Tool Trucks

[Lobo74]

So if I see a tool truck parked at a garage somewhere is it okay to just stop and talk to the dealer and buy something there. I've had the urge to do that before but always thought I might be intruding on the garages business with the dealer.

 

[comedyman809]

nah, jump on and buy what you need
the guy may have somone onboard and ask you to wait.

 

[efb16acrx]

If he's obviously at a shop I'd say you'd be ok. If he is at 7-11 or burger king or something, be prepared for a rude response.

 

[Lobo74]

Ok thanks

 

[mr.speaker]

From my experience, those guys will sell to any one any time..Try not to go into debt with credit..They can actually take your credit/debit info and charge you $**.** on x date

 

[thewatusi]

If the truck is parked outside of a ********** it's probably not a good time.

 

[softailgarage]

Go for it, however, some rules of etiquette:
1. If he's at a shop or regular stop, get on the truck or wait outside till everyone is off. If you do get on and its packed, get off & wait.
2. Don't interrupt him if he's with a customer, wait patiently, then introduce yourself, tell the man what you want and set up any arrangements.
3. Make sure you discuss terms first. Most dealers(including myself) will not finance someone off the street, unless you can provide ID, credit card, business info. etc. It may be best to start small, paying in full, until he gets to know you and feels comfortable with giving you credit.
4. If the man is eating, give him a break, we don't get much time, if any, for lunch. You could ask where his next stop is and meet him there.
5. Don't be an *******. I don't know why but I've had 2 different guys get on the truck for the first time and both turned into complete a-holes. It's a fast way to booted.

 

[Wamsutta]

Stand outside the truck and wait for all the mechanics to finish their business before speaking to the driver. Do not step on the truck at any time. Tell the driver what you want and hand the money to him while standing outside on the parking lot.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have never had an issue approaching a dealer. Granted most time I was in uniform and had the service truck with me. Most of the time it was to warranty something broke. I explained I had bought this from so and so and was no longer served by him. It also never hurt that I'd grease the wheels by seeing something shiny on his truck and buy it.

 

[Lobo74]

Oh I would definitely be polite and not pushy. I was going to delete the thread because I went to snap-on online to find a franchiszee and punched in that it would just be for working at home and it said I should shop-online. I'll stop one of these days to check it out. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[OCD]

Oh I would definitely be polite and not pushy. I was going to delete the thread because I went to snap-on online to find a franchiszee and punched in that it would just be for working at home and it said I should shop-online. I'll stop one of these days to check it out. Thanks for all the replies.

You are better off to find a truck and talk to the driver than buy online... Truck will be same price or cheaper... I followed one that had a cool mural on the back and asked if he would sell me a 1/2 ratchet... He invited me in the truck, sold me the ratchet, and gave me a card...

Now I call him and arrange to meet him at one of his stops... The shop guys have always been cool about it, although they made me do a burnout last time I was there...

The best part is when I pick stuff out and he says, when you buy that you get this free!!


He must just laugh when I show up like a kid in a candy store saying TAKE MY MONIES!!!

 

[Jim C.]

You know, more than once I've seen a snap on truck somewhere and thought about stopping and seeing what the whole truck experience was like. I never did stop however because I never really had a clear cut idea about what I wanted. I didn't want to waste the guy's time by browsing without a real purpose. Also, if I saw something I wanted, did I have enough cash in my pocket to buy it? I didn't figure that I'd get any credit as an off the street stranger. So, I've never been on a truck and will most likely never get on one for the reasons I've stated above. The few times I've purchased a snap on tool, I called directly to the company, spoke to very accommodating person on the other end of the line, and that was that. The item shows up at my door two days later and shipping is free. I'll probably stick with that method when it comes to purchasing truck tools.

Jim C.

 

[Davefr]

Go for it, however, some rules of etiquette:
1. If he's at a shop or regular stop, get on the truck or wait outside till everyone is off. If you do get on and its packed, get off & wait.
2. Don't interrupt him if he's with a customer, wait patiently, then introduce yourself, tell the man what you want and set up any arrangements.
3. Make sure you discuss terms first. Most dealers(including myself) will not finance someone off the street, unless you can provide ID, credit card, business info. etc. It may be best to start small, paying in full, until he gets to know you and feels comfortable with giving you credit.
4. If the man is eating, give him a break, we don't get much time, if any, for lunch. You could ask where his next stop is and meet him there.
5. Don't be an *******. I don't know why but I've had 2 different guys get on the truck for the first time and both turned into complete a-holes. It's a fast way to booted.

