''fleetwash'' Look Out Fla.

ron

New Member
Hi we have a Co. in our area called FLEETWASH they are in PA,NJ,CONN, AND coming soon to FLA. have any fleetwashers come accross them? They do about 5 million a year in fleet washing.
They work at such high vol. that you cant compete with them. 2 guys with bucket and brush scrub the outside. When the first guy is done with the cab he starts up the washer[van mounted with 150 gal tank[cold water-home depot type-2 gpm] and starts to rinse. Each group of 5 vans has 1 special truck that has chems and hot water for when they need them[radio dispatched-but never more then 5 min away]
They dont degrease or raise a hood. They use ladders to get to the top of high box trucks-roll offs-ect... they wash just what you can see.[no EPA]
They do all the FED-EX trucks in the state but are now going anyone with 5 pieces of equipment or more.
Heres the part i cant compete with. They wash 11 box trucks an hour and charge $9 each.
garbage trucks $14. Tractor and trailer $22
i had a guy stop me to ask me if i could BEAT there pricing!
Fleetwash has over 100 vans and i did not hear any employee speak english.
They do a nice job by the way.
Maybe its time i started paying more att. to the"just wood" section of this board!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 

ron

New Member
mistake

i looked up there site and they have there own line of washers[not bad pricing] they also do oil recovery.
 

Dan S

New Member
dont let them scare ya off... just keep doing the job you are doing and dont worry about 'em..........
 

Scott Stone

New Member
Your info is really old. They have been in Florida for about five years. Their sales were $15,000,000 about 4 years ago. The strategy is usually to buy out one of the larger contractors in an area, and pay them a premium price, then since the guy doesn't have a job anymore, they will also hire him to manage the operation at a pretty good salary. The quality of work that a particular customer gets is really dependent on the crew that is doing the washing. Their big selling point is that they do environmental recovery. that is almost always what they use as a selling point. If you get a chance, peek in one of their vans and look at the vacuum recovery system that they have. They used to wash with nothing but cold water, but Ithink that has changed recently and they are using hot water on more stuff.
They used to have 600 crews nationwide, but I am sure that has been on the increase. They have full time salespeople in every market. The thing that is going against them is that they have pretty poor customer service, and that the employees don't often speak english.
As for the competition aspect of it, there are secrets to competing with them on their own turf, You just have to figure out what it is in your neck of the woods. Usually it is customer service, but it can be different every where that you go. Just do what you do, and you will outlast them. BTW, they will raise their prices once they have acertain percentage of the market cornered.
 

Clean County

New Member
Scott,
Who owns fleetwash? Is it an individual or is it another company that owns them. With a company that size its pretty easy to see why there hard to compete against especially if there is a bottomless pit of money(From the parent Co. if there is one) that is supporting them.

John
 

Scott Stone

New Member
Fleetwash started out as a single contractor that merged with another, andthey keep "merging" to grow the company. The Mergers are where they keep the local management inlace, and for the buyouts they bring in their own people. As far as I know, there is no corporate Deep Pockets.

Scott
 

Clean County

New Member
Interesting Scott. I can't believe so many contractors would sell out to them. It must be like you said where they pay top dollar for someone's established Co. I would think there quaility would be slacking but then again they get these Illegal Aliens who are hungry to make money and they work there tail off in doing so.

Thats the principal Idea what Landscapers do in my neck of the woods. Its tough to compete against that if you want to expand your own company. Where would we find someone who is hungry to kick butt for $12-$15/hr when this company probably pays there workers alot less but who will work like crazy because they are hungrier due to there immagration status

The old landscaper mentality. Tough to beat.

John
 

ron

New Member
workers

The labor force they use in my area is all mexican. Once the work visa runs out they send a new guy from the same village[or a brother]. They only ride bicycles. No drivers lic. and are paid $8 on hour no benifits and get time and a half for overtime[they work 60 hour weeks]
thats 560.00 a week[gross] about $400 bring home-they keep 1 check a month for living exp. the rest gets wired home. A nice size 2 beadroom apt. will split the rent for the 6 that will live there. They keep there sleeping bags hidden so the fire marshall dose not know how meny act. live in the apt. but you allways tell by the amout of bikes locked up out front. On sunday the landlord drops off materials[paint,wood,grass seed, ect...] and they have the understanding that [the landlord] knows they are overloading the apt. and in return they fix the place up.
I cant evan get a kid from my street to cut the grass. The local Mc Donalds has to pay $9 to flip hambergers. Kids today dont even know what a shovel is.
As far as selling out to someone like fleetwash-you sell your customers to them-sell your eqip.-and then get there crews started on your customers-after they have that settled you become a salesman and sell more wash jobs. They try to corner the local market and slowly raise the prices. In return for this you keep your feet dry,your back wont hurt,and no waiting for your check at the end of the week.[if you do not recycle your wash water and they want your customer [and dont play ball with them] they will call the EPA untill you cant wash anymore. They dont recycle All Wash Water just when they have to.
 
