Any trucking company that says yes to such a question really should rethink their fleet operation. A dirty truck on the public roads can lead observers to think that it is being operated by a less than efficient and, probably, environmentally unfriendly company (or owner operator). About the only good thing about this perception is that they will not be able to identify the company behind the dirty truck because its signage will be totally obscured beneath all the dirt and grime.
Fleet Operations
The owner/driver of a single truck has only himself to blame if the truck gets covered in dirt and muck; particularly as he only has the one vehicle to keep clean. However, once the number of trucks being owned multiplies and becomes a fleet of trucks; keeping them all spotlessly clean might become something of a logistics nightmare. The first priority for any fleet operator has to be to keep his trucks on the road and on the move. They have to stop for basic loading and unloading and, there are rules covering the amount of hours the drivers can drive; but, when parked up for any reason, the truck is not earning money. Extra stops just to wash the trucks in the fleet could be seen as extra, non-earning, downtime.
Where & When To Wash?
One way could be to utilize the truck washing facilities that can be found at a number of the larger truck stops (e.g. those operated by TravelCenters of America) – some even provide under the hood cleaning. However, not all of the fleet may be on roads that have such facilities; or, it is possible that they might not need washing when passing by one.
Another way would be to set up your own fleet washing facilities at your base depot(s). This can be quite expensive and you will need manpower to operate it. In addition, there are a growing number of environmental laws relating to the water runoff from any type of vehicle washing – you may also have to invest in some sort of water treatment plant.
If you are not happy with either of the above; you can always subcontract to a company providing a mobile fleet wash service in Fort Worth TX area. These concerns will bring their equipment to your trucks and wash them wherever they are. A typical example in the Dallas/Fort Worth area would be Clean-Tex Powerwash.
