At the 2024 Precision Farming Dealer Summit, Charles Hadacek, a precision specialist for independent Iowa dealer Premier Technologies, showed the unique benefits of using a “workplace on wheels” — a cargo trailer turned mobile workspace, fitted with dozens of organizers and bins for all the equipment a precision specialist would need on the road.

Alden, Iowa-based Premier Technologies only has two locations, which means Hadacek spends much of his time on the road. The workplace on wheels helps Hadacek manage inventory, mitigate risk and also provides an easy way to transport equipment while answering repair calls. 

Premier Technologies’ customer base in Central Iowa is rather congested, Hadecek says. “Our radius is about 150 miles and we have about 300 active customers in that area. So a lot of our business is done neighbor to neighbor.”

Since most of his business is done on the road, Hadacek finds it vital to be self-sufficient during the workday, and not need to drive all the way back to one of his stores for a part he forgot in order to continue working. Although some may opt to use a pick up truck for hauling around materials and equipment, Hadacek argues against it.

“We found it really difficult working out of a pickup," Hadacek says. "It was small. It was congested. These systems that we're putting on are getting just more and more complicated. When we order a planter system, it doesn't come in a few boxes anymore, it's pallets. So we needed to be able to carry more out to our job sites and so it just was a better fit.”

Welcome to the mobile office and workspace of Charles "Chuck" Hadacek, precision specialist at Premier Technologies, in Alden, Iowa. The cargo trailer has dozens of organizers and bins for the various cables, harnesses, clamps, connectors and more. It also has a full workbench and toolboxes with everything Chuck might need on the job.

Generation Two Trailer

Originally, the trailer the company used “was not much more than just a trailer you'd find anywhere,” Hadacek says. It had the basic components like benches, containers for tools, a vice and lights. However, it was practically crumbling after 3 years and was clearly not going to withstand much more of the rigorous day-to-day work that Preimer required of it. Hadacek opted to purchase a new trailer which he refers to as “Generation Two.” 

“We have our cabling, service unit controllers and modules all underneath,” Hadacek says, when describing the trailer. “And then we have a toolbox and tool chest and compartment upfront, as well as our hardware and miscellaneous adapters. It's pretty well organized. The rest of the area is what we use for storing install parts when we're going on a job because we're out in the country all day. We try to schedule three or four jobs, or sometimes five depending what they are, in a day so we're not coming back. We're filling that trailer full of stuff and then we're just using it as we go through the day.

“We went from a flat nose to a V-nose on the Generation Two trailer,” Hadacek adds. “It gave us a little bit more in the front for our tools. It fits a little bit better. Our bench is still on the right-hand side and so is our access door. This trailer was wired for 12 volts and 120. So we have a 12-volt battery that charges off of the truck. We have two sets of lights in there, so if we don't have access to an outlet to plug the trailer in we can get lights and still use some of that. It's not enough to charge or run anything else other than the lights.”

Generation Three Trailer

Unfortunately an accident occurred with the old Generation Two, forcing the company to upgrade again to “Generation Three” in 2019. Hadacek says it’s mostly the same as the previous trailer, though with some slight interior differences. Now, the trailer is used constantly, running over 90,000 miles on it back in January 2024.

“That trailer's hooked up to the truck 80% of the time because I've run into the experience of unhooking it,” Hadacek says. “Throwing a quick toolbox in the back of the truck, and then I don't have everything I need. If somebody else calls, then I have to run back to the shop and hook the trailer back up anyway. Most of the time it's much more convenient to leave it hooked up and to run everywhere. Even for small odds and ends things because you really don't know what that next phone call is going to be.”

While describing some of the features they added to the trailer, Hadacek mentions how they epoxied the floor instead of just having plain wood to make it more durable. Furthermore, he emphasizes how important it is for the trailer to be sealed for dust, especially in Iowa where he tends to travel on gravel roads often.

The toolbox contains key tools like cable clamps and connectors as well as spare wiring. Hadecek also keeps RAM mounts, steering adapters and anti-rotation kits in the trailer. The trailer contains several shelves inside to house all of the equipment.

Happy Trailer, Happy Life

Maintenance, upkeep and management are key to maintaining the workspace on wheels, Hadacek says.

“For maintenance, there was a month there that I think I went through two sets of tires on that trailer,” Hadacek says. “Just picking up nails, doing different things. So I have two spare tires that I keep, one at the office and one in the truck at all times for that trailer. Happy trailer, happy life.”

He also says it’s important to keep in mind the wear and tear that hauling around a trailer all day can put on your truck.

“This trailer is very hard on trucks,” Hadacek says. “We had an F-150, a half-ton pickup before that made it about five years and it was ready to fall apart on us. So we got a bigger 3/4-ton on it this year. It seems to be holding up a little bit better for it. The trailer’s like a giant sail, any wind, you’re just getting kind of pushed around and it’s hard on rear ends and hard on engines.”

A major toll that one can’t really avoid is the distance from customers, Hadacek says. Constant driving is often the nature of the beast.

“We don't go terribly far with this trailer, but we’re very congested so we’re skipping around to neighbor to neighbors places,” Hadacek says. “I know every year is a little bit different, but it seems like every year, there’s always a couple of days where you’re just on the road back and forth all the way across the state.”

Pros & Cons

Hadacek notes that being inside the trailer and simply being able to sit down on a bench while working is a great benefit. However, he does admit there are some drawbacks. 

“It’s very hard on vehicles,” Hadacek says. “The fuel mileage, it sucks. Maneuverability, that one’s a tough one too because a lot of farmers, they have treasures all around. Trying to maneuver around some people’s properties is a little bit difficult and a task sometimes.”

In addition to wear and tear on vehicles, he takes notice of the issue of managing and tracking inventory.

“Management is a struggle sometimes because we got three guys,” Hadacek says. “Everybody's grabbing a cable, and managing where that cable came from so we don’t lose it while being on jobs, can be a challenge.”

Premier Technologies has assigned one person the job of taking care of the trailer so not everyone is taking equipment and losing track of it. Hadacek explains that this is his role in most jobs.

“I try to document anytime parts or true inventory leave the trailer,” Hadacek says. “I made an Excel spreadsheet that I share with everybody. If we’re building out systems or trying to put inventory orders in, we know exactly what level that trailer’s at. This makes it a little bit easier for stocking it.”

Hadacek emphasizes the importance of taking care of the equipment and the trailer, and recognizes there is quite a bit of work involved in it. Despite this, he fully advocates for the use of a workspace on wheels, as it has proved essential to his dealership’s success.