Pricing on Produce Trucks

Okay, this is my second attempt at posting... I included pics before but they have to be so small none of them will make it on the page...

I was just asked to wash a local Produce Store and do the concrete outside... They would also like me to do 6 trucks they have, once or twice a week. I can probably end up getting the concrete done once a month or so, and I'll try to get them to agree to the building every 3 months...

If the pics would have come through, you'd have a better idea... but here's what they have...

2 x Large Trucks (you would have seen them in the pic, but they are about the size of a long U-Haul)

2 x Medium trucks (again, would have been in the pics... about the size of an average U-Haul truck... maybe a bit bigger)

1 x Bread Truck

1 x Van

What do you think I could charge? I'm in a very expensive part of the country now, and they are pretty outrageous with their prices in the store...

Rob

ROB.
first of all no-body knows where you are from.... second your file that you are trying to post is too big . you have to play with your program to find the right size.

you are in the $25.00 to $30.00 dollar range on those trucks.

after that you are going to to have to make an educated guess on what to really charge ....................how long will it take you to wash those trks. how much Chem do you think it will take......... etc.etc....

remember trks. are not like concrete..........It takes a special breed to master the art of truck washing!!

you can do it though!!

good luck!!

(Q) 2 x Large Trucks (you would have seen them in the pic, but they are about the size of a long U-Haul)


(a) 30/40

(Q) 2 x Medium trucks (again, would have been in the pics... about the size of an average U-Haul truck... maybe a bit bigger)

(a) 25/30

(Q)1 x Bread Truck

(a) 15/20

(Q) 1 x Van

(a) 5/10

Thought depends like Dan said.

If you can get those prices you are doing well. In my area you would be lucky to get $20 for the big ones, maybe $15 for the small ones, and $5-10 for the little ones. If they are concerned about quality, you might want to hit them really hard on that is what their customers expect from them, and go for the higher prices.
Trucks are a ton harder than flat work, and in my experience does not pay as well. Not that I don't enjoy doing them. It is just that every driver is a critic.

Scott Stone

Well, I talked to the owner on the phone today and asked him exactly what he wanted cleaned...

He said (2) 16 ft trucks, (1) Tractor Trailer, and (1) Van...

Plus the store front and concrete every once in a while...

I know the old company that did this for him quit because they said they weren't making money because they had to drive so far to get here. So I asked him what they were charging him... He said $35 or $40 a truck! I was like, okay, I'll see if I can work with that and I'll get an estimate back with you... He also said he'd like me to do it every week, but wants to start out every two weeks to see how it goes at first.

Do you guys charge more for the initial cleaning? I mean, that's $160 a week maybe, and literally right out my back door. I can see the trucks out my window right now.

So if I go with $40 a truck, I won't end up losing my shorts down the line, right? I don't want to low ball because I'd like to grow, and I know paying other people down the line is something I need to consider...

Rob

After doing some thinking and rereading I think the van is a box van reefer,53 ft. trailer.

Does the tractor have a sleeper,,

On small fleets like this one I get a higher price plus he will never go every week b/c of the start with every two weeks.Do not give him a weekly price b/c he will want you to wash them every two weeks for the price of weekly washing.Thats a old fleet managers trick,give him a price for weekly then he'll wash every two weeks or longer.

For the trucks in this picture, I get about $1 per foot, so a 23' truck is $23. I just picked these up, and do them on a monthly basis.

That is a fair price Tony, How many do they have? looks like a big yard

yeah but not me,I could be needing to work at that monthly price,,then it depends.Wannabes will even wash them cheaper just ask Gwas or Scott they wash at those prices.

Oh fine, now I am a wannabe. I think that I need to go pout.

Pricing is strongly dictated by your market. Some areas are a lot cheaper than others. I can tell you that Fleetwash washes those trucks for $9.00 a truck. I tried it and could not make it profitable. I do wash for $15 a truck. If I went much more than that I might as well sit home.

Scott Stone

.....I always wanted to be one of those wannabes until I learned to be a wannabe,now its not as funny as it it its used to be.I've washed trucks at cheap prices too but will longer do so,now I just pick the cream of the crop,a feller can wash just so many trucks in a days time,may as will make money at it.

Originally posted by Scott Stone
I can tell you that Fleetwash washes those trucks for $9.00 a truck.

Click to expand...

