Totalkare: the benefits of in-house washbays
Workshop equipment specialist Totalkare has provided its perspective on the advantages for fleets of bringing vehicle washing regimes in-house.
“Every vehicle business needs access to a washbay – and it’s not just about looking good when you’re out on the road,” said the company.
“It’s about protecting your vehicles, keeping your repair costs down, and staying compliant for annual inspections. But if you’re running a fleet that outsources its vehicle washing — especially if you’re in the construction, agriculture, or refuse industries, you might start to wonder if it’s worth it in the long term.”
Outsourcing vehicle washing to a third-party company entails working to someone else’s schedule, says Totalkare.
“They’ve got their own capacity to worry about, and other clients they need to keep happy. You might not be their top priority. And that could mean you end up waiting around while they find gaps in their availability — when your dirty vehicles should be out on the road earning money.
“On top of the scheduling problem, you’re also working to someone else’s costs… But there’s one other area of control that you don’t always get with an outsourced washbay – and that’s quality control. When a third-party service does a poor job with a vehicle wash, you won’t always notice it straight away. You’ve got to drive back to base, find the problem, schedule a new wash, and then drive back to the third-party site to get a second cleaning.”
With an in-house washbay, contends the company, fleets have complete control.
“You can wash your vehicles as frequently as you like, with a precise fleet washing schedule that makes the most of each vehicle’s downtime between the journeys you’re scheduled to make,” said Totalkare.
“You’re washing vehicles with your own carefully calculated overheads and labour costs — so you know you’re being efficient with the budget you have. And if the washing isn’t up to scratch, you can inspect your vehicles immediately, and go straight back for a deeper clean without any extra hassle or unnecessary trips.”
While installing an in-house washbay is a serious investment, says Totalkare, with a large fleet of vehicles that needs frequent washing, the costs of outsourcing the cleaning can make that investment look small — and the facility could pay for itself after a few years.
“It’s not just the service fee of the third-party cleaning. It’s about the fuel costs of every vehicle making unnecessary trips to another site. It’s about the added mileage that’s bringing down the value of your vehicles — and the extra wear and tear that’s leading to more money spent on maintenance and repair…
“With an in-house washbay that’s installed in your premises, you won’t need to drive your dirty vehicles anywhere.
“Your maintenance workers can spend their time washing vehicles while your higher-paid drivers get back out on the road — bringing in revenue and helping the business deliver. You’ll be maximising the output of every worker and making the most out of every paycheck you sign.”
Operators running a workshop with extra space and still outsourcing vehicle washing are effectively paying twice, Totalkare adds.
“You’re paying for the rent on a premises that’s not being fully used, and you’re paying another company to do a job that you could be doing in-house.
“If you’re unlucky enough to have salaried workers who aren’t at full capacity, you’re paying twice again. Once for the third-party service of vehicle washing, and once for the hours of your workers who aren’t being utilised.
“And if you’re lucky enough to own a fully galvanised vehicle lift — or you’re thinking of upgrading soon – you’ll end up paying twice: for the washbay-ready lift you own, and for the use of the lifts at the third-party company.
“But if you bring it all in-house with your own on-site vehicle washbay, you’ll be squeezing more value out of the assets you already have — your premises, your workers, and the equipment you use on a daily basis.”
For those operating large fleets or requiring frequent cleaning, it could make more sense to invest in an in-house washing facility and washbay-ready lifts, Totalkare contends.
“If you’re ready to make the move, we’re ready to get you kitted out. We’ve got a full range of vehicle lifts built precisely for wet work — from the fully galvanised versions of our Y-Mech and Heavy Duty Four Post Lift, to the washbay model of our signature mobile column lifts, the G8AC.
“They’re all DVSA-approved and IP-rated for protection from water ingress, with the same reliable functionality and safety features you’d expect from a Totalkare installation.”
