Dirt Is Costly
Credit:
Transport
Topics Online
In times like these when the economy and budgets are tight,
often one of the first steps toward cutting costs is reducing or eliminating
equipment-washing programs. There are important factors to contemplate before
doing that.
For example, soil and debris buildup on mechanical
components insulates heat-sensitive components and shortens their life;
promotes electrical shorts and vehicle fires; creates acids that erode
finishes, base materials and electric components; accelerates wear and abrasion
and shortens lubrication life.
Effects on your equipments’ paint and metal finish may
include a breakdown in the chemical structure of paint surfaces, reducing paint
life; promote scratches and scuffing because of the abrasive effect; and require
more frequent refinishing — potentially doubling the price.
Cutting back on or reducing equipment washing also
encourages more frequent Department of Transportation inspections — which can
impede timely deliveries, reduces your employees’ pride in workmanship, means
assigned tasks require additional time, promotes dirt and dust contamination of
equipment, and reduces the ability to effectively diagnose mechanical issues.
It also creates higher maintenance costs, discourages third-party repair
facilities from working on your fleet, affects the quality of preventive
maintenance inspections, and affects your ability to hire competent drivers and
technicians.
And that’s just within your shop. Your customers’ perception
of you also can change to a poor one, since your fleet is your billboard and
primary form of advertising. It can even have a negative effect on your
negotiating ability, mean poor overall perception of your fleet in the
community and have a negative effect on pricing.
Dirty equipment can affect your ability to recruit good
drivers, imparting an “I don’t care” attitude throughout the driver ranks. It
can foster an unsafe working environment, reduce
the quality of communication between operations and
maintenance, and create additional employee turnover.
All this can reduce the value of your assets — reducing
return on capital — causing negative vehicle residual value — affecting
customer confidence and contributing to a higher variable cost structure.
Finally, dirty equipment has an effect on safety. Why?
• Dirty light fixtures provide less headlight range and
tail/brake/running light brightness. Less headlight range, even a few percent
less, means it’s harder to see road debris and other conditions. The resulting
tire damage and suspension wear mean a slightly higher accident risk.
• Dirty windshields lessen the ability to see and react to
road conditions, and there’s more glass wear when wipers are used to clear the
dirt, leading to wiper burn and distorted views.
• Dirt and grease buildup on steps, frame rails and grab
handles increase the chances of slip-and-fall accidents.
• Dirt and grease buildups also can interfere with proper
operation of hitches and doors, leading to accidents and injuries.
Can you put a quantifiable figure on what it costs if you do
not have an effective equipment wash program? The answer is “yes.” Taking into
account what a wash program will cost the organization, not having one will
increase your equipment costs a minimum of 25%. The key is to have such a
program and manage as you do other aspects of the business.
Michael Buck
President
MCG Fleet Management Consulting
St. Simons, Ga.