The day that I wash anything for $9 is when I take my equipment and sell it and get a job at McDonalds or Jack in the Crack.

They can take their $9 and shove it deep up their gazoo...

I wouldn't even wash a truck for $25... It sounds like these guys see you as a sucker, get into another area of P/Wing this area is eating you alive!

Dan,
That is a big area you see in the pic, it's a commerce area that has probably a hundred small warehouses and docks. However, my deal with the trucks is to wash at least 6, and sometimes 7 trucks on a monthly basis. Anything less than 6, and he bumps my minimum charge, and he understands that. Believe it or not, the guys that own the bread delivery business seem fair and not likely to screw me over. I don't normally wash trucks, and I do the brushy thing, but I wanted to have some work to do later in the season when the deck business slows down.

While I was washing those trucks, this big rig with a huge sleeper on it stops by and asks how much to wash his. I tell him $30 and he says, I'll just go down to the truck stop in Monroe and get it washed for $14. "Go ahead then" I tell him, and chuckle to myself.

I think you guys sit on a high fence ..do you think that you are the only ones with a washer? 9.00 is a little low but what if they have 50-60 trks. and you wash them every week? just think how fast you could downstream those since they are kept clean every week.
If you guys dont know the circumstance on any account I would not be so quick to judge the price!!

At 9.00 per then you add the trailers, Building, dock work, fork-lifts
It's not just about the trks. fellows.

dont pretend you cant do that for that amount.It can be done and very profitable.

Yeah work ya hindend off at low prices to make it profitable,I'm not looking for those type accounts.They aren't fair and will throw you to the dogs the first time another wannabe comes along with even cheaper prices.Throw alittle water on it and move to the next one is not my type washing,I take alittle pride in what,how and when I throw water on a truck.I'm looking for cowboy truck drivers with a little pride in their rides and not the saddle tramps looking for a 14 dallor wash job,they can kiss granny low.

Tony has picked up a good account,I seen his work and it will be hard for another wannabe to replace him even at a lower rate.Not all us truck washers are looking to work our hindend off to make it profitable,some of us had rather work alittle and charge alot to make it profitable.

The only thing I can say is your screwing yourselfts at low rates nomatter how many trucks are setting on the yard or how many you can wash in a hour.I know I know but like I said all us truckwashers aren't alike,some of us play fair like Tony's account.Ya'll can have all the 14 dallor accounts you want,at that price your to business to wash the higher dallor accounts plus ya'll haveta wash twice as many,like elbows and granny lows.

If they were no mobile washers they'd haveta take them to a truckwash or do it themselfes.I like washing with truck stop truckwashes prices or even a little higher b/c of the service a mobile has to offer.I cann't see what the big deal is as in who can wash them cheaper then a fair price nomatter if its one or 1000's.

Lowballer wannabe's .

What works for one may not work for the other! thats the joy of being different!!

I was asked to bid an account with over 200 garbage trucks at two locations,(I was friends with the maintenance manager)washed everyweek.I had to beat $18 per truck(rolloffs.frontend loaders,rear loaders and recycling trucks),reclaim at one location did not have to reclaim at the other,brushing was required,they kept their trucks like new.I thought about it, but then declined.It was also a two hour drive away.They are a private carrier not Waste Management.I still think about doing it,but the 4 hour drive round trip drive is a little much.
Jim

""""thats the joy of being different!!""""

yeah I know,thats the reason I'm at the prices I charge.

Thats about the average price on big accounts with garbage trucks,I get 30 on the ones I wash.

Making the big bucks huh?

dats why they call you high pockets!!

I can get 30 40 as well but they only have 3

It would be great to get what you truly thought you were worth . But different areas are different. You can go 3 hours each way from me and MAYBE get that..

I know when I used to work in surface mines I know what I brought home for 60 hours of work.6 days a week. And I also know that when you compare to those hours and make 3 times that amount per week with only 2-3 days of work ....Then I say dats a little easier way to make $$.

you take 600.00 700.00 from a company that you work 10-15 hours for per week . and then add that to 3-4 companys with an avg. of 600.00 you got close to 1,800.00 per week. Now if you can get lucky and make that off of one company . U~ R talk`in `bout a horse of another color!!

You can talk until your blue in the face bout why cheap prices and I want hear a word you say.And yes its turely great to get what "I'm" worth or atleast what I think I'm worth.

Color of the horse huh is green .