Atlas Van Lines

Ashley Phillips

Ashley Phillips

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• Bi-monthly contract
• 20-40 units each time
• Polished tanks and wheels on some
• No reclaim system needed

My thoughts are:
• 40.00-Tractor with sleeper
• 35.00-53' Trailer
• 40.00-Box truck

Wanted to see what the Professionals thoughts are, they would be greatly appreciated. Before you low ballers say 8.00-15.00 dollars, there is someone washing them now for cheap. They want it done right, not cheap and I'm not working for Free.
 

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Good luck with those numbers. You are too high. Remember fleets can be very cut throat. Not saying you have to work for free, but those prices would never go here. I understand that they want it done right, but there may be acompany out there that can do it right for less money, not cut corners, and still make a profit. I am not a lowballer. Fleet accounts just don't want to pay that much for quality. You can still make good money at half of what you are quoting that for.
 
Ash,
We wash a lot of fleets even some of the same moving vehicles as those.
I would not drop much on those tractors. Polished trucks take a while and the drivers can be very picky. I would drop your van trailers and box trucks a bit there are very easy, lots of chem usage though.
Good luck.
 
That would work. We have not had great results using that for two stepping.
 
Yeah leave the tractors alone, but depending on the numbers of them the trailers and box trucks should be the $15-25 range.

As for STW 75 it will depend on how you are doing your washing. If you are upstreaming it, it will make a good brushless soap. If you are downstreaming it, then you need to lower your prices more because it does not do a really good job alone on completely cleaning a truck. Good option if they want a cheap price and not top notch quality.

If you plan on brushing the trucks, then avoid STW 75. It is not made to be brushed and does not work well that way.

I use a soap called KT-400 that has the same benefits of STW-75 in that ti can be upstreamed and is safe on any surface, but it still stays wet long enough on the surface of the vehicle to be brushed.

On the box trucks and the trailers you can two step those. But the tractors with all that polished metal weather it is chrome or alum. alot of two steps won't be good for them.
 
Can you two step with the polished tanks and wheels without streaking them? Some of them are steel wheel rigs and I had considered the two stepping on them.
 
If done properly you can two step them, but if you don't do it right or slip up and make a mistake it can ruin the polished surface, or atleast fade it.

I don't like two stepping, I two step my fleet accounts 1-2 times a year or as they request.

I used to use it alot more but I don't care for inhaling the acid fumes or those nice tingles you get on your skin as it rains down on you.

With a truck washed on a regular basis I can get them cleaned with the soap I use and Brushing as needed.
 
I dont do fleet, but it doesnt seem like theres much money in it. Even at $40 and 40 units, is only $1600. How long would 40 trucks take to clean? Sticking to roof cleaning and basic house washing/pressure washing, I can make $1,600 in about 4-5 hours max. Got a job next week should take about 12 hours, for $2,700. Maybe I charge alot. But talking to other guys in my area, im the busiest around.

Im just wondering how much money is actually in fleet washing, may be something I start looking into if 40 trucks could be done in 8-12 man hours. max
 
We could wash forty of those in 4-6 hours. Twenty in 2-3 hours. Now, if I were washing alone, that would take 10-12 hours and I wouldnt be able to get out of bed the next day. You need at least two men to help on that job to get done in half a day.
 
It really depends on your experience, the right chems and how much help you have.

I have seen a crew of 3 guys do 40 tractor trailers in around
1hr 45 minutes to 2hrs 20 minutes 4 or 5 times that quick and did an excellent job, plus brightening the aluminum as needed.

This is a crew that does 90% fleets every day. It can be done and has been done that fast and I just heard of a crew that is even a little faster.

Now, if you only have 2 guys working or by yourself, yes, it will take longer.

You have to be open minded in Pressure washing, just because you do not know how to do something, don't do something well or quick or believe it can't be done a certain way, there are people out there that do it day in and day out and are too busy to visit the boards because they are out there making money, serious money.

Just look at downstreaming decks, still to this day there are people that don't have a clue that you can purchase chems strong enough to downstream and clean/strip decks around 500 sq.ft. in around an hour. I have seen it done by a few guys and that is how they do them, fast and efficient.

With the right brand of sealer/stain, they could stain them the same day if they wanted to but prefer to wait a day or a couple days.

Every day things are evolving so people are faster, more efficient and do better work.

You just have to be open-minded and be willing to learn new things, not closed-minded or weak-minded.

Just because you can't do something doesn't mean it can't be done or isn't done that fast, efficient or good every day by other companies.
 
If you have not done this kind of work before it is going to take you and your 2 person crew along time to do 40 trucks the first time. When we first started doing fleets it would take me and 2 workers about 20 min a truck. lol but the learning curve is steep on fleet washing. Your prices are about 25% higher than what i get but that does not meen that they wont pay it.
 
Look I have been washing trucks for three years, at times up to 250 a month and if there are alot of bugs on the front of these trucks it can take you 20 minutes to do one. I have three guys, one soaping, a brusher, a rinser. Sometimes it takes a while to cut bugs off the front and this stuff about washing 40 in a couple of hours is a joke,that cat wouldn't last with these company's around here. Trust me if you do it right you'll get about 4 an hour. Going rates here are 20 for tracter or trailer.That's Life!
 
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