L

Layman's P/W

Guest
Fleetwash is a big outfit and they wash a ton of trucks but poor quality work and poor quality help is where we have the advantage. Don't let them intemidate you, they are not what they seem.I have taken an account away from fleetwash because of there poor quality work and charged a higher price to do it, and just like someone said in an earlier post they or someone else called the EPA on me, but guess what.... I reclaim my water also .
I know of three big accounts that are very unhappy with there work and when the contracts are up I will be Knocking on the door offering enviromentally friendly quality work.
We can compete with these guys but its not easy.I for one will not let them take anything with out a fight.

Daren
 

UMPW

New Member
Hello everyone,

It's me Bridget....new computer at home, no cookies, had to re-register. :)

So, nothing like pulling a thread out of the archives. But guess what? Fleet Wash just stepped into Michigan.

They were awarded the FedEx Freight account nationally.

Anyone out there receive a call this week from your FedEx Freight customer saying so long, nice knowing ya and oh, by the way if you want to chance at washing us - call Fleet Wash they are looking for contractors just like YOU????

Happen to anyone lately?

Bridget & Gordon
 

WasherMan

New Member
Gee, Ron, it's so great to have such a student of the Hispanic mentality, culture, work ethic, financial standing and living arrangements. It is a wonder how I have stayed in business this long without your insights! 88888888888888

Wake up, smell the roses, and stop bad mouthing a hardworking guy because he works harder than your 77777777777777777

Washerman
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ron

New Member
where was i bad mouthing the mexicans?
I work with a fire marshal and SEE the living conditions. They dont live badly, just cramped.
I also said they fixed the place up.
I also said they were underpaid compared to a hamburger flipper.
Most are here on work visa's and only ride bicycles.
Still dont see where i bad mouthed them.
I SEE the line on sat at the local place's to wire home money.
america was built by diffrent cultures doing the same thing.
Still dont see where i bad mouthed them.
I grew-up just outside LA and not much you can tell me about HISPANICS.
Prob the most cult. related people i can think of.
Ive been to mexico quite a few times and not just to TJ OR JUST TO SIT IN A RESORT.
I made no mention of their work ethic but you assume two things about me.
One, im lazy and 2 im white.
Being your prob. of hispanic heratige i would think a better attack with a more colorfull amount of wording would have been in order other then a simple ''retard'' comment. Very disapointing.
Sorry if my prev. post reaked of sterotypical stuff but it is what it is.
I currently live in a very cult. mixed area with hispanic being the most up-coming.
They are still scared to bring out the culture to the street's but it wont be long.
I cant wait, the food will get so much better.
hispanic fact, #1 growing population in the US today.
That mean's two things.
Politicians will have to listen and support you and that in 10 years you guy's will be looking for cheap labor.
im no racest im a realist.
 

Mikespowrwash

New Member
Way to go Ron, I know what you are saying my wife and son are from LA and they are Mexican. I eat goooooood! They are hard working people for the money. Ive seen them break their backs for years in the fields around here for small money but they never gripe about how hot it is, how long the day is, how bad their back hurts, never do you hear these things from them. They are good people and they always smile while they work.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Being your prob. of hispanic heratige i would think a better attack with a more colorfull amount of wording would have been in order other then a simple ''retard'' comment. Very disapointing.


Being a hispanic heratige I figured it was YOURS :D
 

Bridget

New Member
OK, that's better - I had to do a lil' clicking around to get my password together and now I'm back to my original "screen name".

So fella's - by the lack of responses to my question of whether or not anyone out there was booted from their FedEx Freight account - it appears that current PWN viewing members wern't affected. Well thats good.

Bridget
 

Dan S

New Member
Bridget , I will check with my buddie ....he does fed-x here .. I turned it down several years ago and now he is doing them .

Take care .. Wish all the luck in the world !
 

Gwas

New Member
I do Fed-Ex in Michigan and I have sucessfully retained my accounts. I just replaced Fleetwash in 2 accounts here in Michigan. There quailty is HORRIBLE !!!!! Please do not let a company of that size scare anyone. My company is not that much smaller than Fleetwash and I will kick there butt anytime !!!!!! Quailty and Price is what everyone looks for ofcourse. The fact of the matter is CLEAN !!!!! The major problem I have with a outfit like this is that when you buy other people out you never really know what you are buying. My philosophy is build your own. Train your own and pay for your own. Quailty then will not suffer. I do not feel that race is an employment issue. I beleive in paying employess well. I offer health insurance, 401k's, and a family atmosphere. The owner of Fleetwash may be able to retire sooner than I but I will sleep better when I do. In the next month or two Abel will be expanding outside of the state of Michigan. I look forward to the challenge of the Fleetwashers of the world. If he is my only competetion than my world is looking better. Remember Quality is second to none !!!!!
 

Bridget

New Member
Mike,

It's my understanding from our FedEx Freight district manager who oversee's the Midwest, that the Freight division of FedEx has retained Fleet Wash for all FedEx Freight washing nationally. Are you saying that you have FedEx FREIGHT accounts that are not under this corporate directive?

Or are your FedEx's one of the many different FedEx divisions (FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground, FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Home Delivery) ?

Bridget
 

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