THE DEFINITIVE TRUCKING SITE

Nov/Dec 2009

From left to right clockwise: Pride of the nation. South African truckers show off the clean face of African tranpsort. Clockwise from left, Cargo Carriers, Kempston Truck HIre, Spar, Aspen Logistics Services, Parmalat and Manline.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup, due to bring in tens of thousands of visitors to our shores, will present an ideal opportunity to show the world just how professional we as an industry can be and how proud we are to own and operate the best looking and best maintained truck fleets across the length and breadth of Africa. But there is work to do to achieve that status writes Andrew Parker.

While the primary focus during 2010 will be on scoring goals on the soccer field, the local trucking industry will be tackling a few hurdles on the highways. The first of these is overcoming the perception that trucks are not only a nuisance but also an eyesore.

Fleet operators must always keep in mind that the truck fleet represents their biggest investment and should take pride of place in their business. While nothing performs as good as a properly equipped and regularly serviced truck, operators should include keeping the cosmetics of the vehicle in tip-top condition as part of the accepted maintenance and service procedures.

A fleet operator’s truck fleet is an advertisement to existing and prospective target markets. A fleet of dirty trucks will soon destroy the company’s image which the marketing department has worked so hard to establish.

This article aims to advise truck owners and fleet operators on the ways and means of giving their truck a ‘facelift’ thereby presenting a  ‘bright and shiny” moving billboard for their company while showcasing the clean face of South African trucking. It is the first of a series of articles we intend to run as a lead-up to the 2010 World Cup as we want our trucks to ‘shine’ in the eyes of our visitors.

Up close and personal

Apart from impressing our visitors, the benefits of keeping a fleet looking good will ensure a positive impact on the resale value of vehicles and there is a definite safety aspect too. Getting up close and personal with your truck is the perfect opportunity to detect the odd oil leak, the under-inflated tyre, cracked headlight and so on during that all important pre-trip inspection.

Washing and polishing the trucks not only keeps the fleet looking good but also speaks volumes about your business and will certainly have a positive impact on the resale value of the vehicles at the end of their economical life.

After considering all of this, FleetWatch thought that the best place to start would be with a goodlooking operator - and we are not talking about either the drivers or the receptionist. We are talking about the trucks and in this instance Aspen Logistics Services.

If you are ever in the vicinity of Meadowvale, Bedfordview in Gauteng, take a drive down Koornhof Road and stop at number 125. This is the home of Aspen Logistics Services which provides a variety of services including closed body refrigerated and dry loads, long medium and short haul rigid operations. The primary focus is on the transport of perishable cargo.

One thing that stands out clearly is that while the trucks may arrive at the company’s HQ looking a little dusty and bedraggled from the long hauls across the country, they all leave looking spick and span. Workshop manager Chris de Villiers reports that, without fail, every time the trucks return from a trip, they are cleaned inside and out.

While drivers are encouraged to keep the cab interiors neat and tidy, Aspen has a dedicated cleaning team who valet the cabs at least once a week. The company also offers incentives to drivers for keeping their trucks in top-top condition, something de Villiers says goes someway in reducing those irritating scratches and little dings and dents.

Getting back to cleaning, anybody who has spent time in a truck wash bay will have an idea just how tedious and time consuming cleaning a truck can be. It doesn’t come cheap either. A properly equipped truck wash bay can cost anything up to R3- million to set up and then there are the operating costs to consider!

The amount you spend and type of cleaning system you install depends on the type of operating conditions and the number of vehicles in the fleet. FleetWatch was advised by one supplier that it was not worth investing in a fully fledged wash bay equipped with all the latest brushes and spray guns unless you had quite a substantial fleet.

Like many commercial vehicle fleets around the world, over time the daily operating conditions take their toll in the form of fading paint, road damage from stones and other debris, minor scrapes, dents and dings and so on. De Villiers says to counter this overall deterioration of the fleet, the vehicles are taken off the road at least once a year and sent into a selected panel beater for a “face lift.”

For the rest of the time, as far as simply keeping their trucks clean, Aspen opted to contact out their truck cleaning requirements to Simunye Cleaning Services.

