What Is Truck Stock?
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
Truck stock is the inventory of parts, materials and supplies a service business keeps on each technician's vehicle so most jobs can be finished on the first visit. A well-managed truck stock carries the parts used most often, in set minimum and maximum quantities, is restocked on a routine, and is counted regularly so parts used on jobs get billed.
Key takeaways
- The goal of truck stock is first-visit completion, not carrying everything. Stock what you use often, and source the rest.
- Build the list from the last 12 months of parts actually used on jobs, not from memory.
- Set a minimum and maximum for each item and restock to max on a fixed schedule.
- Every part that leaves the truck should land on a work order. Unrecorded parts are unbilled parts.
How does truck stock work?
Each truck carries a standard list of parts and quantities for the trade and the work that tech does. When a tech uses a part on a job, it's recorded on the work order, which bills the customer and flags the item for restocking. On a set schedule (daily, a few times a week or weekly), the truck is restocked back to its maximum from the warehouse or a supplier. Periodic counts catch parts that were used but never recorded.
Truck stock is part of your total inventory, and it's often the larger part for service shops. It's also the hardest to control, because it's spread across vehicles that are rarely at the shop. See inventory turnover for measuring whether you carry too much.
What does a supply-house run cost?
A trip to the supply house in the middle of a job costs the tech's paid time, the truck's mileage, often a second visit to the customer, and the job that could have filled that slot. That's why the cost of not having a common part on the truck is usually far higher than the cost of carrying it.
How do you decide what to stock on a service truck?
Decide what to stock from usage data: list every part used on jobs over the last 12 months, rank by how many jobs used it, and stock the items that appear on most jobs or would stop a common emergency repair. Set the quantity by how many you use between restocks, plus a buffer. Leave large, expensive, rarely used items at the warehouse or supplier.
- 1
Pull 12 months of parts usage.
From invoices or work orders, list every part, how many were used, and on how many jobs. If you don't track parts on jobs, start now; this list is the foundation.
- 2
Rank items by job frequency.
Items used on many jobs go on every truck. Items used rarely but needed for emergencies (water heater gas valves, garage door springs) go on the on-call truck at least.
- 3
Set min and max per item.
Max = what you typically use between restocks plus a buffer. Min = the point that triggers a reorder. A tech using 3 capacitors a week with weekly restocking might carry max 6, min 2.
- 4
Standardize the layout.
Same bin, same spot on every truck. Any tech can find any part in any truck, and counts go faster.
- 5
Restock on a schedule.
Restock to max on fixed days, from the parts recorded on that tech's work orders. Avoid 'grab what you need' from the warehouse with no record.
- 6
Count regularly.
Cycle-count a few bins each week, and do a full truck count monthly or quarterly. Compare counts to what should be there to find unrecorded usage.
- 7
Review the list quarterly.
Drop items that haven't moved, add items that caused supply-house runs, and adjust for seasons.
Truck stock by trade
| Trade | Common truck stock | Usually ordered per job |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | Capacitors, contactors, igniters, flame sensors, fuses, filters, refrigerant, thermostats, condensate pumps | Compressors, coils, full systems, blower motors for less common units |
| Plumbing | Fittings, valves, supply lines, wax rings, flappers and fill valves, cartridges, PEX and copper, drain cleaning supplies | Water heaters (unless a common size is carried), fixtures, specialty valves |
| Electrical | Breakers for common panel brands, wire, devices, boxes, connectors, GFCI and AFCI devices | Panels, meter bases, EV chargers, generators |
| Garage door | Springs in common sizes, cables, rollers, hinges, opener parts and remotes | Full doors, specialty openers |
| Pest control | Products for common target pests, bait stations, application equipment | Specialty treatments for less common pests |
| Appliance repair | Common igniters, belts, door switches, fuses | Control boards, compressors |
| Landscaping and lawn care | Trimmer line, fuel, irrigation heads and fittings, fasteners | Plants, stone, mulch by the job |
How much truck stock should you carry?
