Because fleet managers won't wash all of their equipment at $35 per piece, and you guys are dreaming if you think that a bus company with 175 buses is going to let us come in there and charge them that. As much as I would like to drive out of there at the end of the day with $6,125.00 it ain't gonna happen! I'm happy if we gross $1500/day for a three man crew. I'd love it if they would pay more, but they won't because money isn't that easy to come by, especially with the way the economy is now.

The only reason they want pay that is b/c some mobile fleetwasher is doing them cheaper,they aren't smart enough to realize if no mobile around they would have to pay stand alone prices.Next time you drive by a stand alone truckwash look how busy they are.Look at all the company names on the doors and most of the trucks has a mobile fleetwasher at home base doing them cheaper.Fleet companys aren't going to drive a dirty truck for lone before it gets washed nomatter if its a stand alone truckwash or mobile they pay each his price.I think my service and wash job is as good if not better than a stand alone truck wash so why charge a cheaper price.
However I do understand the lower priced mobile guys as to not charge stand alone prices.

When In Doubt Think It Out

Sorry, but in my opinion, Blane is right and Larry is wrong. Since Blane has multiple rigs, that kind of helps swing my opinion.

As for locally, the schooldistrict will not pay more than $6 a bus, because they know that they can buy a drive through car wash that will wash them for that, including all the repairs, etc. Since that is all that they are looking at for a wash, they don't much care how high quality it is, but if it is 25 foot pretty.

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For a company with that number of pieces of course you will adjust your prices. For now you can drop your prices for the fact there is no down time. (travel) As the number of pieces increases the cost per unit will decrease. Yes you should be happy to make $1500.00 per day with a three man crew for you will be proffiting about 800.00-1000.00 for the day.

For the single truck wash one should charge local truck wash prices plus 15-20%. Why for this is a bonus for the owner operator(truck). Park the unit, go home, come back on Monday moning and drive. They are saving fuel and time!!!

This is where it is all about proffit. Yes the truck washing is constant flow of cash comming in, but in time it will burn you and the guys out. Who wants to work all weekend in the slop freezing cold and greasy black when they get home just to make min wage. To me I'll take the weekend off maybee work the AM on Sat and spend the rest of the day with the wife and kids. Yes there is fantastic money to be made in fleet washing but after working 40hrs Monday to Friday who wants to put in an extra 20. For companies who ask for weekend service I try to convince them to wash during the week at a discount.(daytime) For this actually works 50% of the time for heavy equipment.

DAFF

DAFF MOBILE WASH
WINDSOR, ONTARIO CANADA
DAFFMOBILEWASH@AOL.COM

All the drive though car washes I know of aren't tall enough to wash buses,now a drive though truckwash is a different story which are far and few inbetween.Anybody/drive though car wash washing school buses for $6 with repairs and ect. has to be wearing a round stupid hat pointed on one end.

"if" all the mobile owners charged what a stand alone truckwash charges the fleet owner would have to pay.Everybody has the freedom to charge what he thinks is fair or what he can turn in profit.If anybody wants to wash buses for $6 by all means wash them,they'll have to wash 5 to my one at 30 with me making more profit than the 3 man crew.I do not look at how many I can wash in a days time to turn a profit by the hour.Cheap prices your always rushing rushing hurry hurry rushing hurry elbows and way holes hurry hurry we're not making money at this price hurry don't walk run.Mobile guys will always lowball the truckwashing trade,I'd work on a chicken farm before I lowball the trade.

When In Doubt Think It Out

So Larry, you're telling Scott and myself that you would READILY pay $35 each to wash a fleet of buses if you owned them? Do you also get upset when your not allowed to pay full retail price for things? I also would expect you to never shop around for the best price, never to browse E Bay, and never turn in rebates on items bought at Home Depot. Somehow I don't think any of that is true. If we weren't price conscious China and every other third world country wouldn't be producing the quantity of goods to import to us that they do. The fact of the matter is that you know you wouldn't pay that. You'd go and buy a pressure washer, some cheap soap and a brush, and either do it yourself or hire some kid for $10/hour to wash your buses rather than paying $35 to "Mr. truck wash business" to wash each bus. Heck, that's probably why you got started in the pressure washing industry anyway. The "trick" is to convince the customer that you can offer something to them that in the end would be cheaper and/or less cost than if they were to do it themselves.

As far as drive-thru's go, they only guys that go through drive thru truck washes are privateers. As far as fleets go, they only fleet trucks that go though them are the ones where the trucks are going round the clock and have no real home base: the JB Hunts, the Schneiders, Covenants, Cedar Rapids, etc....Fleets that have a home base do not go to them. So they either a) have a mobile service wash them if it's cost effective, or b) build a wash bay and wash them themselves. Drive Thrus are dependant on finicky drivers setting the washing schedule of each individual truck and home-based fleets are dependant on you, the mobile washer, setting the washing schedule for the whole fleet of trucks.

Obviously the price will vary depending on the variables, so if something is extra dirty, I have to spend more time on it, I have more drive time to get there, etc., they price goes up. However, I can't imagine a scenario where I feel justified charging $35 a bus. Since it takes about 5 minutes to wash a bus, I would have to charge $50-$75 for a tractor, same for a trailer, and on-and-on to keep up with my $420/hour service rate. We have a rule: We can't stop our truck for less than $100. This immediately rules out the single units and motorhomes. We don't want to do that work anyway. We are in the fleet business and that's what we're set up to do. As much as we'd like to charge more, we, unlike Larry, have competition and need to keep our prices competitive with the local market.

Yeah you have me wrong too,I do not shop for cheap stuff or after market stuff.If I can find it I only by USA stuff,my chemcils are high dollar stuff.I do not have to buy the cheap things in life b/c I do not lowball the trade.I'm not a shopper for bargins,if I need it at the time I buy it,cheap things break to easy and after market stuff doesn't last long.If I need fuel I do not look at the price,I fill up and go on about my business...just bought another 250 dollar rod to go fishing.
I do not have a problem with you or scott or anyone else charging cheap prices,salesmanship goes a long way in this trade.And yes If I owned a fleet of buses they all would go though a stand alone truckwash and wright it off in taxes,I wouldn't put up with a mobile washer.

When In Doubt Think It Out

what kinda pole? i just got two bait casting combos for Christmas!!!! you bass fish?? sorry guys i know its off topic

G-Loomis rod.........yes I bass fish plus like to pan fish,crappie,brim,anything that will bit.
Think this year I'll sale all 3 boats and buy one I can design myself.

When In Doubt Think It Out

Sweet those are awesome poles . . . what kinda boat you got ? i'm lookin to buy one this year