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Truck Wash Business Case Study

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Often smart entrepreneurs look for out of the way businesses, things out of the mainstream but businesses, which have a good customer base and steady incomes. This is an extremely interesting story. I had always considered the mobile truck washing efforts to be very profitable and believed that fixed truck washes were a big waste of money. That was until one year when a new franchisee joined our team from Oklahoma City. I run a franchise company called the Car Wash Guys; http://www.carwashguys.com. Turns out the franchisee was formerly employed by Blue Beacon Truck Washes the largest chain of truck washes in the US. They do about $138,000,000 per year with 80 truck washes and the company is very closely held. Tim our franchisee was a truck manager for them and before buying into our franchise and started washing cars in OKC even though he knows truck washing best. He had a two-year non-compete with his old company, which we have honored in OKC. He has tons of experience and had indicated to me that the business is sound and we should really get into it. Later that year I sold a franchise to a person in WA State who owned car washes (5) and he made a deal with a truck stop on an Indian Reservation, he never started the plan, but the numbers we ran on the spreadsheet looked great and very profitable.

Even as a serial entrepreneur, I had never considered the fixed site truck wash business, as the mobile truck wash business seemed so much more efficient and so little over head; http://www.truckwashguy.com . So even with all this knowledge on the team we still did not enter that market. One of our competitors in the car washing industry bought up two

truck washing chains for a total of fourteen truck washes and proclaimed it more profitable than his other car washes by 5 times as much money. They now own nearly 100 locations of truck and car washes nationwide. After looking into it some more a franchise buyer who owned Fuel MAN, an East coast Fuel Card for fleet owners approached us in South Carolina to use the Truck Wash Guys name and develop a truck wash mid state. At that point we decided to start working on the details. Then a franchisee in OH made a deal with a truck stop between Columbus OH and Pittsburgh, to operate a 24 hour truck wash and de-ice business. He thought how easy this is and now so we have made deal in WV at a truck wash as well. Our Ohio Franchisee at the time took on another partner in WV.

Still reluctant to fully dive into the subcategory of full service truck washes we found our Ohio Franchisee going full guns to put together a deal with Pilot Truck Stops. Pilot Truck Stop has the most Truck Stops on the Planet and sells 8% of all the diesel fuel in the United States. So we planned a pilot program at pilot. Our temporary set up is a trailer unit, which sits at the truck stops and washes made sense. We then worked on plans for a building to submit them to the Building dept. for approval, meanwhile the deals in

OH and WV and SC were suddenly in the works. We figured if our deal with the truck stops worked well, the Truck Stops will get more traffic and fuel sales while we generate

revenue and a percentage of the total take for the truck stop for the privilege of working there. We are so use to washing trucks and have on our team a gentleman who sells simonize truck wash and has been in the car washing and pressure washing equipment business for 20 years. By using the fuel man fuel cards as currency on the east coast and name recognition of Pilot we figured we could move into this industry and pick up the slack.

There is a shortage of truck washes across the country and also a shortage of oil change facilities for trucks. A franchisee could be trained by our truck wash prototypes and probably on the top performing franchisee in our mobile truck wash

division; then quickly set up in their own markets. Pressure Washing companies which specialize in fleet truck washing should in fact consider this type of strategy for moving into the fixed site truck washing business.

If you study entrepreneurial companies you will in fact see that many companies fall into markets due to opportunities which present themselves, it is amazing the opportunities which exist out there and how fast companies can grow when they can handle the demand of those markets. Think on this.

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Source by Lance Winslow

Truck Drivers Versus Dispatchers – A Breakdown in Communication?

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Unlike the National fleet, the upside of being on a regional or local fleet is that you work, primarily, with one dispatcher. The downside is that this dispatcher might be difficult to work with. My experience in trucking has given me the opinion that the relationship between many drivers and dispatchers is often of the love/hate variety-minus the love in several cases.

I believe the main reason for the “us” versus “them” attitude stems from a lack of communication between drivers and dispatchers, and a lack of understanding of one another’s respective roles. I will be the first to admit that this consideration did not factor into my thinking early on. In many cases, an unhappy driver is simply the result of a lack of understanding of the office structure, policies, and the role of key people in the company. Two-way communication and mutual respect are imperative in a successful relationship between drivers and dispatchers, and it is necessary for the retention of experienced drivers to a company.

I failed to understand early in my trucking career that most dispatchers do not willingly aspire to villainous acts. The job of a freight dispatcher, especially in a large company, is one of the most stressful jobs in America. Not only are they juggling the scheduling and progress of multiple trucks while constantly resolving problems that emerge, they listen to the gripes, threats, and choice words of drivers on a daily basis. On top of this, precious few dispatchers are afforded proper stress management training. They are, mostly, just thrown into the fire. In general, becoming a freight dispatcher requires no further education beyond a high school diploma. It just requires the ability to use a computer, the ability to multi-task, and an extremely high tolerance for stress.

