I went for an interview for job last week, they said to me, that they pay their drivers a £25 a week bonus for washing/cleaning their vehicle each week. Now i was most shocked as it seems quite generous, and to recieve a bonus for something that I do anyway seems like a bargain.
The current place, stipulates vehicles must be cleaned inside and out as part of the job, but it gets a ■■■■ good ignoring by over half of the drivers, without consequences.
I get frustrated with those who don’t, because being a relief driver I know I will have to use their vehicle at some point, and know that it will involve getting mucky from leaning on it, or using the unwashed taillift, and that the cab will be full of empty plastic coffee cups, and ginsters wrappers. There will also be an ecosystem growing down by the gear lever and parking brake, and spuds on the footwell.
Personally I try to wash all vehicles I use for a decent period of time. Being a relief driver I can sometimes use 3 or 4 different vehicles in a day, so it isnt practical to clean them, and why should I cover for some elses laziness. But if im working with it for a while, I want a clean environment. And its just basic bit of trying to take pride in what im doing.
Unfortunately, most of our vehicles have been let go for so long, that some are beyond help outside, and no amount of scrubbing will make the cab a nice place to be.
My questions are these:
Do you wash your vehicle, inside and out, regularly? If so, or if not why?
Do you get any kind of extra incentive for doing so from the company, monetary or otherwise?
How would you motivate drivers to clean their vehicle, if you were a TM?
Yes and yes. Outside because otherwise I can’t see out of it, and inside because otherwise I couldn’t bear to live in it. I don’t do polishing of any description, though.
If you do it, the Fleet Manager won’t mither you. If you don’t he will. And BOY can he mither.
Do you wash your vehicle, inside and out, regularly? If so, or if not why?
Outside at least once a week, more as and when necessary
Inside I keep it clean. Empty rubbish, quick dust if needed and a quick spray of air freshener daily. I am not a silicone shine person
Do you get any kind of extra incentive for doing so from the company, monetary or otherwise?
Yep. Hourly paid and I can take as much or as little time as needed unhassled Including the drive to the Truckwash and the obligatory cup of coffee while it dries always done late in the day of course when on overtime
How would you motivate drivers to clean their vehicle, if you were a TM?
Do you wash your vehicle, inside and out, regularly? If so, or if not why?
As an agency driver I sometimes use different vehicles daily and always try to leave them clean and tidy, I always wash them and make sure the inside is left as I would like to find it myself, unfortunately this sometimes means cleaning up other peoples rubbish
WildGoose:
2) Do you get any kind of extra incentive for doing so from the company, monetary or otherwise?
Well I’m hourly paid so I do get paid for the time, but it’s also a matter of maintaining some kind of standard, pride in the job I suppose (sorry about the old fashioned attitude ) .
WildGoose:
3) How would you motivate drivers to clean their vehicle, if you were a TM?
Assuming they’re getting a decent wage for the job and there are adequate cleaning facility’s provided I’d sack the lazy gits who didn’t keep their vehicles clean, If they’ve no pride in the job they do and the way they do it why the hell would I want to employ them, having said that a small incentive for doing a good overall job is no bad thing
Where the outside is concerned, we have a mobile unit that visits the yard a few times a week - if it coincides with when you’re there, it gets washed. As for the inside - there has just been a new ruling brought in which states that if the cab is not satisfactorily clean and tidy, it will be valeted at the expense of the driver. I don’t mind the clean bit, but trying to keep a low roofed cab with not one single locker tidy Not easy when you live in it - everything has to be on the bunk or on the passenger seat.
as a agency driver it depends. never have cleaned the outside but always clear out the inside as normally have carrier bag with me for my own rubbish so tend to just fill it and put it in the bin that i normally find next to the pumps at most of the places i have been to, guess the reg drivers forget its there
grumpybum:
As for the inside - there has just been a new ruling brought in which states that if the cab is not satisfactorily clean and tidy, it will be valeted at the expense of the driver.
That sounds like the recipe for some serious arguments. Different people have very different ideas of what is clean and what isn’t…
i get £0 extra a week extra to keep my van clean inside and out…but i keep it clean as thats how I like it…also my GF would moan a bit when she come out with me for the day if she got dirty from the inside of my van…
A dirty truck is the sign of a busy truck or an idle driver, seriously though I do like a clean machine. I clean mine whenever it is necessary not forgetting to empty the ashtray…
1) Do you wash your vehicle, inside and out, regularly? If so, or if not why?
Yep - as often as I can. A dust / brush out inside every day because it is where I live, and any time I’m near one of our depots it goes through the wash. We have an account at Lymm too and I put it through there at least once a week.
2) Do you get any kind of extra incentive for doing so from the company, monetary or otherwise?
None whatsoever. It is expected of us and as I am hourly paid, I don’t have a problem with this. If you look clean and tidy it projects a good image of the company and of me as an individual. I don’t sit in ■■■■ at home and I won’t at work either. Also, if you keep on top of it it requires little effort on a daily basis.
3) How would you motivate drivers to clean their vehicle, if you were a TM?
Explain that they are expected to keep the truck clean and that time / facilities are available. If they don’t like it then go somewhere else.
in 1977 i got payed £5 a week for washing a van as a van boy on Walls meats that was 1/4 of what I earned for the rest of the job, and it was tax free cash in the hand…money for old rope. Now if my boss offered me 1/4 of my wages now for keeping the motor clean it would be sparkling, but he doesn’t.
I stick it through a wash-down if I have time every 2 or 3 weeks, and clean out the cab as and when it looks a bit dusty, the boss will pay for any polish dusters etc etc which i good enough for me.
i tend to clean the outside of the unit and trailer whilst im tipping, just the bits that need it mind, the wagons are washed every sunday, i went in last sunday at 6 am and the lads were there! the inside i do daily after i get my sorry body out of bed and had breakfast!
i sent my truck back to the yard when i went on holiday
and it came back as dirty as it went in
even though i had asked for it to be put thru the truckwash
If I’m doing agency work,then I will wash it down,even in the case of the 6 year old FH,that I had yesterday,that had more grease on the side fairing than the 5th wheel,so it got washed BEFORE I left the yard.
If I’m doing my own work in my own van,then naturally,it’s in my own interest to keep it clean,as it’s my company image at stake.
The only incentive I get,is repeat work,because I take pride in my appearance,therefore meaning more £££.
As for motivating drivers?
Well if they refuse to keep a motor clean,then I would take it off them,and give it to a more deserving driver,because if they want to live in a ■■■■ hole,then they can drive a worse ■■■■ hole.
always done late in the day of course when on overtime 
) .
