like this. Works pretty good unless you pull a lot of trailers, sometimes you can’t open the drawers all the way. But that’s not an issue for us.

 

[scooby074]

A few ideas:

Find a used service body and mount it on a pickup.

I know a couple guys working out of old Bread Vans. Lots of space inside for a mobile workshop and storage if thats your thing. But youd really have to hate your life driving around in one of those underpowered POS all day.

Look into building a car hauler trailer (stock car trailer) into a mobile shop and pull it behind a pickup. This lets you have a normal truck for days youre not working and a fully kitted "shop" trailer when you need it. I know one mobile HD mechanic who is doing this. Seems to work well for him.

 

[OwenDr11]

Thanks everyone. The car trailer idea seems neat. I'm leaning towards plastic storage boxes though. Try to keep everything light and easy.

 

[Southernbuild]

Do your tools physically fit in the confines of packout? It feels like a lot of millwright type tools are too large / long for packout.

If you have forklift use, job boxes feel convenient. Or, you can load them solo if you empty them out first.

Not to mention, I feel like Packout style boxes loose in the back of a truck is a target for theft....

There's a couple guys on youtube with awesome millwright enclosed trailers. Worth considering. Ill see if I can find a link if you're interested.

 

[OwenDr11]

My tools would fit inside packout boxes, and I would only have them in the truck when needed. Forklift access is rare as well. The trailer idea is cool and might work out well for me.

 

[NUTTSGT]

When I worked in a factory, there was a crew that had a box truck with a small fab shop set up inside of that.

 

[OwenDr11]

That would be awesome! I'll keep that idea in mind. It would be really cool to build one out of a 1950s 1 ton. I restore cars in my free time so we'll see what happens.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Depends on what tools you need to carry, and how portable.

A few of our press builders sent the millwrights in pickups with toolbox bodies (or whatever you call them).and maybe a job-box or two.

The best a press builder sent to support their millwrights, was a toolbox that was made from a shipping container- or rather the back 8’ of a shipping container. Take it off the truck, set it down and you have a huge walk-in tool crib. Easy to secure as not easily stolen. It was packed floor to ceiling with large-scale tools, but I digress.

The structural foam dewalt boxes are very sturdy, waterproof and reasonably priced. They are limited in capacity, but at a certain point, when you fill one up you may need two people to move it.

I have no frame of reference as to what your scope of work would be, most of the millwrights and machinery erectors I worked with dealt with very large, precise industrial tools and machinery.

 

[OwenDr11]

Thanks! Most of the tools we use are no bigger than a mechanics tool set. I usually have my 1 1/8 wrench with me and a big adjustable for anything bigger. All my stuff fits in a mechanics tool cart.

 

[Sumboodie]

Depends on the mill and industry. My Dad did it for almost 40 years at an OSB mill. Lot of shafts, bearings, chains, hydraulics, pneumatics, etc.

 

[Sumboodie]

I'm not in the union, and side work is OK. My free time is my free time. Customers are completely different as well. I work in a fabrication/millwright shop where we build machines for the logging and drywall industry. I'm the shop foreman there.

What does logging and drywall have in common?

 

[PlanB]

What do you think of the Maximum cart? (I always like seeing other Canadians on here)

 

[OwenDr11]

I actually like the cart a lot. The drawers are great and it holds up just as well as the more expensive ones.

Drywall and lumber don't have much in common. But we do a lot of work for 2 different companies. One designs and sells machines for drywall, and the other for lumber. We also do some structural crane stuff for the automotive guys. Sorry, should have been a bit more clear.