Pulling up to a lockout only to find your van missing the right blank is the worst. The phones all ring the same tune: F-150s, Silverados, Camrys, Civics, Rams — the usual suspects. If your mobile shop isn’t stocked with the blanks and remotes for those rides, you’ll be scrambling (and losing money). Here’s a practical guide to what to keep on hand and why.

The keys you can’t afford to skip

Let’s keep it simple, van-by-van:

• Ford (F-Series, etc.) — Stock H75 and H92 metal blanks plus the keyless fobs. The H75 is a perennial top mover; H92 transponder heads and related remote heads show up on calls constantly.

• GM (Chevy/GMC) — Flip keys for Silverado/Sierra (163/165 series remotes) and their OEM blanks are big sellers.

• Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep — Y159 “round head” transponders and fobik (remote-head) units are staples. Older Y164s still break and get lost a lot.

• Toyota/Lexus — TR47 chip keys and their proximity (push-start) remotes cover Camry, Corolla, Tacoma, RAV4 and more. Keep prox remotes for Toyota/Lexus push-start cars.

• Honda — HO01 / HO03 transponder blanks and their proximity smart keys for Civic, Accord, CR-V are everywhere.

• Nissan — NI02 / NI04 blanks and Nissan smart remotes for Rogue, Altima, etc.

• Hyundai / Kia — Modern proximity remotes and 3-button fobs are now common across Tucson, Santa Fe, Soul, Optima.

• Wildcard picks — If you occasionally get imports, keep a couple VW/Audi blanks/remotes. Most vans don’t, but one or two on the shelf can save a late night.

In short: your top-10 should cover Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, Chrysler, Nissan, Hyundai/Kia — plus a couple wildcard domestic/import keys depending on your local calls.

Why these keys move fast

Volume and wear. When a big chunk of the road is Ford, Chevy, Nissan or Honda, losing one of those keys becomes a frequent, urgent job. Trucks get more abuse and often have multiple drivers, so keys go missing or get broken. Flip keys (GM) and proximity transmitters (Toyota, Hyundai, Honda) are especially prone to damage or failure. Dealers often won’t or can’t sell parts on the spot, so you’re the first call — if you’ve got the part.

Practically every modern car now uses a transponder or proximity system — even old-looking metal-head keys often hide chips. Customers want both a working remote and a cut blade; carrying only blank metal keys without remotes isn’t enough anymore.

Smart sourcing and stock rotation

You know what to carry — now manage it so you’re never the guy who has to order overnight:

• Mix OEM + quality aftermarket. OEM is the safest for reliability; aftermarket clones are fine for getting folks moving quickly, but tell customers if they may need OEM later.

• Buy bulk for slow-moving staples. Cloning common blanks/remotes in small bulk orders usually saves time and money.

• Keep at least one modern prox remote for each make. Push-button starts are urgent — customers hate waiting.

• Organize by brand/FCC code. Put a small rack or box near the cutter labeled Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. It speeds every job.

• Monthly stock check. Snap a photo of your van stock monthly and reorder when you’re low on top movers (don’t wait until someone calls about a Tucson at midnight).

• FIFO inventory. Use older stock first so parts don’t sit and become obsolete.

• Pay for next-day when necessary. For five or so critical key fobs, paying for next-day delivery beats a lost job or an angry customer.

Final word

These fast movers aren’t a guess — they’re tied to what your customers drive and how those cars get used. Keep the H75/H92s, TR47s, HO-series, GM flip keys, Nissan blanks, and a selection of prox remotes and you’ll cover the majority of emergency calls. Stock smart, rotate regularly, and you’ll spend less time ordering and more time cutting keys (and collecting the cash).