I believe the key ingredient in a driver’s success and happiness with a company starts with an understanding of, and communication with, his or her dispatcher. Nobody will have more influence over a driver’s success than a dispatcher.

Most dispatchers identify poor communication as a primary cause of stress. Many drivers are quick to identify their dispatcher as a “bonehead”, but are slow to seek two-way communication. As a driver, I know that the stresses of the road are numerous and real, and it is easy to be caught up in a self-centered mindset. I once even heard another driver comment, “The dispatcher is there to serve us… not the other way around.”

Wrong! The dispatcher is there to serve the needs of the company.

Dispatching is a sedentary job but, having worked in a sedentary job, I know that mental and emotional stress can be just as debilitating as physical stress. This stress leads many dispatchers, like drivers, to have an abysmal diet. Fast food, fried foods, and vending machine junk are often the standard fare seen in a dispatch office. At a former company, I once noticed a bulk tub of antacid tablets nestled snugly in the bottom drawer of my driver manager’s desk. I have little doubt that I caused him to gobble more than a few of them.

A dispatcher is under constant pressure from his terminal manager to move freight, and a terminal manager is under constant pressure from company executives to keep his terminal productive and running smoothly. Unfortunately, this often translates into a perception of an uncaring or unfeeling attitude in the eyes of a driver. A driver needs to educate himself on the basic operation of his company and on the roles of some of the key people in it. Nevertheless, as I said before, communication is a two-way street. The dispatchers, terminal managers, and the company as a whole needs to consider the drivers, without whom money would not come into the company.

When I was in orientation at my first company, a newly hired dispatcher was inserted into class with the drivers. When one of the drivers asked him why he was there, the new dispatcher replied, “They wanted to put me in here so I could learn what you guys go through.”

I was fresh out of CDL school, so I did not respond but, among some of the experienced drivers, a number of lower jaws collectively banged to the floor.

“If you want to learn what we go through,” inserted a shocked driver, “you need to go on the road with us. You’re not going to learn anything sitting in here.”

This was a prime example of “Let’s watch a rodeo to understand cowboy life” thinking. You might as well watch a Three Stooges skit with Moe playing the role of Adolf Hitler to understand the nature of World War II. A true cross-familiarization program would consist of ride-alongs by dispatchers, and time spent in a dispatch office by drivers. I can only assume that most companies do not consider this to be a cost effective practice but, in adhering to this line of thinking, they fail to recognize that familiarity breeds mutual respect.

Drivers and dispatchers, by virtue of their mutual ignorance of one another’s working environment, each formulate strong opinions about the other. It doesn’t matter if these opinions are correct, but by allowing them to formulate and take hold, it often creates a negative work environment. In many cases, a negative relationship between a driver and a dispatcher is the fault of neither one of them. Rather, the company that is content to maintain a revolving door policy concerning its drivers deserves the finger of blame.

It never ceases to amaze me that many trucking companies cannot seem to grasp the simple concept that a truck driver desires to be treated like a human being rather than a truck number on a computer monitor. It is easy to forget that these numbers represent men and women who have lives and families outside of that truck, and they deserve to live them like anyone else. Do they really think that a long-haul driver can cram his personal life into four to six days a month at home?

Repeatedly, home time is cited as the number one reason why drivers quit. Recruiters often misrepresent the amount of home time that a driver will be afforded, and this dishonesty often leads to short-term employment. Nothing makes me feel more insignificant, as a driver, than a company giving me the impression that a load of freight is more important than I am.

A standard industry response for not getting a driver home when requested might be: “Freight is slow. Be flexible until the freight situation allows us to route you home.”

The person or people who provide such a response spend(s) an average of 420-480 hours per month at home with their families. A long-haul driver spends an average of 96-144 hours per month at home. How much to they expect us to “flex?” Most of us are already at the breaking point by the time our home request rolls around. If a company is unable to follow through on its promises of home time, they should not offer it as a hiring incentive. I am willing to be flexible in most areas, but when I feel that a company has little or no consideration for my need to live a personal life outside their truck, that company can summarily kiss my inflexible buttocks.

Dispatchers and trucking companies need to understand that drivers are real, live human beings rather than just a truck number. Likewise, drivers need to understand that dispatchers and managers have a specific job to do, and they are under a lot of pressure just as we are. A dispatcher has the unenviable task of piecing together a huge jigsaw puzzle, and the driver is only privy to his or her small portion of it. While communication will not resolve all issues, it will go a long way toward providing a better understanding and developing a mutual respect. It is not a matter of kissing the dispatcher’s or manager’s behind, it is just a matter of opening a line of professional communication with them.

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Source by Rick L. Huffman

Turn Your Pickup Truck Into a Grocery Hauler

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The thought of hauling groceries home in the back of a truck doesn’t sound appealing to most people. The mind’s eye almost immediately goes to boxes of cereal or crackers being blown about by the wind; possibly ending up on the side of the road. Heavy items are likely to completely squish and destroy items such as chips or bread.

