Truck Washes
Topic 32841 | Page 1
Our cheap company does not pay to have their trucks washed, but there is an employee that washes them at the terminal in New Ulm, MN. This company will step over a dollar to pick up a nickel. I drive a dirty truck most of the time.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
What is this "truck wash" of which you speak?
When I was at Schneider you paid for your own truck wash. They would do a quick was during a PM but that was it. Some OC's with a truck wash would give you a code, but that was rare and depended upon who was working the desk.
I’m probably not a good person to ask this of.
I wash my truck once a week. I have alot invested and take very good care of it. Especially in the winter. I always get the undercarriage wash at Blue Beacon after I run in states that treat their roads. The brine and salt will do awful things to a truck. When I’m home I have a local guy that comes to the house to wash it.
Message on Friday from my Dispatcher:
During winter, 1900 to 0000 is a good time in Kingman AZ or Fernley NV. I prefer just doing it 2x a month, but since I pass through the yard at least once a week, I'm doing it every 10-12 days. It does keep the salt and sand from eating the paint.
Four or 5 days after a wash:
Laura
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Laura, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I used to tell my mom I didn’t need to take a bath because because I was just going to get dirty again.
Schneider has an account at blue beacon. They set you up with a free wash credit after each PM. I never bothered with the wash stations at any of the terminals.
When I was at Schneider you paid for your own truck wash. They would do a quick was during a PM but that was it. Some OC's with a truck wash would give you a code, but that was rare and depended upon who was working the desk.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
CRST's Riverside, Cali had a drive thru truck wash, IF you can even call it that ! lol ya got the shop to activate it and you used your trucks last 4 numbers to start it. That thing was a total P.O.S ! half of it was broken, the water was recycled and stunk to high heaven after going thru. Didn't really do much of a "wash" only used it twice!! Once, I was on hometime, so after my Honda Civic sat for 3 months n got filthy, I ran thru it on my way out the gate lol......
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
We have an on site wash that we just drive through. It takes only about 3 minutes. I enjoy having a clean truck so I use it every day it's open. They close it when the outside temp is below 32. We also have accounts with several different companies (mainly for washouts) that I could get it done on the road but it seems to be a waste of time since it'll look like crud by the end of the day anyways.
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Which all the discussion of winter safety issues, this question is very lightweight.
My company allows me one company paid truck wash per month. I have to pay for it out of pocket and then get reimbursed. It would be nice if they had an account with Blue Beacon or if I could use my EFS card, but it is what it is.
I have mixed feelings about getting a truck wash in the winter. On the one hand, I have a new tractor that I want to keep clean and looking like someone cares for it. But I also don’t want to spend $60 for a truck wash when the truck will look just as dirty in a week. So, I was wondering how the experienced drivers deal with this issue? What are your company policies?