Lorries are vital advertising and marketing platforms for many fleet operators – as well as, in many cases, their customers. As such, keeping fleet assets clean should be factored into marketing revenue. This can be challenging, as elements such as maintenance programmes will affect the cost. There is no precise answer to how much your lorry fleet will cost to wash. However, this article explains the factors that will affect it.
The volume of cleaning materials is a major determiner of cost. The larger the lorry, (generally) the more cleaning materials are required, and thus the higher the cost. If you are outsourcing your commercial vehicle washing, you can also expect labour costs to increase for vehicles with larger surface areas, such as tankers. The washing is automated, but extra work will go into inspection and quality control.
Water recycling will always reduce the cost of cleaning lorries and busses. Water recycling refers to the amount of water that is left on the vehicle after the washing process. Ideally, this should be minimal, with the run-off collected, filtered, cleaned, and re-used. Recycling water improves sustainability while keeping costs low. The same is true of speed. The faster the wash, the less energy is used. For example, at Britannia, our 4 brush automated drive through bus and lorry system can perform a complete clean in only 50 seconds.
The maintenance of the fleet will impact the cost of the wash in several ways. As dirt builds up, it becomes increasingly difficult to clean. Oil and dirt can harden, creating a surface that must be chemically dissolved before any standard cleaning can take place. This is time consuming and can be expensive. However, thankfully, it is also easily avoided. By incorporating cleaning as a regular part of routine proactive maintenance, the effort required is minimal. An added cost bonus is that this helps to protect engines against potentially expensive damage further down the line.
Flexibility, adaptability, and customisation are standard elements of modern bus and lorry wash systems. As such, there are different types of wash available depending upon the requirements. Basic exterior washes are rapid. These are often carried out daily or weekly to keep fleets looking their best while remaining legally compliant. More thorough or specialised services may be needed less regularly. For instance, engine cleaning and undercarriage washes are usually only needed once a month.
If you are outsourcing your commercial fleet cleaning, location may influence the cost. However, this is not always predictable. Urban areas can have higher overheads, pushing prices up. Equally, there can be more competition in cities, pushing prices down. Rural areas tend to be more competitive, although if one company has a monopoly over a large geographical area this can sway the balance. At Britannia, we can help to eradicate this uncertainty with our generous finance options, enabling companies to install their own on-site cleaning equipment.
For a more accurate assessment of how much it will cost to clean your fleet, the experts at Britannia can help. Get in touch today for free advice.
Image Source: Canva