I completely agree, I am small potatoes around here. I really did not try to start this as a business, more as a favor to a friend and his company. I am fairly business savvy and decided rather than reach beyond my abilities I work into this slowly. There are several stations and 2-3 mobile guys locally. I have heard nothing really shining about the competition. I strive to have the image and quality while maintaining my rates as need be. I have luring prices on my website, but have photos and references to back up my work and rates.

I know my capacity for now and have done some direct marketing, 300+ businesses in my direct area, all with different fleet and vehicle sizes. I stay away from advertising and yellow pages for now. I have weekly increases on my site and have gained new customers based on that. If I stay within a dedicated area, with fuel like it is, I can keep my costs down and have cash to tuck away for better equipment.

If I have learned anything about this business over the past year it is not to sell yourself short... I did it once and paid for it, literally.

Josh Fox
Fox Industrial Cleaning
Syracuse, NY
315-430-9551
http://www.Fox-Industrial.com

I understand the problems going on with Fleet Wash. They tried to get one of my accounts this year so I had to drop my price. I am washing a 70 vehicle fleet once a month for $6.50 a truck (these are day cabs) and the front and backs of 200 pups for $6.50 a piece also. I have 2 machines and 3 guys that help me. It takes us 15 to 18 hrs to do the job. I don't use cheap soap (about $50 for 5 gal), my guys hand brush EVERYTHING and I pay them $10 an hour. My expenses for the weekend are around $700 to $800, I bill them around $1700 to $1800. If you are not happy with that profit for a weekends worth of work than need to do something else i guess. On a side note I do wash a smaller fleet of 28 trucks for $14 a truck twice a month, still come out ahead by $400+ a month. My guys and I always try to talk to the drivers and make sure they know we are working hard for them. We also will make sure if a driver asks us to get something clean we do it. The drivers know that Fleet Wash does the "drive by soaping and rinse" so they make sure management knows they are happy with our work...communication, communication, communication, is all I can say!!! Keep your heads up, they may get your account, but most likely they wont keep it. Be there when they give them the boot!

My math must be off. Do you mean that you do 70 tractors and 70 fronts & backs of pups for $6.50 each? I'm coming up with $910.00. How are you billing them $1700-$1800? That's 260+ pieces you'd have to be doing....

It's sorta laughable and now he is tied down with a lowball price plus wait until his other amount finds out he is charging them more.He is caught in a trap and cann't get out of it b/c he dropped his price.
Profit the way its figured has no meaning,net profit will eat most of the profit up if not all in the long run.
Everything hand brushed,rims,tanks,frame and body plus paying 10 dollars an hour for 6.50 a truck has to one of the most stu.....stup.....Wonder when he has to replace things like tires,brakes,oil changes and replaceing washer wear and tear his profit want be as he thought.
I'm not afraid to say by him dropping his price he is done for b/c the other company will use it againest him every where he goes.
Just think if all the stand alone truckwashes were to drop their price to a mobile washer price they wouldn't be any mobile guys around.Its the reason I charge stand alone truckwash prices and more at times.I'll keep my chemicals in my tanks before I'll wash for peanuts nomatter how big the fleet is.

When In Doubt Think It Out

I agree with you Larry. That just seems way too low. Physically touching every vehicle with a brush at $6.50 each, and then only once a month after they've had a month to accumulate dirt and grime? No Thanks! It's impossible to pay all of your expenses at that rate when you factor in workers comp., liability ins., etc. Let them sit dirty until they are willing to pay an honest price! I know that company wouldn't be in business if they gave everything away, why should they expect that we should?

After reading this post I am glad I got out of the truck washing industry. Soon theywill want us to pay for touching thier trucks . To me there is NO $$ to be made in the truck wash side of things. You work on weekend 70% of the time, the clients want Blu BKon quality at 10% of the cost and you run all over the place tring to make a buck. At 4..a galon for diesel and already futting 40-50hours in before the weekend how much more can I do.

As for the volume side of things, yes the numbers are real but the headaches are too. How many 12.00 per hour guys will call in on a Sat. (too MANY) Good luck Flet wsh!!!! You will need it!

There are way too many directions to take the mobile wash industry. Truck washing is way overdone.

DAFF

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

Well first off I wasn't saying it was a great price by any means! As far as price goes...70 x 6.5= $455 for the trucks, and 200 x 6.5= $1300 for the trailers. Didn't think I had to spell it out. Look if it was the trucks alone there is no way I would do it for that price. Like I said my other smaller fleet I charge a lot more for.

I could see you doing OK with the trailers provided you didn't have to brush them. All I know is that we have a monthly account that is similar size and breakdown to yours. We charge a lot more per piece, we don't touch the trucks with a brush, and depending on the season, we're (8 guys) out of there in 4-5 hours. Even at that rate I think we are doing them too cheap. I guess the important thing is that your making money provided you're doing what's required of you as an employer(insurance, unemployment, and all). Are you still making enough to pay yourself enough, and keep enough to pay for commercial property, upgrade your trucks and equipment long before your forced to, and etc? I guess what I'm trying to say discreetly is: Are you able to run a business at that rate or just create a job for yourself?

My only point was to point out by dropping your price your in danger of
dropping all your price to keep the other accounts too.

Your competition can and will set traps for you to fall into,this will lead into a no win for you.If they can keep you busy washing for a cheap prices under a every small profit they have you where they want you.They will be able to use you and your low price when trying to get your other accounts.
Nomatter if a one man crew or 100's of employee's so many trucks can be washed by each.Why work your hindend off when you could be making more washing the same amount of trucks.Its hard to replace things in the long run with low profits accounts.....
Your competition knows you cann't go up now,your price is set for a long time and they know it.

When In Doubt Think It Out