It’s surprising how many fleet managers assume that truck cleaning is a luxury rather than a necessity. While it’s true that contracting out fleet washing creates an added expense, the value of this service cannot be overstated. Read on to find out why it’s so important to keep company trucks clean.
Company Reputation
A company’s trucks are a direct reflection of its general image. Messy work trucks or 18-wheelers caked in mud and road grime don’t make a very good impression and in extreme cases, all that dirt can even obscure company logos. Clean trucks with crisp, easy-to-read writing make a much more professional impression, so people who see them rolling down the road will be more likely to call and request services.
Clean Trucks Last Longer
Many of the chemicals used on today’s roads are corrosive to vehicles. Even the dust that is so common year-round on Texas roads can damage the paint and other cosmetic components over time. Cleaning road chemicals, dust, and small debris off of the company’s fleet vehicles periodically helps to prevent damage to their paint, undercarriages, and other essential components, helping them last longer.
Easier Damage Detection
It’s easier to detect damaged components, electrical issues, and chaffing lines on a clean truck. If the company’s vehicles are always caked in dirt and grime, drivers are far less likely to notice problems as they occur. Even fleet technicians will be less likely to take note of potentially serious problems if the company’s trucks are always filthy.
The problem isn’t just that the damage will be less visible. It’s also that people tend to subconsciously assume that poorly maintained objects are of less value and therefore require less fastidious care.
Avoiding Unnecessary Inspections
The CSA is legally allowed to pull over trucks for extra inspections if they are too dirty. These industry compliance professionals know that dirty trucks are less likely to be well-maintained and more likely to pose a danger to other drivers on the road. Fleet managers can avoid wasting drivers’ time and causing unnecessary scheduling problems by contracting out fleet washing to a reliable third-party service provider.
Create a Positive Example for Drivers
It’s not just customers and DOT operatives that will notice whether a company’s trucks are clean. Drivers also tend to feel more valued as employees if they’re provided with clean, dirt-free trucks. These days, qualified truckers have their choice of where they want to work. Most will choose a company that maintains a clean, shiny fleet of vehicles over one that creates a poor company image by leaving grime all over the trucks.
Improve Fuel Efficiency
Keeping vehicles clean can save a company money on fuel, too, and it’s not just that clean trucks are more likely to be well-maintained. The cast of the popular show MythBusters even managed to prove it. A clean vehicle performs better when it comes to fuel economy than a dirty one, even if both of them have otherwise been maintained to the same standards.
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The best part about contracting out cleaning services to other companies is that these days, there’s no need to take the company’s trucks to a specialized truck wash facility. Choose a company that offers mobile fleet washing for maximum convenience.