tractor(not trailer) fleet work pricing ideas??

jay k.

New Member
I'm trying to price 20 truck tractors to be cleaned weekly. The tractors are day trucks and do not have sleepers. They are used to haul livestock, so I would need to clean them after hours or on weekends. They are fairly dirty, but when I saw them they had not been cleaned for a while. I have never done fleet stuff before so I'm just looking for some basic pricing thoughts.
 

Larry B

New Member
I would aim for the $15.00 range, you could be a little less but not lower than $13.00. I won't do one for less than $15 but I have been lowballed before and prefer to be at around $17.50
Some of the variables would be whether or not you have to move them, do they have polished aluminum and if they have to be brushed. These kinds of accounts can be good ones to have. No sleepers and all lined up you should be able to do 6-8 per hour depending on your setup and equipment.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Good job Larry

Even tho they have 20 trucks doesn't mean you'll get to wash all 20 each week,fleetwashing is like that.They may own 100's of trucks for you to bid on for each truck but in most cases look for half or less.I would think long and hard before I bid 15 and wouldn't be happy with the 17.50.I like 20 each b/c I know not to count on the 20 trucks each week,Like I said fleetwashing is like that.
 

Larry B

New Member
I am not happy with $15 either, your area will determine the market. In over 8 years of truck washing I have only found one person to accept a bid over $20 for just a truck, and there are several guys out here who use cheap labor (illegals) and subcontract the work out and charge as little as $12 per truck. I think $15 for trucks with no sleepers on a weekly basis can be decent money, they shouldn't be very dirty in just a weeks time. Larry is right be sure you have an understanding with them on how many trucks will be available each week, with no sleepers there is a good chance they will be there each weekend.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
It would be a hard call not knowing the type trucks your biding on.

A daycab Pete is really bigger then it looks when you start cleaning,a sleeper added doesn't take long to clean.If under 15 trucks in the fleet and if they are Pete's I get 30 with sleeper and 25 without,weekly or every two weeks.
I have never seen a fleet yet that will wash every truck in the fleet whether it be weekly or every two weeks.A one man team or two can only wash so many trucks in a days time so pick your accounts wisely,let someone else have the nickels and look for the dime accounts.
 

Larry B

New Member
I want $30 a truck

Just curious as to what you do to get $25-$30 a truck. Does that include extras like stack scrubbing and so on? One other thing I have to compete against around here is the freeway truckstop/truckwash. I do a much better job for about the same price, just seems they are all cheap.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
I thought stack scubbing went with all pricing in fleets,yes I brush the stacks and wash the outside of the frame and motor neither being perfect.We have truckstop truckwashing too plus seems like every week I see a new wash rig in town.I do not compete with my competitors in pricing and use truckstop prices.I just as soon not wash a truck if I haveta brush it to clean it.
 

Larry B

New Member
If I got $30 bucks a truck they would get stacks and horns and mirrors etc. brushed. I give them the option at bidding on how detailed of a cleaning they want, 95% go for the cheapest option. I always wash the frame rails and if they accept the higher bid I flip hoods everytime and wash engine and inner frame rails. I have turned down fleets that want them brushed because they do not want acid on the trucks. I am not afraid of the work involved I just don't beleive you can get the same results on aluminum with just soap. I also refuse to climb up on the wheels and engines to brush the top of the cabs and air dams, it's just not worth the extra hassle.
I guess the owners on the west side don't have a sense of pride in their trucks. They just want the basic to keep the drivers happy and the inspectors off their tail.
 

Dave Olson

New Member
Hello,

We have been doing a local fleet for the last 19 years. They currently have 10 day cabs that we clean every two weeks. We brush, entire cab (including air dam) tires and wheels. We don't do the engine compartment but we do interior and exterior frame rails including under the fenders. We brighten fuel tanks a couple times a year. Twenty bucks per unit. A three man crew does them in about 1-1/2 hours. Been thinkin about raising my price.

Wow! I just looked at my computer data base, I've been at 20 for over 10 years!! Guess I'm way over due for an increase! But we used to do this fleet every 4 weeks and brightened the tanks every month. Now we are doing less and more often and they've given us a couple more units each time, compared to years ago, but we have been doing it this way now for 6 or so years. What do ya think, still overdue for an increase? Gross revenue per man is almost $45 per hour.

Dave Olson
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Gross revenue goes down "if" you count from point A to point B and to point C,it doesn't count time spend mixing chemicals and getting things ready,replace o-ring,replace couples ect.........looks good on paper tho huh.
 

Dave Olson

New Member
Hello Larry,

You are right and I always look at revenue for total time spent.

The last time this crew did this fleet they had a total of four stops. With time spent setting up and driving to all stops and back to our shop, the revenue per man is down to $37.50.

What do ya think, the other guy is charging $17 per unit!

Dave Olson
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
The other guy may be a one man team with no payments or fancy bass boats or he could be a part timer.....lol.

Still 20 isn't bad for ten OTR daycabs every two weeks if they aren't run though mudholes,your at the border line with your setup and crew.

The other guy could also be a 2-stepper which he can wash 10 in say two hours which puts his 17 making more per hour than you.I want do a daycab for less then 20 nomatter now many lined up but with a wash crew I"d take all I could get at 17 [bigboy]

And I bet the pencile and paper the 37.50 was figured on wasn't counted in on those man hours,lol.

Yes your at the point of needing to go up as we all are,I now raise and lower my price depending on amount of nastest on a fleet.I have a set price of 30 per truck unless its nasty or muddy which I now get 10 dallors more.My set rig price(tractor&trailer)is 55 unless nasty or muddy it runs 65/75 per rig.

This year it looks like the year of the powerwashers around here,they are everywhere and cheap too.I'm in the same shoes you are in,I need to go up but cann't.
 

Dave Olson

New Member
Yea, I did figure the total man hours. They didn't need to travel far tho, only 20 miles or so total. First stop is only 4 miles from the my shop.

One of these days I will raise some of my rates, even my big accounts I have not raised for 5 years or so!

Just gotta quit spending so much on Toys, right Larry!

Dave Olson
 

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Ed@PreClean

Guest
Yeh Larry, "Those Damn new guys". Whops I guess that includes me! (new here anyhow)

Our problem here Larry is not just the number but the guys who have basically nothing invested in their equipment and charging accordingly. 2 more new guys in the Poky area have started and their charging $35 an hour for EVERYTHING they wash. I have now had to expand my area or going to have to give it up completly! I have had not one call in a week!

I called my brother in Florida tonight and asked him to get a feel for the business in Panama City for me. I might have to take a road trip for a week or two a month just to survive!

CONCERNED to say the least!!
 

Dan S

New Member
Dave, you need to stop baggin `yo head off the wall I see you have a blood splatter about 8 feet high on the left side. Or did your wife do that because you cant "curb" your buying of the toys? LOL

Nice looking truck what are you going to do with it?
 

Dave Olson

New Member
Hi Dan S,

I'm planning to take it to a ATHS show in Ft. Wayne in early June. My youngest son has a 70's something KW he is going to take too. I've still got those old tractors, so I needed an Old truck to haul them with!

I ran out of room in the shop, so I got a storage container to put the old White in. Only an inch or so on each side.

Dave Olson
 

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Dave Olson

New Member
Here is what the container looked like when I got it.
 

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RZIM1115

Member
Under Priced

:) We get $50 per truck, and $45 for the trailer (Sand Box) here in LI New York. The truck wash here on LI gets $75 to wash the total truck and they do a half A$$ job. So we charge alittle bit more and wash with wash mits, and shine the stacks.
 

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