Carry as much as you need to finish most jobs on the first visit, and no more. Too little stock causes supply-house runs and return trips; too much ties up cash, gets damaged, and goes missing. The right balance shows up in two numbers: your first-time fix rate, and how fast the stock turns over.
| Metric | How to calculate it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Fill rate | Jobs completed with parts on the truck ÷ jobs needing parts | Whether the stock list matches the work |
| Supply-house runs per week | Count from timesheets or GPS | Cost of missing stock |
| Stock value per truck | Count × cost for each item | Cash tied up on each vehicle |
| Inventory turnover | Materials used ÷ average stock value | Whether you carry too much |
| Shrinkage | (Expected count − actual count) × cost | Parts used but not billed, lost or taken |
Common truck stock mistakes
- Stocking from memory. Techs remember the part they ran out of last week, not the ones that sat untouched for a year.
- No min/max. Without them, trucks swing between empty and overloaded.
- Parts used but not on the invoice. The most expensive leak in truck stock. Every part on a job goes on the work order.
- Every truck different. Techs can't help each other, and counts take forever.
- Never counting. If you don't count, you don't know what's missing until a job is stuck.
- Carrying big-ticket items 'just in case'. A $1,500 part riding around for six months is cash you can't use.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on a plumbing service truck?
Common fittings, valves, supply lines, toilet repair parts, faucet cartridges, pipe in the sizes you use most, and drain cleaning equipment. Build the exact list from what your techs actually used on jobs over the last year, and carry emergency items like shut-off valves on every truck.
How often should service trucks be restocked?
Most shops restock on a fixed schedule, from daily to weekly, based on how fast parts move. High-volume service trucks often restock daily or every other day. Set min and max levels so the restock replaces what was used rather than guessing.
Who is responsible for truck stock?
Usually the tech is responsible for recording parts used and keeping the truck organized, while a warehouse person, office manager or the owner handles restocking and counts. Some shops tie a small bonus to accurate counts and low shrinkage.
How do you track inventory on service trucks?
Record every part used on the job's work order, restock from those records, and cycle-count bins regularly. Software that ties parts to work orders and shows stock by truck makes this far easier than spreadsheets.
Is truck stock an asset?
Yes. Parts on trucks are inventory you own until they're used, so they belong on your balance sheet. How you account for them for taxes can differ for small businesses, so ask your bookkeeper or CPA how to treat inventory and materials in your books.
How do you reduce truck stock shrinkage?
Make recording parts on work orders mandatory, count regularly, restock only against recorded usage, standardize truck layouts, and review shrinkage by truck monthly. Most shrinkage is parts used and not billed, not theft.
Related
- What Is Inventory Turnover?How to calculate inventory turnover and days on hand for a trades business, with worked examples, how to read the result, and how to free up cash.
- What Is First-Time Fix Rate?What first-time fix rate means, how to calculate it, what a second trip costs, and how trades shops raise it with better intake, truck stock and dispatch.
- What Is a Work Order?What a work order is in the trades, what it must include, how it differs from a service ticket, invoice and purchase order, and a field checklist.
- What Is Dispatching?What dispatching is in field service, how to assign the right tech to the right job, the board rules that cut drive time, and mistakes that cost you calls.
- What Is Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a Contractor?What counts as cost of goods sold for a contractor, the COGS formula, a worked P&L example, COGS vs. overhead by trade, and IRS inventory rules.
- What Is Job Costing?Job costing tracks what each job really cost vs. the estimate. What to track, a sample job cost report with variances, and a simple system for small crews.
- Gross Profit per Truck CalculatorCalculate gross profit per truck per day, month and year, the daily number each truck needs to cover overhead, and whether adding a truck will pay.
- Contractor invoicing software that sends the invoice and chases the moneyTurn finished jobs into invoices the same day, send polite automatic reminders on unpaid ones, and sync invoices and payments to QuickBooks.
- Scheduling and Dispatch Software That Puts the Right Crew on Every JobScheduling and dispatch that puts the right crew on the right job by skills, location and availability, with jobs booked straight from the phone.
- What Is Callback Rate?What callback rate means for contractors, how to calculate it, what each callback really costs, and how HVAC, plumbing and electrical shops bring it down.
Sources
- IRS: Standard mileage rates (76¢ per business mile, July 1–Dec 31, 2026) (checked October 12, 2026)