Weather is another factor when hauling groceries in the back of the truck. Plastic shopping bags only go so far in helping protect items from rain. Boxes will become soaked through, ruining the contents quickly. The fix is actually quite simple, and inexpensive.

Install These 3 Items

Truck Bed Liner: A nonskid surface is perfect for large items like dog food or cases of bottled water. A bed liner will also keep other items in place. It will help keep all grocery items in place with the help of the next item on the list; the grocery hugger.

An added benefit of installing a bed liner is that it will protect the paint in the bed of the truck. Many times the bed is the first to become damaged and rusted because people just throw things into the back of the truck with no regard to scratching the paint. A bed liner will help protect against damaged paint and rust.

Grocery Hugger: This little device is designed to hug up to 15 bags of groceries and hold them safely in place. It works in your trunk, floorboards, or in the back of your truck. Simply place the bags where they need to be, tighten the hugger around them, and Velcro it into place.

A great grocery hugger alternative is the installation of bull rings and a grocery hammock. Just tie either side of the grocery hammock to the bull rings and your groceries will be safely in reach when you stop. A bed liner may not be required if you use a hammock, as all of your items will be resting on the hammock instead of sitting on the truck bed.

Truck Topper: A topper gives the truck a sleek SUV-like appearance. It offers a weatherproof cover for anything that needs to be hauled in the back of a truck. A topper is the perfect solution for weatherproofing the truck bed.

Benefits of a Truck Topper

Hauling other items such as mulch or furniture is precarious in potentially bad weather. It seems we can never really trust the weather forecasters anymore; test that theory by planning a motorcycle ride or outdoor event. A shower will likely pop up at the worst possible time. A truck topper keeps all of the items in your truck bed dry and safe, no matter how hard it rains or how hard the wind blows.

Never Worry about Hauling Dry Goods Again

Those three items don’t cost a fortune, and will make carrying groceries in the truck bed a breeze. No more worrying about spilled bags when you get home; or missing or destroyed items. Keep your grocery items safely in place in the back of the truck without spending a fortune on another car or SUV.

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Source by Breton Nallie

What to Look for When Buying a Dump Truck!

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Dump trucks are unique conveyances due to the fact that they are the only vehicles that are capable of unloading the material they carry by tilting their load. Now while this vehicle is a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment, it does come in many different configurations depending upon its intended purpose. If looking to buy this vehicle from a dump truck sales proprietorship, the first and most important thing that must be done is to identify the specifications necessary for the job.

The specifications of this vehicle vary greatly. For example, there is a large range of difference between the biggest and smallest type of this equipment. The largest dump trucks, called earth movers, are as big as a building and are used for large quarries. On the other hand, the smallest ones are the size of a pickup truck. The reason for the wide variation in size is that certain applications require certain specifications in order for the equipment to operate efficiently and effectively. That being said, a buyer should also make a decision on which vehicle to purchase based on how it will be used.

The following are some of the important specifications that buyers need to contemplate, as they have a huge influence as to the applications for which the dump truck can be used.

Engine

Engine size is a huge factor as to how the vehicle can be used. The power output from the engines can range from 300 to 600 horsepower. Dump trucks that are on the lower end of the spectrum are perfect for light hauling on generally flat terrain, while those with massive engines are perfectly suitable for areas where operators need to haul heavy loads over steep terrain.

Matching the right engine to the job is very important. An operator would not want to be underpowered for the job; however, an owner would not want a large truck driven for frequent light hauls as the operating expense of it could be very expensive.

Transmission

The type of transmission is also another important thing to consider in this dump truck sales-buying process. The transmission can either be automatic or manual. The advantage of an automatic transmission is that the vehicle is much easier to operate. The downside is that those with automatic transmissions are more expensive and costly to repair, along with the fact that there is certain performance limitations on those equipped with automatic transmissions. On the other hand, those with manual transmissions are more affordable, fuel-efficient, cheaper to repair and can operate on any type of surface since the driver can choose which gear is suitable for the terrain.

Load Volume Capacity

The load volume capacity of these vehicles is determined by the area of the dump bed and the height of the side rails. A standard body length ranges between 20 to 30 feet. The length of the body is critical as it dictates the efficiency of the vehicle. Before buying, it is important for buyers to determine how much load volume per haul the equipment will handle in order to find a dump truck that is equipped with a bed that meets the criteria.

Number of Axles

The number of axles varies depending on the equipment’s rated capacity. Small vehicles are only equipped with one rear axle while heavy-duty ones can have two rear axles along with a third drop axle that can be lowered when hauling the heaviest loads. The number of axles on a dump truck is important due to the fact that most states have regulations on the number of axles to be used for a certain load amount. Before purchasing this equipment, be sure to check in advance on the local DOT laws pertaining to weight restrictions and the number of axles required.

Be sure to check the specifications needed before purchasing this type of equipment to make sure that the vehicle being purchased meets the criteria for its intended use, and to ensure that the buyer knows what to look for when buying a dump truck!

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Source by Christopher M. Hunter