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Common Types of Specialty Vehicles and Their Uses
December 20, 2021
For many businesses, both in the private and public sector, a specialty vehicle helps ensure that the job at hand gets done. From librarians who rely on bookmobiles to deliver resources to senior citizens to medical teams that utilize mobile imaging units to reach more patients in their community, specialty vehicles play a vital role in the day-to-day work of many.
Teams that design specialty vehicles make it possible to find a vehicle that matches almost any need. These vehicles are upfitted with specialized equipment, technology, and unique layouts. Today, we’ll take a look at the common types of specialty vehicles on the market and their unique uses.
Community Outreach Vehicles
Community outreach vehicles are a category of specialty vehicles most commonly used to provide outreach services from government-run entities. These vehicles are equipped with versatile learning spaces, ample onboard technology, and unique equipment options. From small van builds to large semi-truck upfits, community outreach vehicles span an array of vehicle types, with the most common types of these vehicles outlined below.
Bookmobiles
Bookmobiles provide an invaluable resource to the communities they serve. These mobile outreach vehicles are designed to transport library resources, materials, and equipment easily.
From hosting children’s storytimes to nutrition classes, a bookmobile can provide library services to remote locations. Usually funded by the local library district, bookmobiles can be designed to meet any community’s needs. From small pop-up libraries to large technology centers, mobile library units serve a variety of outreach purposes.
Mobile Classrooms
Teach from anywhere with the use of a mobile classroom. This kind of vehicle is high quality, and builds are utilized for numerous educational purposes. Used by public schools, universities, private schools, and adult educational learning programs, a mobile classroom brings equipment and learning spaces to any location.
Emergency Response Vehicles
Emergency response vehicles are available in numerous shapes and sizes to match the needs of law enforcement or public safety departments. Common types of emergency response vehicles include bomb vehicles, dive and rescue vehicles, mobile command units, mobile crime labs, mobile DUI vehicles, and even SWAT units.
Mobile Command Vehicles
Law enforcement professionals use a mobile command vehicle to establish communication during emergencies. These units are designed for crisis control and feature equipment such as satellites, internet, video, and radio.
Additionally, these vehicles can be used to coordinate rapid responses to natural disasters and play a vital role in the event of a national crisis.
SWAT & RDV Vehicles
SWAT & Rapid Deployment (RDV) vehicles allow for covert operations in high-risk situations. These vehicles are often armored to ensure the protection of law enforcement personnel. Additionally, they are designed with workstations, living areas, cabinets, and even complete mobile labs for crime response. Other technology upgrades often include cutting-edge communication services allowing for effective operations in the field.
Mobile Medical Units
Every day, mobile medical vehicles play an important role in the health and wellbeing of communities around the nation. These units are designed with specific medical services in mind, allowing for patients to be seen without visiting a brick-and-mortar location. With a variety of purposes, the following are some of the most common mobile medical unit types.
Bloodmobiles
For many blood banks and hospitals, collecting enough blood donations to support the community’s needs can be challenging. Bloodmobiles help encourage an increase in donations by bringing the blood donation process to offices, schools, churches, and stores. This makes the donation process convenient, allowing medical personnel to collect blood donations from anywhere.
Mobile Dental Vehicles
Mobile dental vehicles are utilized by dental clinics to increase their reach. These mobile units can be deployed across the community to serve patients with dental cleanings, x rays, and even oral surgery. This can help improve the community’s oral health, making it easier for everyone to access the dental care they need.
Mobile Eye Clinics
Utilized by ophthalmologists to treat patients across a larger geographic area, mobile eye clinics are designed to include all the same technology and equipment found in a standard eye clinic location. This makes it easy to update corrective prescriptions, diagnose eye concerns, and provide preventative care to communities.
Mobile Imaging Vehicles
Mobile imaging vehicles play a critical role in reaching community members with preventive healthcare screening. These vehicles often feature mammography equipment, ultrasound equipment, and, in some cases, even MRI equipment. This allows hospitals to expand their reach or handle overflow patients during peak hospital usage.
Mobile Lab Vehicles
Mobile lab vehicles are utilized for numerous medical services. They can be designed to allow mobile education services with onboard teaching labs. Or they can be used by government agencies such as the National Institute for Health (NIH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to respond to national and worldwide health crises.
A great example of mobile lab vehicles in action was the recent response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These mobile lab units are used to distribute equipment to medical personnel, test blood samples, and perform critical research.
Primary Care Vehicles
Primary care vehicles are responsible for bringing a wide range of medical services to locations across communities. Acting as a mobile branch for primary care facilities, these units help detect at-risk individuals and allow medical teams to provide health interventions early and efficiently.
Tool Trucks
Tool trucks transport tools to job sites and as mobile storefronts for tool sales teams. These tool trucks often feature unique shelving and drawers designed to organize tools efficiently.
Additionally, they are often equipped with onboard technology, break rooms, and specialized display cases.
Talk to Summit Bodyworks about a Specialty Vehicle
Whether you need a mobile classroom for your school or a medical professional looking to expand your clinic’s reach, our team is here to help. At Summit Bodyworks, we have experience assisting clients across industries with the design and manufacturing of specialty vehicles. To learn more about our work or to request information about our current inventory, talk to our team today. We look forward to becoming your trusted specialty vehicle partner.
