Noticed with the better weather coming in there are more and more drivers that have been making there trucks look the part. Tanks like mirrors and cabs gleaming, lights a plenty. Good to see.
How far would you stretch the budget to get your motor looking in top nick and how far would you go if you drove a company/fleet motor with polish and lights etc if you were a day man, night man, trampers?
If it was my own motor the wax and polish budget would rival the fuel budget
I occaisionally…
Drive the truck and trailer through our automatic brush wash after a shift.
S’bout it really. I have never and never will spend a penny (except for Screenies for the inside of the windscreen) of my hard earned on making a working tool all shiny and blingy.
I’ve spent a fair amount of money over the years on cleaning products but every one of them were for use on the interior of the truck.
I never have and never will polish a diesel tank or wheels.
I’ve been parked up for weekends in truck stops all over Europe and watched “drivers” spend hours polishing on what’s supposed to be their time to relax, I find it sad that they feel the need to do it, many an hour spent at Carisio with a bottle of Moretti on the table looking out of the window shaking my head in disbelief.
Don’t spend anything, the company supply any and all materials required.
I take a pride in my work, including polishing some shiny bits when time and weather allows, if it annoys others then that’s a worthwhile bonus 
, if they let it be known it annoys them, usually by sarky coments not within earshot 
it only re-enthuses one to do it more 
A note about wheels, if you drive a lorry as its supposed to be driven ie not on the brakes, the wheels don’t get dirty with deep ingrained brake dust so normal washing is all that’s needed, this applies to staybrights and painted steelies, non staybright alloys are too hard to keep in good condition once a winters salt has got to them, a good dose of strong alloy cleaner is about all you can do, seen lads using brillo pads before the finish after isn’t bad looks like brushed aluminium but not sure wearing thin layers of the metal away if you did that regularly would be advisable.
I’ve heard a spray with WD40 on alloy helps keep salt corrision at bay but can’t tell you if it works.
No extra fittings or lights inside or out, i’m a dayman with an allocated vehicle.
Personally I don’t and never will budget any of my own money to be spent towards cleaning or adding fixtures or shiny bits to a truck.
I personally know a couple of fellas who have spent upwards of a grand on polish, lights, bars and all the other bells and whistles for their allocated truck. Not to mention hours and hours of their own free time keeping the things spotlessly clean. Luckily, to show his appreciation their boss allows them an unpaid weekend with the lorry at a truck show from time to time.
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I’ll tell the story again…
The James Irlam driver from the Normanton depot who spent I believe £300+ of his own hard earned on six wheel trims for his new DAF XF only to find one Monday morning that, a large part of the fleet had been re-allocated to another depot and his pride and joy had vanished. The trims were never seen again.
Rumour has it that one of his mates laughed so much an ambulance was called.
yourhavingalarf:
I’ll tell the story again…The James Irlam driver from the Normanton depot who spent I believe £300+ of his own hard earned on six wheel trims for his new DAF XF only to find one Monday morning that, a large part of the fleet had been re-allocated to another depot and his pride and joy had vanished. The trims were never seen again.
Rumour has it that one of his mates laughed so much an ambulance was called.
That is madness.
I do tramping and spend about 20mins every 3/4 weeks with some polish to keep it topped up and a hose down every so often. Couple lights and interior cleaning supply’s to improve the interior a little given the time spend in it which I also use in the car. Minus the lights of course. Not a lot of money at all.
Spending crazy amounts of money on wheel trims and light bars is something I would never do. If the boss wants to stick them on by all means but not out of my pocket.
It is good to see some of these motors around. Some look incredible. But they also look like a lot of effort that could be spend with a brew in hand
yourhavingalarf:
I’ll tell the story again…The James Irlam driver from the Normanton depot who spent I believe £300+ of his own hard earned on six wheel trims for his new DAF XF only to find one Monday morning that, a large part of the fleet had been re-allocated to another depot and his pride and joy had vanished. The trims were never seen again.
Rumour has it that one of his mates laughed so much an ambulance was called.
In the same vein; one of the lads who I mentioned in my other comment spent a whole Sunday lining the wind deflectors on his truck with LED lights. Was absolutely chuffed with himself, until big boss swapped his pointy shoes for some steely ones to show a customer around, saw it, absolutely hated how it looked and made the poor sod remove them all again!
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My truck, and it is mine, gets a wash every year for its test. I give the lights and mirrors a wipe with a cloth from time to time. Anything it needs to keep it safe and reliable is done without question regardless of cost.
Frankly, I don’t give a toot what it looks like, but It does make me quite a lot of money, which i enjoy spending on wine and my children/ grandchildren.
Each to their own though.
On the wheels I’d suggest using some “Finnish care ■■1000” wax as it has good anti corrosion and high heat properties and resists the iron particles in brake dust.
If you want to get those iron particles/filings out that imbedded themselves in the rim Then use a fallout remover such as Bilt Hamber “Korrosol” I use these products on the car to keep it pristine.
Another tip is to make sure the brake discs are dried off after washing by riding the brake for a few moments otherwise the discs will rust, and the next time you drive off all that iron rust will be dragged off and stick to the rim you spend ages polishing
Old John:
My truck, and it is mine, gets a wash every year for its test. I give the lights and mirrors a wipe with a cloth from time to time. Anything it needs to keep it safe and reliable is done without question regardless of cost.
Frankly, I don’t give a toot what it looks like, but It does make me quite a lot of money, which i enjoy spending on wine and my children/ grandchildren.
Each to their own though.