6. Once you're on the truck don't waste time. Yes, prices are high but it's based on the way this business model works. The dealer can't waste time while a walk-on is a looker but not a buyer. He likely has many more stops to make. Make a buying list beforehand. The truck is a store not a showroom.

 

[toolmiser]

Sounds like "The Soup Nazi"

 

[SK Eric]

Buying online is putting pressure on the tool truck businesses who bring value that sites like Amazon will never bring, even if they succeed to put trucks out of business. Many tool truck guys are former techs, who understand and can recommend specific tools. They know you, serve you, and have a stake in your business. Keep 'em rolling.

 

[Regal2800]

These guys are in business to sell tools. Be polite and respectful but there is no reason to treat them any different than salesman at Home Depot or Sears.

 

[wantacoe]

Have to agree with Regal, they want all the customers they can get. Just let the guys at the shop he is at go first.

 

[panknuckshovel]

Few months ago I got an older snap-on ratchet at a flea market that needed a rebuild. I still had it in the truck when I ran into a dealer at the filling station/repair shop by my house. Grabbed the ratchet and walked to the truck to buy the repair kit. I waited till the mechanics were off the truck and then said hi. He repaired it and then argued with me about the $10 for the kit because it was warranty. I Left the money and a week later when I knew he would be there again the driver rang up $28 on my card for the $40 pick set.

You may run into some drivers that will hassle the warranty thing if they have never seen you, but most will help like crazy if you want to buy.

 

[Lx460]

I am mobile and have a service truck with no regular location so I never had a "servicing dealer". I happened to need a specialty pair of pliers and saw a SO truck at the local gas station filling up. I approached him and he immediately invited me on the truck to look around. He had the pliers that the SO website had been out of stock on for 2 months. I just call him now and meet him whenever I need something. He was super cool about warranty stuff for me and has the same price or better than the website on tools. (The website doesn't show any specials, such as buy metric impacts get fractional for free, etc. or hand out "free" hats...lol) Plus he just got me the new catalog which is a million times easier to navigate than Snap-on's website.

 

[Lx460]

Buying online is putting pressure on the tool truck businesses who bring value that sites like Amazon will never bring, even if they succeed to put trucks out of business. Many tool truck guys are former techs, who understand and can recommend specific tools. They know you, serve you, and have a stake in your business. Keep 'em rolling.

The tactile sensation of actually holding something in your hands and manipulating it is not something that can be duplicated through a photograph on a website.

 

[schmelpboy]

Stand outside the truck and wait for all the mechanics to finish their business before speaking to the driver. Do not step on the truck at any time. Tell the driver what you want and hand the money to him while standing outside on the parking lot.

LOL, seriously? It's a business, not a privelege.

I've stepped on every snappy truck I've ever seen. To this day, I stay in contact with at least 15 of them in the area, and buy lots of old stock stuff built on that first experience of just stepping on and shaking the guy's hand. Of course, I make sure to buy something on every new truck I encounter, but standing outside and handing money in? This isn't an ice cream truck.

 

[coondog]

And, one thing not mentioned:
Don't put on a front, or talk up a big game just to browse. Getting respect from the tool man comes from being a timely customer. I try to just be a straight up loyal customer. I never tell him what im interested in unless I am sporting some cash, or idea of credit. I feel like it is rude to start talking prices if there is no intention whatsoever to buy. The young guy I work with gives the tool man the run around a lot and now the tool man never greets him or invites him to come out. Sometimes, if nobody from my shop plans to buy one week, I will text him in advance that thursday morning and tell him to hit all of our accounts. It helps him out to not stop by if there is no sale.

Just my opinion though, Connor.

 

[jlh92]

Don't look the driver in the eyes and make sure you only address him as "Sir" or "Mr. Tool Truck."

