Portable storage containers and work stations can help electricians and other employees work faster and more efficiently.

Today’s tool bags, however innovative, can only hold so much, and floors or stacks of wallboard are not ideal surfaces for spreading out plans, laying out small parts or assembling components.

Generic storage boxes or chests are widely available, but companies that service the electrical market know what tools electricians use, so many manufacturers developed portable storage options to accommodate electricians’ needs.

Several companies offer compact modular storage systems, including components that can serve as convenient on-the-job work surfaces. Foam inserts can hold tools and sensitive instruments securely to reduce the risk of damage.

There also are portable work stations that include storage spaces.

For example, Greenlee, Rockford, Ill., offers two versions of a compact tech-ready field office. One can accommodate computer monitors with screens up to 55 inches. The monitor sits on a two-level desk, which enables cable and electronic storage by passing them through holes in the cabinet.

Below the desktop holding the monitor are two storage compartments with a locking door. A large door swings down and locks the video compartment, and everything is secured by a single shrouded padlock.

The work station rolls easily around job sites on 6-inch, nonmarking casters. With all doors closed, the unit can fit through a 36-inch door. The unit is 60 inches wide, 78 inches high and 30½ inches deep. Empty weight with casters is 470 pounds.

When used without electronics, the top space provides a work desk.

The Southwire, Carrollton, Ga., Work-N-Wagon was designed specifically for the electrical trade. This work station and workbench on wheels has a 24-by-60-inch print table that can be raised at an angle or laid flat for prefabricating parts, assembling fixtures and other tasks that electricians encounter.

Southwire’s Wire Wagon 510 is a rolling wire cart that can carry up to fourteen 2,500-foot wire reels and has a flat 60-inch top that can be used as a workbench or table.

Both models feature welded steel construction with heavy-duty casters to help ensure a long service life.

Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Bosch offers storage products including the L-Boxx stackable system and L-Rack customization. Bosch also offers a folding workbench.

L-Boxx storage cases interlock on the top and bottom to keep them from slipping. They are designed so users can gain easy access, even when boxes are stacked. There are handles on the sides, front and top for carrying in the most comfortable way. The front handle is larger for easier gripping.

The clips are easy to lock down to keep the items inside from falling out, and they also are easy to open quickly. Cases can lock with optional padlocks. The Bosch Click & Go system enables users to efficiently organize, store and transport their tools and accessories.

L-Rack is a customizable expansion option for the Click & Go system with drawers, trays and organizer sets to expand customized storage, organization and transportability. Adding L-Racks to any size L-Boxx can build a tool-specific kit. The entire system uses single-click stacking technology, and users can stack high or side-by-side for an in-shop storage system.

Bosch also offers a compact, foldable, portable workbench with a tabletop designed to open with two screw handles, which allows it to function as a vertical vice. It also includes four blade-style bench “dogs” to place into several holes to hold on oddly shaped work pieces.

The bamboo tabletop will not scratch a project’s surface, and it provides a flat surface that won’t warp when clamping pressure is applied. It is rated to hold 440 pounds.

The aluminum frame is light but durable and creates a framework that will not bend under clamping pressure. The hinge design allows for quick setup and folding for transportation and storage.

DeWalt, Towson, Md., offers a wide variety of storage containers and bags of various sizes. Its Express folding workbench, with its large workspace, is useful for multiple tasks and applications. The opening handle can also be used as a hook for tool storage.

“The workbench has a 1,000-pound load capacity,” said Emily Noto, senior public relations manager. “Setup and folding are easy and fast, and the folded unit is compact for easy storage.”

Noto said Stanley Black & Decker (DeWalt’s parent company), New Britain, Conn., also offers professionals and tradesmen a range of storage and work facilitation products, including toolboxes, mobile toolboxes/chests, organizers, toolbox systems, soft storage, sawhorses and workbenches, etc.

Their Craftsman VersaStack system offers a variety of modules and solutions, including units with wheels for maneuverability, totes for easy tool access, toolboxes in various sizes for customized storage, drawer units to easily store and access tools, and organizers and two soft bags with optimal storage possibilities. Most modules are water-resistant and rated IP-54.

“The VersaStack organizer is not only ideal for storing and protecting small parts, accessories and tools, but it has a strong, flat, polycarbonate lid that can double as a work surface for paperwork when stacked atop a system’s tower,” Noto said.

Klein Tools, Lincolnshire, Ill., offers a wide range of portable tool storage options that include storage and organizing boxes, tool pouches, aprons, tool totes and a range of tool bags including backpacks, canvas bags and rolling tool bags.

“All of these products are built to not only store tools on the job site but to transport them wherever needed,” said Scott Rabe, product manager.

“For electricians, one of the most popular choices that Klein offers is our Tradesman Pro Tool Master rolling tool bag,” he said. “This tool bag is built strong, with rugged 8-inch wheels, a heavy-duty handle and water-resistant materials to ensure they can stand up to the job site use. It has a hard top to allow for stacking materials on top, as well as 19 interior and exterior pockets for maximum tool storage, meaning you can store a larger number of tools.”

The Tradesman Pro Tool Master rolling tool bag has a hard top for stacking materials on for easy transportation and contours so it can hold phones, beverages and small parts.

Rabe said many current toolbox models hold more tools in more innovative ways, which allows them to be used for storage and transport.

“We continually introduce new models, and they are priced comparably to older models,” Rabe said.

Makita, La Mirada, Calif., offers a line of interlocking cases for power tool storage, organization and transport.

“Today, cordless tools are handling the majority of applications for electricians, and Makita interlocking cases are an efficient means of storage not only for the tool but for batteries, chargers and related accessories,” said Wayne Hart, communications manager. “Traditional toolboxes often vary in size and shape, making some of them difficult to manage and move.

“By utilizing an innovative modular design, the Makita interlocking cases can be conveniently stacked, linked and transported together with a collective array of key features. They also offer customizable foam inserts with prescored cutouts that can be sized to create inserts for tools and accessories for secure storage.”

Makita’s modular system has interlocking latches that secure lids and link stacked cases together. Corresponding channels along toolboxes’ lids and bases provide stable, nonshift stacking. The rounded carrying handle and recessed side handles allow for convenient lifting. They are available in small, medium and large.

Milwaukee Tool, Brookfield, Wis., has storage options for electricians suited to all phases of work, starting with shop, in-transit and on-site storage options, according to Matt Vargo, group product manager.

“The Milwaukee Packout modular storage system is the most versatile and durable modular storage system available for hard storage, soft storage, accessories and integrating power tool products into the storage system,” he said.

The Packout customizable work top is a flat desktop area that has a fastener-ready design so users can attach vises, chargers and a variety of other items to the top of a stack. The ½-inch, marine-grade wood top provides a durable work surface for assembly and writing tasks. The boxes include organizational trays and different size pockets.

“Modular storage is popular for its versatility. Not only is it customizable by allowing users to build for changing needs—it’s also portable. The Packout modular system has grown to include more than 35 storage solutions since it was first introduced,” Vargo said.

Some components more popular with electricians are rolling toolboxes, organizers and compact organizers, low–profile versions and the customizable work top.

Packout allows for the connection of soft storage into hard storage for high versatility to transport what is needed for individual job sites.

Components of Milwaukee’s storage system includes toolboxes, carts and dollies, drawers, organizers, crates, work surfaces and more.

“Milwaukee maximizes durability by using premium materials such as 1,680D ballistic material, high-impact-resistant polymer, molded bottoms and metal reinforced corners for increased impact resistance,” Vargo said.