According to Simunye’s operations director Kobie Vos, the company’s cleaning services can be tailored to suit the client’s needs. If this means installing a dedicated truck wash bay with all the bells and whistles at the client’s premises, then Simunye will get on with it. A nice touch is that Simunye will provide the service with its own specially trained staff at any time of the day.

If you are going to clean your own trucks, there are a number of reputable suppliers around who will provide you with the right equipment for your purposes. While a lot of this equipment is, as mentioned, a bit pricey, it doesn’t pay to buy equipment unsuitable for the job. In other words, spray cleaners designed to clean cars or from unreliable suppliers who cannot provide after sales service or spare parts when they are needed are a no go. Get the right tools for the job.

Paint your wagon

While we are talking about trucks being at the front line of the business and promoting the image of the company, the link between colour and image is undeniable.

No one wants to re-spray their vehicle fleet every year quite simply because the paint fades or peels away which is why the durability of the paint - or automotive coating as it is more commonly termed in this modern age - is very important. Also, and according to Freeworld Automotive Coatings, two decisive factors when selecting a commercial vehicle coating are the colour retention and matching capabilities.

Freeworld says it understands the fleet owner’s business and is able to assist with the specification and selection of the right coating system for the vehicles in question.

Freeworld recommends Plascon Acryline, which it claims has an extensive toner range which assists in the matching process while, in addition, formulations can be developed to meet specific customer requirements. According to Freeworld, the Acryline topcoat range consists of certain factory packs and recipes that can be made-up to match any fleet and its requirements. This ensures an accurate and consistent shade every time a fleet is re-painted.

In addition to the above, Freeworld offer the following tips for fleet owners looking to retain their vehicle in showroom condition:

1. Colour consistency throughout a fleet is a key factor in maintaining the integrity of any corporate identity.

2. Coatings should have ISO accreditation.

3. High fade resistance and UV protection must be inherent qualities of the selected coating.

4. Suppliers should be able to provide technical assistance, training in the use of the products and proper after sales service.

In a concluding statement, Freeworld says that the investments made into fleet maintenance are not merely beneficial to the commercial vehicles in question, they have a key role to play in upholding the integrity of the company’s corporate identity.

International will definitely score points if they are seen delivering soft drinks in sparkling rigs like the one seen here.

Elbow grease

The external area of volume vans operating in South African range from around 20 m2 to over 50 m2. That’s a lot of metal to keep clean and more particularly, to polish.

Fortunately for fleet owners, technology has come to the rescue in the form of a special polish designed to handle excessive heat, moisture, dust, UV, salt, sea air, mud and diesel exhaust emissions. It is claimed that it will even prevent tar from sticking to the paintwork.

The product, known locally as Starbrite Premium Polish, originates from America and was originally formulated for the marine industry before it “migrated” into the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors.

It has undergone numerous successful tests with commercial vehicle fleet owners in South Africa and is now available on the open market. The suppliers claim the product will outlast any other polish lasting six times longer than similar locally available products.

The blurb reads that Starbrite Premium Polish is “designed to sustain anything “mother nature can unleash” and will last more up to eight months before the vehicle needs another polish.

Cleaning that tarp

For those thousands of trucks utilising side curtains and tarpaulins to protect the loads, Specialised Tarpaulin Services in Wadeville have an electric powered vacuum brush that, when used in conjunction with a general purpose liquid soap, has proved to be a very adequate cleaning tool.

They also supply what sales manager Donavon Munien calls a special clear UV resistant varnish that not only protects the curtain but makes it a lot easier to clean. “A damp cloth will do the trick.” he says. (If Munien wants to use a damp cloth to clean a truck, he is welcome. This journalist would stick to a pressure hose!)

There is much more to keeping your fleet in sparkling condition and we would welcome any tips from our readers on how they manage to accomplish this time consuming and often expensive chore.

Further to this FleetWatch will, in a series of future articles, offer more tips and advice to our readers on how the local road transport industry can wow both our locals and our visitors during 2010 and beyond.

In the meantime we encourage all fleet owners to move out from behind their desks and inspect their vehicles on the company’s parade ground. Keep your trucking clean and green in 2010.