 

[Ckengine]

That's how I met my dealer exactly. He was at a shop I pulled up and said "I need some tools". The response was "step on in what ya need". And thus started a bueatiful friendship.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Buying online is putting pressure on the tool truck businesses who bring value that sites like Amazon will never bring, even if they succeed to put trucks out of business. Many tool truck guys are former techs, who understand and can recommend specific tools. They know you, serve you, and have a stake in your business. Keep 'em rolling.

And they can pull your *** out of a crack when you need a special tool ASAP and don't have time to wait for delivery.

I buy a lot of tools online but I throw some business to my Snap On and Cornwell drivers because they are great guys and take care of us.

 

[littleponderosa]

The shop where I see the Snap-On guy doesn't really hardass the line guys when they are at the truck. Since I'm a non-pro I give them the benefit of going first. The SO fella doesn't exactly see it that way evidently, if the boys are just gawking he just runs me up front and I write him a check. Orders via text are nearly always done, so I'm in and out relatively quickly. Besides, I don't eat out of the candy jar that seems to be the only reason a couple of the boys show up.
Truck guys - my experience - are just good dudes with a rare jerk in the mix.
Bill

 

[Shootingblanks]

I met a Matco driver this way and got his business card for future purchases. Turned out he lived around the corner and a few times he stopped on way home and dropped my stuff off at my personal residence. Sucked when I got married and moved. Snap on dealer usually call or text him and make arraignments to meet him at one of his stops in town.

 

[fozzy]

Other than just acting like a decent human being with manners (act like you would/should act with any other person you are meeting for the first time), I used another tactic to break the ice with the dealer I met.

I'm not a professional, and I met the driver at his last stop of the day- I didn't want to interrupt his schedule, but was also mindful that it was late in the evening. I brought a print out of my wish list from the company's website, and I think that had an immediate positive effect. It showed that I knew what I wanted, wasn't there to waste his time, and already knew the cost of the items, so there were no awkward conversations. After that, we talked about classic cars for over 30 mins.

 

[toolman9w]

Keep in mind the Humanity thing. We are just good guys trying to make a living. (some are a-holes)
Don't come on the truck and ***** cause "I can buy this at (fill in the blank) alot cheaper" Sorry had this happen recently first time I met the guy, he hasn't been back. I still warrantied his stuff with a smile.
I do not mind to be bother if I am eating as long as I can finish my sandwich as we talk, so I can get my 15 minute lunch "hour" in.
Wait if you show up at a regular stop and always introduce yourself.
Have a purpose for being there.
And remember this stuffs for sale it ain't no museum!!!

 

[toolman9w]

Alot of good advise in this thread. I personally like new people who have never seen the inside of a tool truck.

 

[Strouty]

Don't look the driver in the eyes and make sure you only address him as "Sir" or "Mr. Tool Truck."

And watch out, some of them bite.

 

[Dimitri]

Stand outside the truck and wait for all the mechanics to finish their business before speaking to the driver. Do not step on the truck at any time. Tell the driver what you want and hand the money to him while standing outside on the parking lot.

If I ever had a driver expect me to act even half way like that I'd tell him to "fook off".

Although not an issue up here, met multiple tool truck guys at various stops on their route, and they treated me probably better then some of the guys I saw on the trucks.

Why? It's a business, and many tech's use the trucks as a coffee break when it shows up. A paying customer is a paying customer.

Dimitri

 

[gearhead1]

Yes. I don't work for a shop so I buy when I see the truck. They don't care if you go on the truck, especially if you buy something. Back in the day only tool trucks carried specialty tools, before Sears had any and long before HF. If you were going to get anything other than wrenches, ratchets, pliers, screwdrivers, you almost had to go to a tool truck.

The SO guy comes to my town on Mondays and a different one in the town I work in on Wednesdays. When reps change, the days may change but you can always get the contact information from the local rep by contacting the company through their website.

 

[Kmaysob]

I wouldn't hesitate. I no longer work in a shop, but I have become friends with my Matco guy through the years. I usually just meet him at his house after he hits his last shop.

Like with anything else, be respectful and don't waste his time. No need to kiss the guys a**. If he wants your business, he will be more than willing to invite you one The truck. Like others have said, if you have money and know what you want, he may put you ahead of the other guys.

If he has an attitude (like every snap on guy I have dealt with) find a different one.