When you’re a fleet manager, keeping your vehicles in proper working conditions is essential to the drivers, your business, and your clients. But it’s also important to keep your fleet looking good outside and feeling clean inside for reasons that extend far beyond just keeping a clean “house”.
The fact is that maintenance goes beyond fuel additives, rotating tires, and checking under the hood. Regularly washing, scrubbing, vacuuming out, and cleaning vehicles with the right interior and exterior products can have a profound effect on:
And yet, many managers don’t understand the connection between keeping their vehicles running smoothly and ensuring they’re clean inside and out. Here are just a few reasons why professional-grade cleaners support all your other efforts.
If a vehicle is covered in dirt and grime on the outside, it can lead to a variety of safety issues or mechanical failures. In fact, it could hide potential problems with the engine, transmission, tire wear, lights and turn signals, alignment, and more.
Moreover, it could cause accidents like failures to stop or wheel locking if brakes are worn or covered in dust, fluid, or grime. Wear down the integrity of the frame or undercarriage due to rust or corrosion. And even cause headlights or windshield wipers to fail when they’re most needed. All major issues to drivers and liability issues for your business.
Whether you’re trade skill professional like an electrician or a plumber, you make local flower deliveries, or you transport clients to and from locations, if you’ve got a dirty, unkempt vehicle people can see that and will automatically think that your services aren’t professional—even if you’re the best in town.
First impressions make a world of difference, especially in industries where your vehicle (or fleet) are constantly in the public eye and covered in your brand logo, message, and contact information. Keep them clean inside and out to enhance your marketing and advertising presence in the area.
Believe it or not, keeping your vehicle clean and properly maintained can actually have a major effect on gas mileage and fuel costs. For example, simply inflating tires to their standard Psi can affect expenditures by up to 3%--which can be massive on larger fleets or if you have a tight budget.
This also is prevalent when it comes to keep air, fuel, and oil filters clean and efficient as it can affect things like driver health and comfort, exhaust systems, emission standards, electronic vehicle sensors, and other small, yet vital aspects of your business. Ensure that your vehicle looks good inside and out with cleaners that make it easier to manage the small details; so you can avoid the big problems.