What does This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert take great pride in? Yes, his woodworking projects—but his other love is keeping his work truck in tip-top shape and highly organized. Watch to learn tips and tricks for keeping his workshop-on-wheels an orderly space.
While he wishes everything in his life was as organized as his truck, This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes pride in having a clean truck ready to tackle any project at any job site.
Keeping the Work Truck Organized
Each workday is different for Nathan. He can go from framing to finish work, so it’s essential to have his materials ready the night before so he can head straight to the job site in the morning. Most of his tools are kept inside his work truck.
Nathan’s truck layout follows a deliberate system: his cordless miter saw sits on the middle rack at the front left-hand side, with his 12-inch slider tucked around the front left for bigger jobs. His cordless table saw is stored above that, and four nail guns line the bottom left — everything in a designated spot so he can grab what he needs without searching.
Tool Organization in the Work Truck
Inside Nathan’s truck, you’ll see his miter saw on the front left-hand side, middle rack. His miter is cordless, but if he needs something larger for the job, he typically has his 12-inch slider saw tucked around in the front left. The cordless table saw is placed above that.
Four nail guns are stored on the bottom left. Stapler batteries are above the nail guns, and by knowing exactly where it is and where it goes back, Nathan can tell anyone to go in the truck and grab that tool and battery. If they need to know fasteners back right side center shelf, it makes everything more efficient.
Pro Tip: Nathan emphasizes that a well-organized truck is essential for a smooth workday: “One of the things that I take pride in is keeping my truck well stocked and ready to go. There’s those certain days where you finish up a job. I think they call it a Friday truck when you throw everything in there. But the first thing Saturday morning is open up the back of the truck and clean it out. Get organized. It’s gonna make the day go a lot smoother.”
Storing Consumables
Keeping items organized without a doubt helps keep track of the consumables, like fasteners, nails, screws, and glue. When those items are low in stock, Nathan makes a mental note and tries to refill it right away, so everything is fully stocked.
Pro Tip: Nathan takes pride in keeping his truck ready for anything, noting that the work can vary dramatically: “I can be doing finished work. I could be doing framing.” That’s why restocking consumables right away matters — you never know what tomorrow’s job will demand, and running short on the basics can derail an entire day.
This approach echoes a principle that This Old House general contractor Zack Turnbull calls “putting the solution where the problem is.” As he explains: “If you need a pencil and you’re at the miter saw, there should be pencils in that location so you’re not getting yourself all set up then having to walk to a different location.” The same logic applies to consumables in a truck — fasteners and adhesives should be stored close to the tools that use them, so you can grab what you need without disrupting your workflow.
Pro Tip: This Old House master carpenter Norm Abram emphasizes that staying on top of supplies is part of a bigger organizational philosophy: “Minimizing clutter only makes the space more efficient.” Whether it’s a workshop or a work truck, keeping consumables sorted and restocked means less downtime searching for what you need.
