Bid o 25' Box Trucks

Marv

Marv

New member
A former coworker is asking for a bid on five box trucks, being used for furniture and appliance delivery. They are to be cleaned every two weeks. I am not familiar with fleets, or what kind of time will be spent on each truck. They are painted white, and appears to be in good condition.
 
ron p /5 trucks

if you are going to wash just 5 trucks, i would suggest getting a duel lance, use downstream injection and hot/warm water to apply the soap.
Then use brushes and mitt's to do the cleaning and rinse useing the pressure washer.
As far as price,do a free demo and see how long it takes you to wash ONE.
You can use Delco's R109 and use there W200 wax in the downstreamer to help make them easyer to clean,next time. you also might need a chem in a pump-up sprayer to pre-spray the fronts for bugs. Chem cost will be minimal.
KEEP YOUR BRUSHES CLEAN.
5 trucks=2 hours=$200=$40 each
there water,no recovery,no moving of trucks,no degreaseing,
extras cost extra ie tire dressing,inside wipe down[cab] sweep out [box-use a gas powered blower and do it BEFORE you wash]
Some trucks will clean-up with hot UPSTREAM soap and rinse with cold water[no brushing/brush only every other washing] use a 72" duel lance.
 
I'm going to lowball your price Ron even tho thats a fair price for a mobile oneman team.

Depends:

If not more then 10 miles from point A and wash all 5 every two weeks 25 "depends" 30,if washed the two step way 20.Figuring enough water supply on board,hour 15 to 20 mins.This type truck doesn't get as dirty as to some,a few bugs,dust and at times a little road grim.

Marv this type bid'ing is what you will run into when trying to decide what to charge a account.Some eat high on the hog like Ron while others eat on the run.Some will wash those trucks for 8,10,12 dallors as to pay their emplyee's.

Ron has said many times "know what it cost you to say in bussiness and work with a plan".I do not believe in free demo when trying to decide what to charge on a job,looking for new business many be a different story tho.You should already know how much you need to say in business by the hour not by the job when it comes to fleets as to the 8,10,12,20 to 40 dallars.

Depends,if those trucks had to be drove out one at a time to be washed it may be will worth more than 40 dallars to do so.

Lately it seems as tho fleet prices are on the going down side,I'm figuring this happens somewhere around every 10 to 15 years hopefully.I'm also figuring this happens to all business at one time or another,also figuring the small lowballers want last b/c not working with a plan.I've seen one pro and two newbees close their doors here lately,one newbee is still kicking ass with cheap prices tho.He called me tonight and wanted to know if I want anymore business "not at your price" I told him,,even tho we're going to team up this fall on some jobs I have lined up.I like him he has learned alot in the last year and half,he has even learned he is worth more in his learning.As you it has cost him in not knowing but it has cost him more for not listen to the local powerwashers as to his priceing.Its hard to go up on your price when you see your not making enough for the job,you could lose the account and if you just stop washing for them b/c of it you want never get that account back again.

If you losted half or most aLL of your business in a months time or in just one day how long can you last,thats fleetwashing for you ifen your a oneman show.The old saying if you have money you can make money maybe so but knowing what it takes for you to stay in business will make you money as to have money to plan.

Sometimes a hog sandwich on the run taste pretty good when the dinner bell is ringing.
 
things to remember

You are talking about washing 5 trucks. If that is all the truck washing your going to be doing your not going to be a speed deamoned. Your chem. cost will be slightly higher then Bigboy. Your prob not going to invest in 2 stepping chems for 10 washings per month. Also i dont know your rig. Bigboy can be washing in 2 min after he shuts his truck off and leave 2 min after shutting the PW off. Every thing about his rig is set-up to wash trucks.
My point about price was ment for you to compare time to money. If bigboy drove 20 min to get there and washed for 1 hr 20 min then 20 min ride home, thats 2 hours. I know he would 2 step them.
So he knaws on a pig ear on his way there and collects $125 for 2 hours work. Take out $25 for chem. and he's at $50 per hour. Deduct %10 for overhead and your at $40. Add 10 min to every hour worked for labor time not being billed[mixing chem,picking up chem,maint time,billing time,ect..] Now he's at $37.
As you can see i have been working on my priceing.
I am trying to work up a mathmatical formula to price fleetwashing.
One other thing about Bigboy, to get the one man speed he is talking about, remember he uses one of the most dangerous chem known to man. He finds the risks worth it and works by himself[prob. because he's grumpy from cheap lunches]
Point of the story-someone that JUST washes fleets can kick the tail feathers off a ALL AROUND PW guy.
Some kid with a k-mart washer and a bucket an brush could charge $15 per truck. Do it in 3 hours and go home happy as a clam because in his reg job it takes 8 hours to make $75.
 