Semi of the same thoughts here as well 
, I will wash my truck with the brush , washer and soap the boss provides and nothing more
Also I rive a white truck so can’t be bothered washing it every 5 mins
P/s I also do it on the card , so I get paid to wash the truck
thehighlandscot:
Noticed with the better weather coming in there are more and more drivers that have been making there trucks look the part. Tanks like mirrors and cabs gleaming, lights a plenty. Good to see.How far would you stretch the budget to get your motor looking in top nick and how far would you go if you drove a company/fleet motor with polish and lights etc if you were a day man, night man, trampers?
If it was my own motor the wax and polish budget would rival the fuel budget
This is the budget I allocate to my employers work vehicles = £0.00.
Polishing someone else’s lorry with products that you have purchased yourself is almost as sad as urinating into a bottle and hurling out of the window. Very sad behaviour indeed. What next, sleeping in the vehicle throughout the night for £25?
A valet and 9 hours security for £25. And some drivers wonder why wages are crap
Grumpy_old_trucker:
I’ve spent a fair amount of money over the years on cleaning products but every one of them were for use on the interior of the truck.
I never have and never will polish a diesel tank or wheels.
I’ve been parked up for weekends in truck stops all over Europe and watched “drivers” spend hours polishing on what’s supposed to be their time to relax, I find it sad that they feel the need to do it, many an hour spent at Carisio with a bottle of Moretti on the table looking out of the window shaking my head in disbelief.
A man almost after my own heart, so there are a couple of differences…
My spend on cleaning products for either the inside or the out side was precisely… £0.00 so the conversion to Lira wasn’t difficult. I took care of the Italian dust on inside with a damp rag and swept out with a dustpan brush, whilst the outside got a bucket of suds on the 32nd of each month.
I completely agree with you about the rest of what you said, and I share the shaking of the head, to which I’d add the rolling of eyes and deep sighing.
The Moretti (whatever that is) sounds like some form of alcohol, so a complete non-starter for me cos I’m a teetotaller and so would gladly swop you the Moretti for a proper brew of tea.
I’ve kept the worst until last… Carisio■■? 
Carisio was a bit too ‘lively’ for my liking, so I was always a Santhia man.
Just to put on the record… in my 12ish years over the water, including just over a year working in Italy for an Italian firm, I did go to Carisio just the once so that I could say I’ve been there. I did one circuit of the parking and left without stopping. 
Happy days. 
If someone takes a pride in something that he doesn’t own then good on him I say. Maybe it helps pass the boredom of waiting around with nothing to do, no idea of how much a duster and a bit of metal polish costs but if it gives him pleasure I would say that is cheaper than a lot of hobbies. Doesn’t automatically put him in the class of being a fool. I personally wouldn’t do it though.
Biere Moretti…
Italian beer/lager/fizzy fall over juice.
To those that do clean and polish while the pub is open and in your breaks etc, Covid 19 must have a lot to answer for the clean trucks, plus the fact its been the driest & hottest April for 361 years or since records began, whichever media source you believe.
Yup $0.00 spent on outside truck and trailer,well if I’m told/need to wash trailer out it’s a call from the wash for a card number! , Well a can o mr sheen type polish 80cents for inside and the odd wet wipe is all inside gets. If boss wants truck washed in yard when I come in it’s $20 for an hrs labour. Marked on trip sheet,windscreen and mirrors kept clean . And aye I’ve seen guys polishing their rims whitening the tyre make when parked up but after a 16hr day all I want to do is eat an sleep
It’s not just me,then.Like diesel dave I did a tour of the park at Carisio,thought FFS as my jaw dropped and travelled onwards and upwards.
dieseldave:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
I’ve spent a fair amount of money over the years on cleaning products but every one of them were for use on the interior of the truck.
I never have and never will polish a diesel tank or wheels.
I’ve been parked up for weekends in truck stops all over Europe and watched “drivers” spend hours polishing on what’s supposed to be their time to relax, I find it sad that they feel the need to do it, many an hour spent at Carisio with a bottle of Moretti on the table looking out of the window shaking my head in disbelief.A man almost after my own heart, so there are a couple of differences…
My spend on cleaning products for either the inside or the out side was precisely… £0.00 so the conversion to Lira wasn’t difficult. I took care of the Italian dust on inside with a damp rag and swept out with a dustpan brush, whilst the outside got a bucket of suds on the 32nd of each month.
I completely agree with you about the rest of what you said, and I share the shaking of the head, to which I’d add the rolling of eyes and deep sighing.
The Moretti (whatever that is) sounds like some form of alcohol, so a complete non-starter for me cos I’m a teetotaller and so would gladly swop you the Moretti for a proper brew of tea.
I’ve kept the worst until last… Carisio■■?
Carisio was a bit too ‘lively’ for my liking, so I was always a Santhia man.Just to put on the record… in my 12ish years over the water, including just over a year working in Italy for an Italian firm, I did go to Carisio just the once so that I could say I’ve been there. I did one circuit of the parking and left without stopping.
Happy days.
Was never a fan of Santhia, except on a Monday when Carisio was shut, the log cabin at Santhia was better than the main restaurant although depending where I was heading I used to use The Sisters at Novara, Phil and her son Roger used to look after us brits.
Alcatraz, not every Brits favourite but I liked it there, didn’t see many tank polishers there because of the dust.
Juddian:
I’ve heard a spray with WD40 on alloy helps keep salt corrision at bay but can’t tell you if it works.
ACF-50 would probably work better. Easy enough to wash off once the salting season has ended.