Keeping your commercial fleet clean is about more than just brand reputation and aesthetics. A grimy truck can lead to costly repairs, shorten your truck’s lifespan, and make you and your fellow travellers less safe. Truck washouts are a critical component of any fleet management plan, but we have all been guilty of pushing this particular chore off of the to-do list far too often. Maneuvering a large truck and trailer through most car washes can be challenging at best and, at worst, may not be allowed at many commercial car washing locations. When you couple this with inconvenient business hours and lengthy wait times, it is easy to understand why so many opt to put off washouts.
Commercial truck washes lighten the load a bit by offering oversized washing bays and pull-through lanes that can easily accommodate a full-size truck and trailer and save truckers the stress and frustration of performing complex maneuvers to avoid city traffic. This leaves little excuse for engaging in the risky business of driving a dirty truck.
Truck Washouts Impact More Than Surface Appearance
Truck washouts play a crucial role in the maintenance and operation of commercial trucks and fleets, serving as an essential component of proper fleet maintenance for various reasons ranging from aesthetics and safety to efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Here are some of the most compelling reasons professional truck washouts should be on your schedule.
Brand Reputation
Maintaining a clean fleet is integral to a company’s brand image. Your trucks are essentially rolling billboards advertising your brand to the occupants of every motor vehicle they share the road with. That is a lot of free advertising as long as the image you are presenting is a positive one. If your fleet is run down and unkept, then it is more akin to a bad review being shown far and wide. Dirty trucks can negatively impact public perception by showcasing a seeming lack of concern for cleanliness and professionalism. On the flip side, a consistently clean truck and trailer display sends a message that you pay attention to the details and put the time and effort into caring for your business fleet.
Maintenance and Longevity of Truck Trailer Washing
Regular washing makes it much easier to spot and fix any potential issues before they turn into bigger problems or cause you to fail an inspection. It also helps in preventing health hazards by maintaining safety standards. A little preventative care can go a long way toward protecting your investment.
Safety
Modern truck and trailer combos are increasingly equipped with a myriad of different sensors, indicator lights, and mirrors. Regular truck washes ensure that all the sensors that the truck relies on to keep the driver, the payload, and fellow travellers safe are always clean and clear. Additionally, regular truck washes prevent exposure to safety hazards by keeping sensors and mirrors clean.
Regulatory Compliance
If you regularly haul live cargo, chemicals, or food & beverage loads, you know the importance of having a clean trailer ready for inspection at any time. If your carrier services take you across the border into the US, you will need to comply with the FMCSA regulations mandating pre- and post-trip inspections and daily inspections throughout the trip. Roadside inspections carried out by official agents can occur at any weigh station stop in both Canada and America. Professional truck washes that follow a standard National Washout protocol, including sanitizing cycles, can help you sail through these strict inspections and stay on the road.
Trailer Washout and Cross-Contamination Prevention
Cross-contamination can happen when residue from previous loads remains in the trailer. This is crucial if you transport food, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals. Trailer sanitizing systems are crucial for preventing cross-contamination by ensuring that the interiors are free from contaminants and safe for immediate use after each sanitization cycle. Without careful and frequent cleaning between loads, cross contaminants like bacteria, moulds, chemicals, and medications can easily be transferred from one load to another, leading to product spoilage, foodborne illness, or potentially dangerous chemical reactions.
The Northern Touch Process: Hands-On Washes
At Northern Touch Truck Wash, we are committed to delivering a consistent, high-quality washout experience every time. Our National Washout Procedure ensures that your box and reefer trailers receive the best care at all our locations.
Here’s what you can expect:
Thorough Interior Cleaning: We wash all inside walls, floors, and doors using warm, high-pressure, soapy water. Our water temperature is carefully maintained between 90 to 110 degrees, with a pressure of 1,000 to 1,500 PSI. We use overlapping strokes to ensure every inch is cleaned, so no area is missed. In the rare event we can’t provide warm water, we’ll offer a cold-water discount of $8.00, noted on your receipt.
Complete Rinsing: After washing, we thoroughly rinse the interior with clean, high-pressure water (600 to 900 PSI) to remove any remaining soap and debris. Our attention to detail ensures a spotless finish.
Tailored Service: If you prefer the walls to be left unwashed or unrinsed, just let us know. We’ll accommodate your request while ensuring the rest of your trailer is cleaned to our high standards.
Optional Ceiling Wash: While ceiling washes are not included by default, we offer this service for an additional fee. If it’s not listed on your ticket, the ceiling was not washed. Due to the delicate nature of ceilings with air curtains, complete cleaning may be limited.
Driver Inspection: We encourage you to inspect our work. Let us know if you’d like to review the washout before we close the trailer doors. If you forget, no worries—we’ll happily reopen the trailer for your inspection.
A Note on Quality: While we strive for excellence in every washout, please note that we do not guarantee sanitization or the complete removal of residue from previous loads.
Specialized Washouts: We also provide washout services for a variety of non-reefer and non-box trailers. Due to their unique construction, these vehicles may present additional challenges, and some residue may remain after washing.
Mobile Washout Services
For businesses with a full fleet of vehicles or on-site heavy equipment that needs equipment washes, Northern Touch Truck Wash has a mobile service that brings our top-notch hand-washing truck washout services to locations throughout Southern Ontario. We use eco-friendly cleaning solutions that require no special disposal procedures, which means we can safely perform our full washout services anywhere.
Our mobile fleet of 15 state-of-the-art wash trucks equipped with the latest power cleaning equipment and eco-friendly cleaning solutions lets us provide the same powerful clean our clients have come to expect from our commercial locations without the need to transport your equipment or trailers.
All Northern Touch Truck Wash locations are optimized to cater to the particular needs of the trucking industry. Every location is located just off the highway so there is no need to get bogged down in city traffic on narrow streets. Wash bays and pull-through lanes are sized to allow even the largest truck and trailer combos to pull in for a hassle-free washout. Stop into any of our 5 Ontario locations anytime. We are always open and ready to get you cleaned up and back on the open road.