Should you invest in commercial truck cleaning equipment?

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Automatic Truck Washes

A huge upside to the automatic truck wash – speed.  Manually washing a truck and trailer can take up to three hours. However, automated equipment can wash three units in an hour.

Additionally, the use of mechanical equipment allows business owners to save on labor costs. The one downfall is the quality lacks at times. Here are the most common express truck wash systems.

Is There a Need?

“The appearance of your truck is another important part of how people perceive your business. A clean truck is both for safety and so your truck does not look or sound like it’s falling apart. You want to inspire confidence in your customers,” says Henry Albert. This allows a business to come off looking more professional because they care for their vehicles.

However, physical appearance isn’t the only reason to maintain your tractors and trailers. Clean trucks can show that you understand the importance of well-maintained equipment. Additionally, it can lengthen the life of your vehicles as well. This helps you avoid rust and other issues that develop from dirty exteriors.

How Many People Are Needed to Operate an Automated Truck Wash?  

Most of our private fleets have an employee that checks on the wash system weekly to make sure that everything is working correctly and the soap tanks are full. But this only takes about 20 minutes per week.

How Much Time Can You Save with an Automated Truck Wash?  

The average time it takes to clean a tractor-trailer by hand is approximately 45 minutes. You can easily drive through an automated truck wash in 3-5 minutes.

That’s about nine times faster than doing it by hand, and still significantly more efficient than using a manual 2-step system with a pressure washer.

How Much Water is Used in Automated Truck Wash?  

The amount of water used is dependent on two variables, the length of the vehicle and the speed of the driver. However, the average system uses about 250-300 gallons for a single truck.  

A person spending 45 minutes cleaning a truck with a pressure washer at 4 GPM uses about 180 gallons. So while it is a much faster system, it will require more water.

Will an Automated Truck Wash Clean Your Undercarriage?  

All Hydro-Chem Systems automated truck washes can come standard with an undercarriage wash, but that is not always true for other systems.

Some fleets require a little more attention spent on the undercarriage such as dump trucks and plow trucks. For these types of vehicles, we may recommend an upgrade to an enhanced undercarriage wash that will get the tough mud and ice off.

How Much Does an Automated Truck Wash Cost?  

This is completely dependent on your fleet washing needs. But for the equipment, plumbing, electricians, and installation together, prices range from $180K to $400K depending upon options and variables based on your location and fleet needs.

What is the Average Cost of Chemicals for a Wash?  

This is dependent on the type of wash, the types of chemicals used, how dirty the vehicles are, and how often each vehicle is cleaned.

Typically, an automated wash uses about $5 - $7 worth of chemicals per vehicle.

Should You Invest in an Automated Truck Wash?

This is entirely dependent on your operation. Are you a mobile washer? Or are you a fleet owner wanting to clean your vehicles? Do you have five vehicles or 500? Does the investment make sense for your business financially? What are the right chemicals for your situation?

We know you probably have a lot of questions and we understand that an automated wash system isn’t the right choice for every private fleet.

So before you go ahead and invest in an automated truck wash, you want to make sure you do it right. Give one of our automated truck wash advisors a call and we’ll work with you to come up with the best solution for your business.