Hey Bigboy and Ron,

Both of you are correct in each of your assessments, but how can that be; you ask?

Simple, the number of trucks are what constitute your interpretation of a fleet and what you would go after - the minimun that you would accept to make it worth your while.

Its not worth my time and I would simply say I'm booked up - sorry but thanks for asking.

I'm up to 640 trucks per month and my smallest fleet is 55 units. I would not call washing five trucks an opportunity and I'm not trying to offend anyone but just think about it.

If you take on the five trucks I'm willing to bet a bigger opportunity will come along and then what will you tell the guy with the five trucks?

I'd look for a bigger opportunity and thats a fleet truckwashers opinion.
 
If you take on the five trucks I'm willing to bet a bigger opportunity will come along and then what will you tell the guy with the five trucks?

I'd tell the bigger opportunity I was booked up,lol.

Bigger the fleet cheaper the price in most cases,I've washed the bigger fleets before.Now,At my prices and for a oneman show I like the smaller fleets as in more money per truck,I can only wash so many per day.Most cases the bigger fleets you have to wash 3 to 4 more trucks to my one and pay a helper to do so.

If a oneman show had only one or two big accounts he's be out of business if one closed or ifen another lowballer came though looking for big accounts.If I decided to grow again I agree with you,its where the money is when paying employee's or a oneman show if he wanted to work hisself to death:D .I work about a 5 mile circle washing two to 10 rigs per stop,we have to supply our water anyway and the watering hole is within the 5 mile circle,so in my case I'm making more money by washing small fleets at a higher price than the bigger fleets as in going back and fourth for water to wash either.

Altho I tell all new guys around here as you said,if you want to grow stay away from the smaller fleets,it doesn't do your reputation any good when dropping small fleets for bigger fleets as in being dependable ;)
 
I may be "off the hook". I printed up a bid at 15 per truck to be done every two weeks. That would cover cost and barely feel worth the time. In an attempt to make more. I added a sentence for a "sparkle" wash at an additional $3 per truck. Plus a note to do the customer entrance and walkway at .06 per sq ft also bi weekly. I was hoping they might bite on the two adds.
When talking to my friend ( former co-worker), it seems another co. was doing it, but speratically, maybe two trucks one day and the other three the next. Sounded as if they were using the job as a filler for helpers. finally just stopped showing up. Thier primary income comes for a chain of convience stores. The short of it is, doesn't appear to be an accessible water supply, and I don't have tanks. Tommorrow the two of us are going to do a thorough look. Then is when I will hand him my estimate, if we find water supply.
 
Man I fixen to go fishing but will take time to tell you something.

The reason he may have been washing....got make this fast I see headlights coming up the driveway....just one or two at a time is b/c they all may not be there at one time,meaning you may also just wash 2 or 3 at a time meaning some may not run from week to week to get washed every two weeks.


Scott or Ron help him I'm gone fishing.

crap forgot to close color [

plus the extra 3 for a sparkle should not be on your bid,you can do that later on,it makes him think your not doing your best for the 15 which they should sparkle without the extra 3.
 
Last edited:
Ron p

$15 per truck and now in order to get all 5 there at one time you must wash real early , real late,
or days when they are parked[sunday?].
The days are getting shorter.
Now if they dont take the extras and one or two trucks are not there your going to be working for chump change. The other wash guy had another customer in the area and stopped by when he was there. So it was no big deal.
Now your going to have to do the same thing.
Now add in bringing your own water.
Working odd hours. Travel time. Chem and fuel.
You bid too low in my opinion. You better hope they go for the $18 per wash and all 5 are there each time.
Brush them the first time and then brush 1 per wash and 2 step the rest. Keeping the 1 brushed in rotation with each wash or brush all 5 every 6 months
 
BigBoy, Good point on the extra 3. I was thinking about extra cost for the chems (as in there eyes). written estimate not delivered yet.
My full time job is only a mile from there, and all five will be there on weekend. I work 6:30 til 3:30 weekends, so I can do after I get off work.
 
