Marketing for Fleet Washing

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Article on Marketing Part I - from www.pwnabbs.org

Marketing for Fleet Washing

Introduction

Mobile fleet washing is normally an after hours service that is provided at the customers convenience, when the fleet is not in operation. For obvious reasons this market is normally serviced during hours when the fleet is not in operation. For this reason it is an easy market to service part time while still working a full time, 8am to 5pm, job. Finding this market is time consuming but relatively simple. The benefits provided to a customer are timesavings, less costs, and increase productivity.

The Market

Fleet Washing has a broad customer base. There are many different types of companies that may operate a fleet, such as, the post office, trucking companies, food distributors, beverage companies, heavy haulers, etc. Company image, regulations, easier maintenance, and warranty issues influence the decision for fleet washing. Customer perception behind a clean fleet is probably the single most motivating factor for fleet washing. Compare the impressions given by a dirty fleet and that of a clean fleet that delivers food to you favorite supermarket. All consumers are easily influenced by visual representations. Government regulations also effect the cleaning of trucks. Transports of food and food grade materials must meet specified degree of cleanliness before loads can be loaded for shipments. Petroleum trucking firms must keep all visible signs of hydrocarbons cleaned form all visible surfaces to insure the prevention of leaks. Some states even require that all trucks entering into their jurisdiction be cleaned free of all signs of soil. Mechanics find it easier to work on a piece of equipment when it is clean because problems are easier to find. Plus the attitude of a repair tech is greatly improved when the equipment in need of repair is not covered in grease and oil. When owners are in need of warranted repairs the dealers are more inclined to do the work if they believe a piece of equipment has been properly maintained. Cleaning regularly will impress on a dealer that proper maintenance has been performed on the fleet.

Though wash cycle will vary from one to four weeks with different customers the most popular is every two weeks. Customer preference, budget, regulations, area of travel, and miles driven will effect how often a prospect will need to get a fleet washed. The more strongly a company believes in image the more likely they will be to clean their fleet on a higher frequency. As always prospects have budgets and are interested in achieving the most bang for the buck, this is why the two week wash cycle is the most popular. At the end of a two week period most fleets are just beginning to show signs of becoming dirty. Whereas, at the end of one week the fleet probably shows little signs of being dirty. Of course weather will have the strongest bearing how on quickly most fleets become soiled. Close government regulations may have the strongest influence on how often a transporter gets washed. Sometimes causing them to clean as often as every day to stay in compliance. As mentioned previously, food distributors, petroleum transporters, and even chemical companies fall into this category. City driving on paved road in comparison with dirt roads in the country will always require less cleaning. Even parking the equipment on a paved lot will keep it cleaner than parking the equipment on a gravel lot. The dirt stirred up when trucks pull in and out of a gravel lot gets all the other equipment dirtier at a faster rate. Furthermore, the number of miles driven effects how dirty the fleet gets. Some fleets will make numerous deliveries in the city without driving a large amount of miles and only need to be cleaned once a month. Unlike a fleet that will make few deliveries traveling many miles in a week requiring a weekly wash cycle.

Over the past few year the fleet owners and mobile wash operators have been faced with a new dilemma concerning the wash water. To be in compliance with storm water regulation the wash water is not supposed to enter into the waters of the state. Waters of the state are normally defined as any conveyance of storm water run off such as creek, rivers, lakes, streams, etc. Usually, this means no off property discharge of wash water and in some areas it also means that the wash water can not even hit the ground. The mobile fleet washing industries can solve this problem for the fleet owner preventing the installation of an expensive wash bay.

Finding Fleets

Commercial and industrialized areas are the most likely areas to find fleets, since ownership is generally associated with a business operation. Though this is true it is not uncommon to find fleets in other areas like the country. The best way to go about finding these prospects is to get a local map. Locate the business districts on this map. Take the time to drive up and down the streets in this area to find the equipment. After hours is always the best time to do this since it’s the time when the fleets are most likely to be parked. Weekends are perfect for this and usually Sunday will produce the highest results. If there happens to be anyone working, approach him or her and inquire about the fleet washing situation. Some questions that are good to ask are: “Who would I talk to about washing your trucks?”, “How do you get your fleet cleaned?” If the person responds by stating that they have a contractor doing it them ask, “How happy are you with the current wash service?”, “Are they showing up like they are supposed to?”, “Are they providing the quality of service that is expected?”, “Do you know how much you are being charge for the service?”, “Do you think they would be interested in getting another bid?”. If the person responds by stating that they do their own cleaning then ask, “How well does your wash person keep up with the fleet?”, “How often is the wash equipment broke down?”, “What do you do when things get too busy to clean the fleet yourselves?”. All these questions can lead to a sales pitch that can later be use in a presentation.

Another source for finding leads is to purchase information from marketing firms that can access DOT (Department of Transportation) records. The firm can prequalify potential leads by selecting companies that meet certain criteria: Geographical - “What county should the search be performed in?”, Quantity - “How many vehicles must be registered per owner?” Usually ten or more, Equipment capacity – “What GVW (gross vehicle weight) to look for?” The list will include such things as company name, contact, address, phone no., etc.

Networking with related trades is also great for generating prospects. When looking for such trades think of those that will be providing a mobile service to a fleet like a tire service, after hours fueling service, windshield companies, onsite maintenance, etc. Typically an exchange of current customers and potential leads will take place if a good relationship can be established. The intent of both parties is very important here. Both must feel strongly about protecting the list from the other parties’ competitors. Normally such a relationship cannot be established in a short period of time. In this situation it is best to exchange business cards and brochures. This will generally lead to a future exchange of referral business. Referrals are good and can generate a lot of business if handled properly. It is preferable to do a straight exchange when doing referrals, no monetary compensation. Although there are some situation when it is not possible to return the quantity of referrals received. If this is the case one should always try to compensate the referring party for their efforts. This way the stream of leads still come in and the relationship is kept on enthusiastic grounds.

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Michael Hinderliter

Steamaway, Inc. Fleet Washing and Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning

www.steamaway.com, Phone:888-39-STEAM,

Certified in Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning and Environmental Cleaning.