completed prior to additional
mechanical maintenance, but also as a
standalone method to ensure complete
equipment functionality.
“The frequency at which this should
be completed is entirely dependent
upon the conditions that the equipment
is subjected to. In addition to regular,
frequent washings, equipment should
be fully cleaned any time there is a
concern of cross-contamination
moving from one site to another,” he said.
Turner concurs and adds, “It all
depends on the usage and the conditions.
Tractors, trailers should all be washed
on a weekly basis. Large equipment
can also be washed on a weekly basis,
but the norm is bi-weekly or monthly.
Be aware that infrequent washing of
equipment can be difficult. It could end
up costing more to wash and sometimes
have long-term effects on the body and
frame of a truck.”
In-house washing vs.
professional cleaning
As for whether machine washing
can be handled in-house versus a
professional business doing it, the
answer is both.
“It all depends on the usage of the
vehicle, the size of equipment and
the quantity,” said Turner. “Small
units that rarely get mud on them
and/or rarely used can certainly be
handled in-house. For anything that
is time-consuming or just down-right
huge and dirty, call the professionals.
We (and other professional wash
companies) have strong chemicals,
stronger equipment and the experience
and know-how to battle the toughest
wash job.”
Merrild says there are pros and
cons of both. For instance, handling
equipment washing in-house can have
significant cost savings over outsourcing
washing operations.
“While the initial capital expenditure
may be more significant, the equipment
will last for many years and often provide
cost savings within the first few years.
Further, washing in-house allows the
owner/operator to have total control
over the frequency and intensity of the
wash, as well fully customizing their
wash equipment,” he said.
Conversely, outsourcing washing
provides short-term benefits as the
“We focus on environmentally sustainable, automated and manual wash
system solutions for heavy vehicle fleets working in mud, sand, clay, on and
off the roads of North America,” said Morten Merrild of NoviClean.
initial capital outlay is often less.
However, this may be a short-term
solution to an ongoing problem.
“The cost of professional washing
can quickly add up and greatly exceed
the cost of keeping things in-house.
Organizations that prefer a hands-off
approach may prefer wholly outsourcing
their operations, though the costs are
greater. Another concern associated
with outsourcing – often found in the
form of mobile steam trucks – is the
FEATURE
difficulty in containing the water and
waste after washing.”
Environmental considerations
and costs
Equipment washing of any sort can be
incredibly resource intensive, particularly
with regards to water.
To mitigate this, Merrild says
NoviClean strongly believes in water
recycling. Ninety per cent of its washsystem
projects sold in Canada
th
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