Yeah Ron,you have learned alot,,

How much do you think he'll make the first few times he washes them,what not even 7 dallors a hour after counting expen's.

Will Marv will learn like alot of newbee's,they are more to fleet washing besides just squirting water huh.

They is a newbee from here that is more likely reading this post,I've helped him alot and he is realizing now its like I said you cann;'t washem for dat and make any money.Some rigs will take more chemicals,water and time to do or clean as to some taking alot less as to be more money even with a cheaper price,wheeeeep as in being the same size.

Also a family man with bills needs to stay away from small fleets on weekends,they are ok to do though the week.Usually a oneman team has to make most of his living on the weekends if only washing fleets...not always true BUT...

Marv the first time you do the trucks do not get all shuckup if taking you longer then you thought,it may take you 3,4 or 5 hours,,,,but don't worry you'll get faster want he Ron.
 
I passed on it

I told him he "might be better to find some one else". I verbally told what I would do dit for, and at that 'just barely covering' exspenses and time. We talked of why the other guy stopped showing up. And that if I took the account I would want to feel I could maintain it at a quality level. With no adequate water supply, and best time to have all trucks there being sunday; I couldn't take it on. Perhaps I could do them some until he makes permanent arrangements.
 
Thanks for some great replies

I am thankful to have this as a information tool. You guys shared some great replies, and knowledge from experiennce. If not for these post, I may have taken on the task to help the guy out, then not have been able to keep it up. Thus not helping him or me, and certainly not helping the image of PWers. Thanks again.
 
ron p/marv

Dont let this one job spook you away from fleetwashing. As bigboy has said, you will learn and pick-up speed.
If you went back to all the bbs and the cat and mouse games i had to play to get the info i wanted/needed from bigboy, you would laff your butt off.
I would ask him a question on one site on a specific thread and the ans. would pop up 2-3 days later on a whole diff. thread on another site.
Doing a search to learn everything i learned from him would prob. be impossiable.
Every single thing i know about pressure washing i have learned from the internet and the biggest part where i make my money is small fleets.
90% of the know how came from bigboy.
Small fleets mean you have to work when everyone else is out playing and having fun. If you dont want to do that then small fleet's are not for you.
 
Here's the way I see it. If you need the work, then working for less $$ per hour may be something you have to do to feed your family.

If you have all the work you can handle, then let this one pass.

I've got two small fleets that I do that really don't generate a lot of cash, but I know in the middle of the winter at least I'll have some bucks coming in.

I do two 15' cube vans every two weeks. They are about two miles from my house, I bring water, and brush them. It takes me 50 minutes once I pull into the paking lot, till I'm driving off. So including driving time, about 1 hr 20 minutes for $60.

I have another account with 3 cube vans washed every other week as well. It takes me just over an hour to wash the three of them. I get $85 for these three.

I do all five every other Saturday, and it takes about slightly less then three hours including drive time.

It takes me about 150 gallons of water to wash them all, maybe 3 gallons of fuel, and a quart of truck wash soap. Not big expenses.

So lets see....$290 a month for six hours of my time. Not what I usually like to make, but then again in January when I have nothing else coming in, it'll be better than nothing.
 
ron p/ APLUS

At $30 per truck this thread would have never been started.
If your that good at sales to get all most $30 per truck[box truck] do you want to move to NJ and work sales for me?
The only reason your working for less money per hour then your used to,rather then MORE per hour is because your not investing the time and right chems to learn and do it faster. Then again, if you did wash them at 10 min each,could you still get $30 per truck? Do you even have to move them or lift the hood? Any aluminum or chrome?
I'll bet white box truck's with painted everything ,no moving,no degreasing,no recovery.
At $28 per truck, I'll take all you got and ask for more.
 
Here's the way I see it. If you need the work, then working for less $$ per hour may be something you have to do to feed your family.

Then you'll always work for less money,thats bad advise,what makes you think you'll be worth more money when the family doesn't need feeding,your looks na most have found another account paying better money so piss on the small account thats helped you though hardtimes.

If you have all the work you can handle, then let this one pass.
now now thats still bad advise,why take on a account if your just going to drop it later on,doesn't do your name any good.

I've got two small fleets that I do that really don't generate a lot of cash, but I know in the middle of the winter at least I'll have some bucks coming in.

hmmm don't generate a lot of cash hmmm.

