If you’re running a fleet and washing vehicles through an outsourced company, we’ve got some bad news: In the long term, you’re already throwing money away.
Regular vehicle washing is essential for every fleet. But as your company grows (and your fleet grows with it), the costs of outsourcing can start to seriously add up.
And before you know it, you’ve spent more on the service than the cost of your own wash bay.
Here’s why forward-thinking workshops are planning ahead — by investing in their own heavy vehicle wash bays to keep their fleets in top shape
Your fleet will look professional
When your fleet’s out on the road, your company’s being represented. Not just by your drivers and workers — but the vehicles themselves.
Each one of your vehicles is a travelling advert for your business. They’re carrying your branding all across the country. That means they need to be just as presentable as everything else you show to the public — your website, your premises, and the appearance of your staff.
So if you’re not keeping your fleet looking spic and span, your customers will notice. And it won’t be a good look.
Your vehicles will last longer
Appearances are important. But there are more practical reasons to keep your fleet clean with your own vehicle wash bay:
When dirt and grime build up on your vehicles, it doesn’t just sit there. It speeds up the corrosion and deterioration of your vehicles — both the paint and finishings, and the components themselves.
That’s especially a problem for the chassis: The underside of your vehicles is where most of the muck from travelling lies. But it’s also the area where most of the critical systems and mechanisms are.
That’s why smart workshops don’t just invest in a wash bay alone: They pair an in-house wash bay with a vehicle lift that’s built for wet work — like our Wash Bay Mobile Column Lift, or the galvanised models of our Y-MECH or Heavy Duty Four Post Lift.
When you can safely lift vehicles inside your wash bay, you can give your teams full access and visibility to the underside of your vehicles.
So they can give each vehicle and its components the thorough clean it needs — and help to limit the damage and the costs of frequent repairs.
Your drivers will be safer
With heavy loads and long trips, commercial drivers are already vulnerable to fatigue and exhaustion.
And when their vision is affected by the condition of their vehicles, it’s an extra stress to an exhausting journey — which could lead to an increased risk of accidents.
But it’s not just about drivers looking out through mucky windows. A clean vehicle has a double effect on the safety of your fleet on the road:
As well as helping the vision of your own drivers, a clean vehicle and its bright headlamps helps to make your fleet more visible to other road users, too.
So your drivers are more aware — and people are more aware of them.
You’ll save money and time
Some workshops and fleet owners rely on third-party washing services from outside companies.
But over the long term, this is a trap — and investing in your own wash bay could end up costing you less.
On top of the costs of the vehicle wash services themselves, you’re also taking your vehicles and drivers out of commission.
They’re travelling to another site with a wash bay, and they’re burning extra fuel. They’re working around the schedule of an outside cleaning company — wasting time when they should be out on the road bringing in revenue for your company.
But with your own heavy vehicle wash bay, you’re getting more value out of what you’re already paying for.
You’re already paying for your premises, your staff, your water, and other utilities. So why pay the expenses (and the profits) of another company to do the same thing?
After the upfront investment in an in-house wash bay, you’ll be able to give your vehicles a washdown as frequently as you need.
You’ll be able to match up your washing and maintenance with the downtime of each vehicle’s work schedule. So there’s no wasted time, and no lost revenue.
And the best part?
You’ll be doing it all with your own premises and utilities — so you’ll have full control over the costs involved.
