Business feature: Powerwash
Powerwash’s aim is to give fleet owners and managers a cost control option to keep their fleets clean without the hassle of and expense of hidden costs
Auckland-based Powerwash has recently put its fifth mobile unit on the road to service their growing client base.
Every day, a small crew of full-time wash staff leave the depot and wash customers’ trucks on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis.
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Trucks are washed on a weekly, fortnightly, and monthly basis
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Servicing the Greater Auckland and Waikato regions, Powerwash’s aim is to give fleet owners and managers a cost control option to keep their fleets clean without the hassle of and expense of hidden costs such as maintaining a wash bay or driving trucks to a truck wash.
"My long-term goal is to allow business to control and save costs of keeping vehicles clean.," says Powerwash company director Israel McMillan. "Often companies are paying us less than they pay in wages due to our efficiency."
Scheduled slots
To optimise efficiencies, Powerwash customers have scheduled slots so they know when the fleet needs to parked up, providing minimal interruption to their busy operations.
"Evenings and weekends are our busiest periods, and even if you own one truck, we can save you money," Israel says.
Lowering company costs
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Units are equipped with environmentally friendly and council approved effluent containment and disposal systems
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"With washing being taken care of in-house, there are no wash bays for companies to set up, a reduction in vehicle maintenance costs, wage savings, and lower logbook hours," Israel says.
Further benefits can include less truck downtime and a consistency in wash standards across truck fleets, allowing for better road presentation, especially in the case of vehicles carrying branded livery.
"Driving to the truck wash, spending wages, RUCs, and diesel driving trucks to and from a fixed truck wash, to wait in a queue, then paying to have the truck washed is very inefficient.
"We have and continue to invest in the best equipment such as mobile truck wash brooms, high flow hot water blasters, and foaming injectors."
Environmental safety
Environmental discharge of wastewater was a hurdle Powerwash overcame before inception. Sites without an interceptor or wash bay need not go to the expense of setting one up.
Each of the mobile fleet wash units are equipped with environmentally friendly and council approved effluent containment and disposal systems that allow Powerwash to provide on-site fleet cleaning while capturing wastewater and preventing it from entering stormwater drains.
Health and safety
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Powerwash washes some 500 trucks per week
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The company also has a robust health and safety plan and training system ensuring their staff and customers are not put at risk while they wash.
"At present, Powerwash washes some 500 trucks per week all across customer sites. The two important things about washing that many trucks are that nobody gets hurt and the operation is environmentally friendly," Israel says.
Fleetcare
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Powerwash recently added its fifth mobile unit on the road
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In October this year, Powerwash launched Fleetcare, who has an aim of reducing the cost of washing truck fleets down for companies that want to maintain their own wash bay.
"Powerwash uses a lot of different products so we know what works and what doesn’t. We are able to visit your wash bay and give advice or provide products that will make washing easier for your drivers, and ultimately reduce the cost in keeping your fleet clean," Israel says.
"For us, it’s all about building relationships and it seems we’re providing the right services and advice to a growing number of transport companies."
For more information call 0800 WE WASH (0800 93 9274) or visit powerwash.co.nz.
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