I do two 15' cube vans every two weeks. They are about two miles from my house, I bring water, and brush them. It takes me 50 minutes once I pull into the paking lot, till I'm driving off. So including driving time, about 1 hr 20 minutes for $60.

Its lucky your getting that much for washing a 15' van with the advice you gave up above as in needing to feed the family.Your family most eat alot of steak,thats a high fair price,here they would be washed for if your lucky 30 for both b/c of the advise in needing to feed the family


So lets see....$290 a month for six hours of my time. Not what I usually like to make, but then again in January when I have nothing else coming in, it'll be better than nothing.

gosh Ron he even said better than nothing,we working for peanuts aren't we,I'll take what you cann't handle or ifen you don't want to give me any I'll give you two dallors for every truck ya let me wash of that size.

I don't know where I got that bad advise at in my statement above,the results looks good.It makes us fleetwashers look like lowballers with your prices.

What really got me tho was "Not what I usually like to make"when nothing coming in,lol.

He's lucky Ron don't live in his neck of the woods b/c our prices would be lower,I know you can wash and wax 3 15' vans in less than 30 mins. right.

Tony your OK,I wish I could make what you make when nothings coming in.Here a oneman team on the run would wash those 3 vans for less then 50 dallars
 
BIGBOY

BILL GATES is the best salesman there ever was.
He sold IBM a computer language that he did'nt even own. It was'nt even finnished when he sold it.
The guy who did write it,sold it for $5000.
Bill never even looked back.
So APLUS be carefull of selling your accounts, you never know. lol
APLUS FOR $35
I move big tandems,raise the body,lift the hood,degrease everything,degrease[diesel fuel] the bodies from them paving,wash the whole truck,brighten the fuel tanks,and leave a hot wax on them. Then wipe the glass and park them 40 min per truck.[if they are not real,real bad.]
So you can see why bigboy and I are snickering at your post.
p.s. this is all done in the mud.
cube vans on cement, no degreasing,no moving,no underbodies. 10 min each, if i had a remote to turn chems and heater on and off,and switch chems.
5 min each. Brush them 2 times a year.
BIGBOY you ever think about one of them fancy remote do-dad's? The one that has the clutch that stop's the pump every time you let go of the trigger sure seem's like it would double the wash unit's life? if not more.
I know you run an open gun and you feel less is more, when it comes to wash units, but it look's like a real nice set-up.
After hearing your post's about the unit you got, i would'nt take one as a free demo if they gave it to me.
 
Bigboy/Ron...

So what is it here, bust my chops time?

I have no intentions of being a real truck washer like you guys. I'm a deck and house washing guy, by choice. What isn't my choice is that kind of work gets mighty slow in cold weather.

The only reason I get the price I get for these trucks is because I'm reliable, and get them clean, and actually show up. These guys told me other washers didn't seem to want their business. (too small?) Of course I realize I'm getting a higher $$ per vehicle. I just want a little fill-in money during the winter.

Ron, maybe some day when you get the guts to go full time, you'll find out you sometimes need to wash a broader scope of things than you had planned.

The original question was basically looking for input on whether or not Marv should take on the cleaning of 5 boxvans.

I provided my opinion that depending on how much he wanted/needed the work should be a factor in his decision.

I gave an example of how I arrived at a decision in my own case.

For that you try to bust my balls...........
 
I passed on the job. Primary reason was water supply. To my knowledge no one has taken on the job. Those who have the added investment of water tank, pump, trailer... ask, and need, more to do the job. I am not that far invested, nor experienced, to feel just in asking alot. If they had a water supply I could use, I probablly would have taken the job, and used it to learn and gain the experience and confidence needed to be qualified for bigger jobs and bigger $$$.

Big Boy, I am glad, now, that you are a regular here. It has taken me a while to get the jist of your nature, but I actually do look for you replies. No "brown noseing" here, just shareing appreciation, and offering a Thanks.

Ron P, I have read many of your post, and I have noticed that I take on a student mind-set as I start to read. This has been an intrigueing thread; the two of you seem so different, yet the difference is complementary. Basically, it works! I suppose I may fall somewhere in between the two of y'all, but off some, like a triangle.

Now, that my full time job is gone (long story) at an unplanned time, those box trucks are more appealling. I think I'd still ask for $20-25 though. I am curious about that two-step method, but that will have to wait awhile. I need to earn now, where as up to this point I have been mostly focused on the learn.
 
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