When looking to purchase a commercial vehicle, time is money.
Work Truck Solutions, a Chico, California-based technology provider, takes umbrage with the bailment pool process, a long-standing but often inefficient system used by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and upfitters to manage inventory.
Founded to serve the unique needs of the commercial vehicle ecosystem, Work Truck Solutions offers a smart technology platform that connects OEMs, upfitters, dealers, and distributors. Its tools support inventory management, operational analytics, and digital marketing, helping stakeholders serve fleet managers and tradespeople more efficiently.
Looking to bring transparency and speed to this process through a pilot program. Work Truck Solutions seeks to reshape how service trucks and vans reach the market.
The pilot, which involved one major OEM, three leading upfitters, and a select group of dealerships, aimed to reduce the time it takes for a vehicle to go from chassis assignment to final sale. Early results suggest the program could cut months off the traditional timeline, thanks to improved visibility and real-time data sharing.
In the commercial vehicle industry, bailment pools are inventory arrangements where OEMs (like Ford, GM, or Ram) place chassis or vans at upfitter facilities. These vehicles remain owned by the OEM but are “floored” at the upfitter’s location, ready to be customized with service bodies, tool storage, cranes, or other specialized equipment.
Once a dealership places an order, the OEM reassigns ownership of the vehicle to that dealer, who then has a set window to sell it before taking financial responsibility. While this system allows for faster upfitting and delivery, it’s long been plagued by a lack of transparency, according to Work Truck Solutions.
They said that OEMs often don’t know what modifications are being made or when a vehicle will be ready. Upfitters typically share inventory via spreadsheets, which quickly become outdated. Dealers, meanwhile, can’t market or sell vehicles until they physically arrive on the lot—leading to delays that can stretch the process to 12 months or more.
[SUBHED] The Work Truck Solutions Fix
[BODY] Work Truck Solutions’ pilot tackled this problem head-on by integrating data feeds from upfitters, OEMs, and dealers into a centralized platform. Built on the company’s VAST (Vehicle Acquisition Search Tool) network, the system allows stakeholders to view real-time inventory, track order status, and even market vehicles while they’re still in production.
“As a result of the pilot stage of the program, we've been able to identify key areas where we can enhance the commercial vehicle upfit and ordering process for our dealership partners,” explained Kathryn Schifferle, founder and Chief Vision Officer at Work Truck Solutions. “This also provides value to both OEMs and upfitters.”
By enabling dealers to display on-order vehicles on their websites, the platform allows customers to shop for trucks and vans before they’re completed—shortening the sales cycle and improving the buyer experience.
The pilot has already received positive feedback from participants.
Reading Truck, a full-service upfitter with 26 locations, has reported successful sales of vehicles that were still in the shop being upfitted.
“We have always been dedicated to finding ways to better serve our dealership partners,” said Eric McNally, Reading Truck’s Vice President of Sales and Business Development. “We were excited to participate in this bailment pool pilot to explore how to deliver more value in the overall process.”
Following the pilot’s success, Work Truck Solutions has received the green light from all three domestic commercial OEMs to expand the program. Outreach is underway to help pool holders leverage the technology and bring its benefits to a wider network.
For service truck manufacturers, upfitters, and dealers, the implications are significant. Faster turnaround means:
- Reduced holding costs;
- Improved cash flow;
- Better customer satisfaction;
- More accurate forecasting and inventory planning.
It also means that service trucks—often customized with cranes, tool storage, tire manipulators, and other specialized gear—can be marketed and sold while still in production, rather than waiting for physical delivery.
This is especially valuable in industries like agriculture, construction, and utilities, where downtime can be costly and fleet managers need fast access to ready-to-work vehicles.
The bailment pool process has long been a bottleneck in commercial vehicle sales. But with Work Truck Solutions’ pilot showing real promise, the industry may be on the cusp of a transformation.
By digitizing inventory, integrating stakeholders, and enabling real-time marketing, this new approach could redefine how service trucks and vans move from chassis to customer—faster, smarter, and more transparently than ever before. Company information is available at: www.worktrucksolutions.com.