Built by the Trade, for the Trade
26-03-26, 7:00 p.m.
How two decades of experience first as an HVAC tech and then as an upfitter shaped Packd Upfit’s approach to fleet design. See how lived trade experience influences modern upfit solutions for HVAC contractors.
How two decades of experience first as an HVAC tech and then as an upfitter shaped Packd Upfit’s approach to fleet design. See how lived trade experience influences modern upfit solutions for HVAC contractors.
Built by the Trade, for the Trade
Commercial trades look very different today than it did twenty years ago.
Systems are more advanced. Vehicles are more complex. Schedules are tighter. Customer expectations are higher. And technicians are expected to move faster, safer, and with fewer mistakes than ever before.
But the fundamentals of the job haven’t changed.
Technicians still need quick access to tools. They still need vehicles that support — not slow down — their workflow.
Wes Arnot, General Manager of Packd Upfit, has seen this evolution from both sides of the trade.
Before stepping into manufacturing and upfitting, Wes spent 7 years in and around the HVAC trade and became a journeyman technician.
He experienced firsthand how small inefficiencies — unsecured refrigerant and nitrogen tanks, awkward layouts, searching for tools — compound over time.
“I remember starting as an HVAC technician over 25 years ago. My van was basically a rolling junk drawer,” said Wes. “You’d open the side door and hope nothing fell out. Tanks were just strapped wherever they fit, fittings were in coffee cans, and you spent hours searching for parts and supplies you knew you had. No tablets, no apps—just a clipboard, a stack of invoices, and a lot of back-and-forth to the shop and trade suppliers.”
Later, working in upfitting, Wes saw the same friction repeated in multiple fleets and across commercial trades.
Wes walks a customer through an HVAC van build
That insight shaped Packd’s philosophy: reduce friction in the shop and improve efficiency in the field.
Rather than designing generic storage, Packd focuses on how technicians actually work — secure storage, durable materials, intuitive layouts, and systems that can scale across fleets.
“Having seen HVAC from both sides — on the tools and in upfitting — you recognize where the real friction is,” says Wes Arnot. “The goal isn’t to add more. It’s to design smarter.”
As trades continue to evolve, design decisions rooted in lived experience matter more than ever.
At Packd, we design modular upfitting systems that help crews stay organized, efficient, and job-ready. If you're planning your next van or truck build, our team can help you configure a system that works as hard as you do.