7 Reasons A Regular Fleet Wash Regimen Is Worthwhile

It might seem that washing your fleet of trucks when they need it is a sufficient policy. But it would be a mistake to believe that ‘when they need it’ is ever sufficient. A more effective policy would be to establish a regular fleet wash regimen so that your fleet’s appearance remains consistently high quality and positive.

Of course, the sector your business operates in can dramatically impact on the preferred frequency. A truck on a construction site is set to develop thick coats of grit, dust and grime much more quickly than a fleet of delivery vans covering an urban area. But even if the film of grit is light, and only visible up close, it is still worth avoiding the build-up.

Why? Well, whether your business uses heavy or light vehicles, they will be out in the open and seen. And as any good marketing gurus will tell you, appearances in business are very important for sending out the right image in professional terms. Your vehicles are part of that image.

7 Pairs Of Eyes To Consider

Here are 7 pairs of eyes that will be looking at your fleet – and judging the professionalism of your operation by it. So, it’s probably worth keeping them in mind when deciding the vehicle washing policy.

• Customers – There is a reason why businesses place their contact details on their vehicles – your customers (and potential customers) are everywhere. But the decision to choose your business over another is not down to the availability of a phone number, but the impression they get of the quality of your service. A dirty vehicle suggests you’ll get round to things eventually; a clean vehicle says you’re on top of things.
• Shareholders – By extension, when your shareholders see a well-maintained, clean vehicle, they can feel confident that everything is in order. If the fleet (their vehicles) is dirty it may suggest all is not how it should be.
• Competitors – Refer to point 1. If customers are not impressed with the state your vehicles say about your business, they will not contact you. If they don’t contact you, they will contact one of your competitors. Basically, your unclean fleet of trucks give your competitors the edge.
• The Driver – It’s a bit like working in a well-planned, neatly organized office. According to research in 2011, people are less irritable, more productive and are distracted from their tasks less often when working in a clean environment. While the research focused on an office situation, the psychological results are relevant to those who drive for a living. Keeping the vehicle clean – inside and out – Is beneficial, not least because they will feel valued by your commitment to maintaining their working environment.
• Law Enforcement – It’s an unproven theory, but anecdotal evidence suggests that police are more likely to stop a dirty truck than one that looks clean and new. Perhaps a thick layer of grit suggests to them that other aspects of the vehicle are not being maintained either. But when your operation is running on a tight schedule, any stop is going to be disruptive.
• The Powers That Be – Whether you are operating in Canada or the US, the regulatory bodies expect standards to be high. It could be the DOT or the USDA or Transport Canada, but if they see a filthy truck, you run a greater risk of being targeted for an inspection.
• The Grape Vine – Ever been stuck in traffic behind a delivery van? We will bet, like everyone else, you notice at least the company name and logo. What about when the van is caked in dirt and grime? We’ll bet you notice the company name, and how poorly they maintain their vehicle. The association with poor maintenance can be damaging to your business’s reputation. The grapevine works fast – especially when the news is negative.

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Achieving Cost-Efficiency

Our car and truck wash detergents have been designed to achieve a high degree of cost-efficiency in mind for well over a decade. And with the most recent fall for the Canadian dollar, US citizens can enjoy the best-value shopping in Canada for more than a decade.

But cost-efficiency can be helped even further when fleet washing by measuring a few simple factors relating to the detergents you choose.

• Dilution Ratio – the higher the dilution ratio, the better it is to adjust the detergent strength as is needed. This helps your detergent to last longer and handle more washes.
• Transportation Costs – the more washes available per gallon, the lower the cost of transporting in detergent. Often this means the more expensive detergent with a higher dilution ratio is actually more cost effective.
• Labour Costs – if less drums of detergent are ordered, the labour costs associated managing the detergent is lower.
• Storage Costs – fewer drums means less space used up in often limited storage space. This translates to lower storage costs.

Fleet Washing Products From Velocity Chemicals

Here at Velocity Chemicals, we have helped many companies across North America develop efficient and cost-effective fleet truck wash regimens for their operations. The key factors are the size of the fleet, the sector they operate in and the quality of the truck wash chemical cleaners being used.

Our range of professional and commercial vehicle wash products is designed to suit the widest scope of operations possible. From our range of Commercial Fleet Wash Products, our leading products include:

• MOBIUS – a heavy-duty aluminum brighteners that can be used to remove road film, rust, oxides, light oils and greases
• COMMANDO – a highly concentrated, high-foaming detergent that is ideally suited for brushless pre-spray and wand wash cleaning and degreasing. Removes road film and light oil or grease from vehicles in truck and car washes.
• RODEO-NP – a high-foaming, non-caustic detergent which uses no phosphates that is ideal for general purpose vehicle cleaning and degreasing. Removes road film and light oil or grease from vehicles in truck and car washes
• ECLIPSE – a medium to heavy duty aluminum cleaner that can be used to remove road film, rust, oxides, light oils and greases
• ETCH FREE II – an acid based cleaner for use on acid resistant surfaces. It can be used for dip tank cleaning of aluminum or used for cleaning polished aluminum, chrome and stainless.

Of course, Velocity Chemicals products are also environmentally-friendly with carefully selected raw materials, less waste water produced and chemical and container recycling. So, for Cleaner, Brighter and Better Trucks, Velocity Chemicals is the right choice as your fleet wash chemicals provider.