Minimizing inventory items on truck

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Coppersmith

Coppersmith

Senior Member
Location
Tampa, FL, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I was rereading a thread I started on another site a while back about best inventory practices. One of the posts mentioned the idea of not carrying a lot of plastic and metal cut-in boxes. Instead the poster (post #2) said (paraprhasing) just carry metal gangable boxes and use them for all situations both resi and commercial. These boxes can be any number of gangs needed. I was wondering if anybody here does this.

This got me thinking about cover plates. I carry tons of them on the truck because of all the variations in color and gangs and device types. It would be really nice if I could just carry blank plates and punch out the needed holes to make what I needed. Anybody know if such a punch system is available? I know there are gangable plates and I have used them on occasion when I couldn't find the plate I needed in a hurry, but I think they look horrible.
 
I'll only resort to gangable plates if that's the only way to get a cover on what is there. I'll spend half a day reworking the box to avoid the visual barf that is gangable plates.
 
Coppersmith said:
I was rereading a thread I started on another site a while back about best inventory practices. One of the posts mentioned the idea of not carrying a lot of plastic and metal cut-in boxes. Instead the poster (post #2) said (paraprhasing) just carry metal gangable boxes and use them for all situations both resi and commercial. These boxes can be any number of gangs needed. I was wondering if anybody here does this.

This got me thinking about cover plates. I carry tons of them on the truck because of all the variations in color and gangs and device types. It would be really nice if I could just carry blank plates and punch out the needed holes to make what I needed. Anybody know if such a punch system is available? I know there are gangable plates and I have used them on occasion when I couldn't find the plate I needed in a hurry, but I think they look horrible.
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That might work with metal plates with proper deburring, but any plastic plates I know of will not punch without cracking or even shattering. A router with special jig or a laser cutter might work. :)
 
I carry a minimum of the basics for residential in my truck. What I don't have I can pick up and return if not needed.
I stock a minimum of the basics for commercial in my garage. What I don't have I can pick up and return if not needed.
I my area of work supply houses and box stores are never far away.
Even in my largest utility truck, which I carried lots of different items, I found that there was many times when I needed one thing or another.

Coppersmith: "What I don't have I can pick up and return if not needed just carry blank plates and punch out the needed holes to make what I needed".
Laser printer anyone?;)
 
GoldDigger said:
That might work with metal plates with proper deburring, but any plastic plates I know of will not punch without cracking or even shattering. A router with special jig or a laser cutter might work. :)
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I use Leviton mid-sized nylon plates. They don't crack or shatter. I have used a hole saw on a blank plate to make a single receptacle plate without incident. I thought about a router or roto-zip, but that won't work where the inside corners need to be square. A laser cutter sounds too big for the truck. I'm imagining a device similar to a heavy-duty three hole punch. Metal base with a jig and a punch powered by hand pressure.
 
Coppersmith said:
I was rereading a thread I started on another site a while back about best inventory practices. One of the posts mentioned the idea of not carrying a lot of plastic and metal cut-in boxes. Instead the poster (post #2) said (paraprhasing) just carry metal gangable boxes and use them for all situations both resi and commercial. These boxes can be any number of gangs needed. I was wondering if anybody here does this.

This got me thinking about cover plates. I carry tons of them on the truck because of all the variations in color and gangs and device types. It would be really nice if I could just carry blank plates and punch out the needed holes to make what I needed. Anybody know if such a punch system is available? I know there are gangable plates and I have used them on occasion when I couldn't find the plate I needed in a hurry, but I think they look horrible.
Click to expand...
Not what you are talking about, but the do make rs covers that have multiple combinations, kinda like wp in use covers do. Conduit bodies that are field convertible to LL/LR and LB and C configurations. Just a few other items to reduce truck stock.
 
