Is the tool truck business still profitable?

I am likewise intrigued by the business model.

When seeing those trucks driving around, I always envisioned them pulling up to plants at lunch break and baws perusing the goods and spending their Turnaround checks on shiny chrome tools they may or may not need.

Would love to hear from someone who actually knows how it works.

They buy a franchise, get their inventory and truck set up, then they have a territory that they have exclusively. It's not a job for lazy people. You've got to get to the dealerships constantly and anything else you can hit in that territory. You make money on the high margin tools on those trucks and then you make even more on the financing.

Problem is, you're chasing deadbeats constantly and the days are long. Gotta be there before they open in some places and after in others. Personally I wouldn't do it.

Snap On is the most overpriced tool brand on earth.

Harbor freight sells everything they do at a fraction of the cost.

If you want premium tools buy Wera—half the cost of snap on and higher quality, made in the Czech Republic

Depends. The start up costs are significant and you’ll use most of your profits servicing the debt. This is fine if you have enough savings to go 5 years without taking any cash from the business.

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I always envisioned them pulling up to plants at lunch break and baws perusing the goods and spending their Turnaround checks on shiny chrome tools they may or may not need.

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frick that. When I was a fitter I got everything I could either used or from Harbor Freight. A 24" Pittsburg aluminum pipe wrench was about $25 and I could have broken/replaced 10 of them and still came out ahead.


If I had been planning on doing that for life I would have gotten something better but I was around other pipefitters for about 10 minutes before I decided I was getting out of it.

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Didn't snap pm make a decent product at one time?

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Yeah they used to make a lot of nice stuff. I still have some from when i ran my race car shop and it'll all still rocking. I think their quality has slid some but thats just anecdotal from friends.

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Didn't snap pm make a decent product at one time? Similar to Craftsman?

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They make a great product to this day but where the problem lies is the quality distance from cheaper options isn't as far as it used to be.

The best mechanic I know bought all his tools from flea markets and yardsales, and the only "truck" brand tools he owns he bought off a couple of dealership guys who found themselves in a legal pinch and needed money for a lawyer. It is a racket, but they sure are shiny.

Nowadays, I figured the tool trucks are from the software/computer companies.

The tool trucks in good areas are. The problem is the floating credit to someone without credit, carrying inventory that doesn’t sell, warranty issues and you have to find the perfect balance of scarcity and accessibility.
If you are always there they won’t buy as much because you will be back again soon. If you don’t go enough they find other sources.

The tools are high quality, but not high enough to warrant the high price. As others said Harbor Freight has 2 lines with life time warranties which is similar to the old sears model. Bring in the broken tool and walk out with a brand new one.

My son has a Mac, Matco and snap-on accounts for work. I warned him about it, but like most our kids they have to learn the hard way sometimes