It has been a long held struggle with trucks and trailers to eliminate or prevent salt from corroding important components of their vehicles. But what does this really mean in terms of life expectancy?

According to a study by School Bus Fleet Magazine, a survey across North America had some stunning results. In the survey 81% of the respondents encountered salt on their roads, 19% did not encounter any salt on their roads:... Read More

Recently at two tradeshows with the Trucking Industry folks, we discussed what a clean truck means in today's world.

1. Image – a clean truck is your traveling billboard. Would you not be angry if your billboard sign was obscured by dirt, oxidation and fading graphics?
2. Life of vehicle – there wasn't one person surveyed who didn't believe a truck will last longer when cleaned regularly.
3. Cleaning a vehicle more often actually hinders dirt from collecting and is easier to clean ongoing.
4. Vehicle Inspections - a dirty truck and a clean truck traveling down a highway, who would be pulled over for an inspection first? Unanimous decision on this one.

5. Washing a truck without applying a brush will not totally clean what is required for a "great" image. Pressure washers also damage electrical and graphics when not operated properly.
6. Cleaning outside in the parking lot is not allowed? Unanimous that this practice will be banned in the future as the sewer drains go directly to the streams and rivers (ultimately the lakes and oceans). This can't be good for the environment.
7. Public washes are not cost effective for large fleets. Too much time and money is spent to travel back and forth with an inconsistent result.

8. Rain water does not actually remove grease, oil, gasoline or oxidation. In fact without soap and a brush cleaning, the streaks and rusting causes irrevocable damage resulting in leaks and failure of hardware.
9. Employees are much more satisfied with their work driving a clean truck. Both customers and drivers image is heightened with a clean, shiny truck arriving to their business.

So why do so many vehicles not get washed in today's world? Simply put, the consensus is cost. Today's economic times require budgetary restraints. First item to go in the maintenance world is washing.... Read More

What impact does a CLEAN vehicle have on your customers and employees? Do you have a clean and green strategy toward your image? If your answer is no, keep reading to understand the impact that neglecting this area may have on your future for retaining employees and recruiting.... Read More

In certain applications Intermodal transportation, the combination and integration of at least 2 transport modes, can be a cost effective and environmentally friendly complement to road transport for the handling of shipped goods. With diesel prices having increased y/y by over 33% to $3.908 a US gallon, the intermodal option is being considered more frequently, but at what price?... Read More

Awash has been in the vehicle washing business for over 20 years. In that time, things haven't changed all that much in the way commercial vehicles get washed. With multiple factors at play - from the green movement to an increased awareness in the harm toxic chemicals can do to the environment to the cost of utilities - there's no doubt in my mind that the time has arrived for change.... Read More

Here is a quiz for sustainability executives. How can you save money while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 20%? The answer: run your transportation fleet on CNG or LNG fuel. Companies with private fleets and contracted fleets can enjoy the savings of CNG and LNG while doing their part for sustainability and environmental stewardship.... Read More

Much debate is taking place within the Transportation industry as to the merits of CSA. On the surface, it appears we have 3 camps – one on each side of the issue and one in the middle. The first, which I'll call Camp A (the positive), sees CSA as an opportunity to create goodwill by demonstrating how critical safety is to everyday operations. This camp also see it as having a positive PR impact in the community, sees it having the potential to actually reduce operating costs and loosely ties itself to lower carbon emissions, helping them to be seen as doing their part as a good global citizen. Camp C (the negative), sees CSA as an unnecessary burden arriving at a bad time that will lead to competitive pressures, cost increases and an overall negative feeling towards oppressive bureaucracy. The third, Camp B (the moderate), understands the need for compliance and agrees with the improved safety gains that can be realized, albeit with an increase in operating costs. Which of these three camps would you put yourself in?... Read More

I am often asked, “How long does it take to fuel a natural gas truck?” The answer can be surprisingly short. The fueling time depends on whether the truck uses CNG (compressed natural gas) or LNG (liquid natural gas), as well as the station design.... Read More

News from Washington these days is focused on energy policy. Cap-and-trade, oil drilling in the Gulf, and energy security are all headline stories. All f these stories center on the key question: what policies should our federal government follow in order to achieve energy security and sustainable environmental stewardship?... Read More

About 5 million barrels of oil per day, one third of the petroleum consumed in the US, is imported from OPEC countries. OPEC countries include Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and other unfriendly regimes. Petroleum is predominantly used as diesel and gasoline for transportation. Achieving energy security means we must reduce our consumption of diesel and gasoline. ... Read More