Can you look at year usage of what you do use?
Carry x (3) amount of one standard style in the (4) popular colors same for switch, duplex, etc..
Boxes same idea,
Add more of anything if you know your roughing, trimming.
Use everything you can on the job off the truck before leaving for the supply house; rough until out of materials, then trim, do the service, run gnd wire, hang a light, stay at the location productively for as long as possible. The time used to go pick up stock is better burnt at the end of the work day, before you get home to do the 4 hours of paperwork; then reloading the truck for next days work.
You do keep day material needs list written not just in your head?
 
I would say that it depends on what type of work you usually do. If you're doing a lot of service work, I would say that it's best to have a well stocked truck. If you're doing a lot of new work, then you should have a pretty good idea of what you need for either that day or that job and just load accordingly.

Also as someone kind of mentioned, if you keep some sort of record, you could find out what you need. Say you haven't used a black switch plate in, lets say a year, then why carry them. If a customer calls and says they want you to install a receptacle in there home you could simply ask what color and style and then load it up from your shops stock. I'm not saying don't have them on hand, you just don't need them on the truck.
 
I've looked around the internet and have not seen a custom plate making device like I described. I did find a company that sells totally blank plates (no screw or device holes). This is a million dollar idea for someone to act on. I'll be you first customer (if it's reasonably priced). Go make it.
 
State on all your paperwork that you will install outlet/switch plates in your favorite color, "putty," and any other color will be an additional cost. :)

What are the requirements for plates? I'm assuming UL approval for the plates, thickness of the metal/plastic, certifying that the plates will keep the electrons where they belong.

Would the 3-hole-punch custom plate maker have to be certified by UL, and maybe only licensed electricians who take a training course with the manufacturer be allowed to use them? To make sure the holes are in the right spots, etc.

There are enough cases where a single switch pokes out of a double-switch plate, with electrons escaping from the unoccupied hole, so the 3-hole-punch in the wrong hands wouldn't create any more risk.
 
PaulMmn said:
State on all your paperwork that you will install outlet/switch plates in your favorite color, "putty," and any other color will be an additional cost. :)

What are the requirements for plates? I'm assuming UL approval for the plates, thickness of the metal/plastic, certifying that the plates will keep the electrons where they belong.

Would the 3-hole-punch custom plate maker have to be certified by UL, and maybe only licensed electricians who take a training course with the manufacturer be allowed to use them? To make sure the holes are in the right spots, etc.

There are enough cases where a single switch pokes out of a double-switch plate, with electrons escaping from the unoccupied hole, so the 3-hole-punch in the wrong hands wouldn't create any more risk.
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I don't think my clients would be happy if I install a putty colored plate in an otherwise white plate household or vise versa.

I've never noticed any UL or other agency listing or certification on cover plates. However I think this device would be easy to certify if you're willing to pay for such certification. Stick blank plate in jig, insert decora cutter, pull down handle, pull out a perfectly cut decora plate. Repeat for all other device types and number of gangs. Thirty minutes at most.

They sell all kinds of electrical equipment at Home Depot that can be mis-installed by DIY'ers so I don't think the punch getting into the wrong hands is an issue.
 
Coppersmith said:
I don't think my clients would be happy if I install a putty colored plate in an otherwise white plate household or vise versa.

I've never noticed any UL or other agency listing or certification on cover plates. However I think this device would be easy to certify if you're willing to pay for such certification. Stick blank plate in jig, insert decora cutter, pull down handle, pull out a perfectly cut decora plate. Repeat for all other device types and number of gangs. Thirty minutes at most.

They sell all kinds of electrical equipment at Home Depot that can be mis-installed by DIY'ers so I don't think the punch getting into the wrong hands is an issue.
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Would there be patent/copyright issues with a Decora jig? Even if you didn't call it Decora??

Putty colored plates would definitely reduce your inventory! :)
 
PaulMmn said:
Would there be patent/copyright issues with a Decora jig? Even if you didn't call it Decora??
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All Decora devices are rectangular, but not all rectangular devices are Decora.

It has been almost 40 years since I saw a 'standard duplex' style GFCI receptacle.
 
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