Okay so, suffice it to say that automated truck washes with expensive fleet management purchasing robotics and assembly line equipment are not the same as truck washes which use mostly human labor with brushes, hoses, and hot water pressure washers, along with perhaps a Landa Water Maze and a reclaim tank. Today’s automated truck cleaning systems are nothing short of amazing whether one invests in an all-out Interclean system, hand-me-down Ryco unit, or a high tech looking 54 foot Belanger V-max. Okay so, let’s talk about the types of companies and customers that an owner of such a system might target market.

One well-known company noted that the fleet business was much better than the over-the-road independent owner operator sector, and yes, I fully agree with that, especially if the system is designed to use “flash-washing” style cleaning – acidic soap and then fast rinse, along with the brushes. What type of companies should such a company target then? How about the larger trucking companies such as; Covenant, FEDEX Ground, JB Hunt, Swift, Schneider, etc need their trucks cleaned. Still, I imagine that most of them have signed on with Blue Beacon, as they have so many locations, and do it nationwide, so to compete one MUST be price competitive.

This is why I believe fleet sales are primarily going to be the best potential customers for a fully automated system cleaning trucks – especially local ones – filling up the volume. Okay so, back to the question; “should Automated Washes go after over the road trucks, or strictly stay with local fleet business as their targeted customers?”

Well, having been in this business myself I am certainly not one to turn away work, so therefore if an over the road independent truck driver wants to have their rig washed, then be my guest, bring your money and, and will do the best we can to keep you happy. Nevertheless, I do understand also there isn’t a lot of trust there with robotic truck wash systems, and most of the owner operators are afraid that all of their polished aluminum will turn white from the use of hydrochloric acid for instance. And realize many of these people have hundreds of hours in polishing-out all that aluminum, and that’s the last thing they want to have happen.

Okay so, those are some of my thoughts on this issue and I hope you will please consider all this and think on it. If you have any comments, concerns, or questions yourself feel free shoot me an e-mail at your earliest possible convenience. And also do realize that some of these soaps and cleaning techniques are getting quite good, and some of those old stigmas on the automated truck washing sector may not be true anymore.