I have two semis to detail this weekend, Guy wants it shiny and not dull

F

frankosmusica

New member
Ok so I got an appointment for two semis on Saturday. The guy just wants exterior wash & Wax and engine cleaned and dressed, tires dressed. He said he gets then washed up often but they keep on getting dull and dull. He said he wants something that will protect it from getting duller and if possible make it shiny. He doesnt want polish, what type of wax should be good or what do you guys think I should do? I usually use Meguiars spray on wax and that gives cars with good paint a nice shine and smooth coating. Could this work ? If not what could I do ? Suggestions would be appreciated thank you in advance
 
frankosmusica said:
Ok so I got an appointment for two semis on Saturday. The guy just wants exterior wash & Wax and engine cleaned and dressed, tires dressed. He said he gets then washed up often but they keep on getting dull and dull. He said he wants something that will protect it from getting duller and if possible make it shiny. He doesnt want polish, what type of wax should be good or what do you guys think I should do? I usually use Meguiars spray on wax and that gives cars with good paint a nice shine and smooth coating. Could this work ? If not what could I do ? Suggestions would be appreciated thank you in advance
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I think your customer doesn't have realistic expectations. He wants a shiny car without a polish? If his vehicles are already dull, a coating of wax will only do so much. Maybe you should bump him back into reality? If that doesn't work, i'd recommend a high durability wax such as 845 just becauser I don't think a spray on wax will last as long.
 
I am meeting someone on Wednesday, he wants his 10 semis done. I will be doing them outside in the sun, so I plan on using S&W, Pro Polish 2 on all paint and metal, then topping w/ Natty's. I have never done one before, so we will see how it goes.
 
Degrease

wash

AIO



Degrease

wash

polish

sealant



Degrease

wash

sealant



I would say those are your options, and good luck getting them done in one weekend. Sounds like they are oxidized and every wash wears off the oil filled waxes. He needs to have it cut, polished, sealed...$$$$
 
toyotaguy said:
Degrease

wash

AIO



Degrease

wash

polish

sealant



Degrease

wash

sealant



I would say those are your options, and good luck getting them done in one weekend. Sounds like they are oxidized and every wash wears off the oil filled waxes. He needs to have it cut, polished, sealed...$$$$
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Quoted for truth. Semis take a beating and get driven thousands of miles a week. Not usually just a quickie job
 
I would do a bit of detective work.

Like, "Sir, do you put the trucks through washes at the truck stops?"

Those use very caustic wash solutions, and in a couple of washes, anything you put on is chemically removed.

That is why the paint is dull, the aluminum trim is dull, etc.

It gets them clean, but it attack the finishes.

Like stated in other posts, first you are going to have to get a rotary buffer and some compound and remove the oxidation created by age and the washes.

Then you will have to polish and then apply a good sealant.

I have a good background in the taking care of Class 8 tractors and they get hammered for weeks on end, by the road, the weather, the truck washes.

You will be dealing with Imron paint, it's a two part expoxy paint, not like what a base/clear is on a car.

Tough stuff, but still needs care.

If the guy has been in the trucking business for more than 20 years, and runs across country, he may have known my cousin who taught me about the care of such.

Duke's Truck Wash and Polishing in Pico Rivera, Cal, at the time the Peterbilt dealership was where he was located, plus two other operations, South Coast Peterbilt.

Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham said:
I would do a bit of detective work.

Like, "Sir, do you put the trucks through washes at the truck stops?"

Those use very caustic wash solutions, and in a couple of washes, anything you put on is chemically removed.

That is why the paint is dull, the aluminum trim is dull, etc.

It gets them clean, but it attack the finishes.

Like stated in other posts, first you are going to have to get a rotary buffer and some compound and remove the oxidation created by age and the washes.

Then you will have to polish and then apply a good sealant.

I have a good background in the taking care of Class 8 tractors and they get hammered for weeks on end, by the road, the weather, the truck washes.

You will be dealing with Imron paint, it's a two part expoxy paint, not like what a base/clear is on a car.

Tough stuff, but still needs care.

If the guy has been in the trucking business for more than 20 years, and runs across country, he may have known my cousin who taught me about the care of such.

Duke's Truck Wash and Polishing in Pico Rivera, Cal, at the time the Peterbilt dealership was where he was located, plus two other operations, South Coast Peterbilt.

Grumpy
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Damn tell you the truth guys im thinking of calling him tomorrow and dropping the gig does sound like a lot of work, plus these guys that own business they are always the pickiest and the ones who pay less. They always say this has this this has a spot bla bla, plus its about 40 far out of the city. Yeah im will drop it. Thanks for the info. I bet when I get there thos trucks will be all oxidated and dull and he will want them like new without polish or want me to polish them for the same price. Not gonna happen
 
I agree with Grumpy. I had accounts for a couple of trucking companies a few years back and typically the guys that wash these things are using a very caustic product so they can spray it on and then just rinse. It doesn't matter what you do or use, within a few washes they will look like hell again. I wouldn't waste your time.
 
I am trying to come up w/ a number for a price, I was thinking by the hour for the first one. I detail his Ram pickup truck and that takes at least 5 hours for a full detail.
 
Ron Ketcham said:
I would do a bit of detective work.

Like, "Sir, do you put the trucks through washes at the truck stops?"

Those use very caustic wash solutions, and in a couple of washes, anything you put on is chemically removed.

That is why the paint is dull, the aluminum trim is dull, etc.

It gets them clean, but it attack the finishes.

Like stated in other posts, first you are going to have to get a rotary buffer and some compound and remove the oxidation created by age and the washes.

Then you will have to polish and then apply a good sealant.

I have a good background in the taking care of Class 8 tractors and they get hammered for weeks on end, by the road, the weather, the truck washes.

You will be dealing with Imron paint, it's a two part expoxy paint, not like what a base/clear is on a car.

Tough stuff, but still needs care.

If the guy has been in the trucking business for more than 20 years, and runs across country, he may have known my cousin who taught me about the care of such.

Duke's Truck Wash and Polishing in Pico Rivera, Cal, at the time the Peterbilt dealership was where he was located, plus two other operations, South Coast Peterbilt.

Grumpy
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Ron, To clarify Dupont imron is A true high voc polyurethane enamel.

It has an extremely high shore rating.



Imron clear and color are not epoxy. Only a primer or sealer is.
 
Owner/operators are usually pretty picky customers. I have branched out into truck washing and interior detailing this year and I shy away from o/o now...fleet account customers are more realistic and lower maintenance.
 
everything has a price where its worth doing...I would double whatever you were thinking, then at least you have a bit of wiggle room.



150 bucks, "Im not the detailer you are looking for"

2000 bucks, "Lets make it shiny"
 
I don't like doing simi trucks but they can be a cash cow if you are working for the right trucking company and it can be year round work.
 
Truckers are hard to gauge. Ive had some come in my shop and spend over a thousand dollars on CB radio equipment, all top notch, as well as pay for me to install correctly and tune. At the same time, you'd have other drivers who wanted to spend $30 and expect their equipment to perform just like the "other" guy who did it right. You may never get them to agree that they cant have what theyre expecting for bottom dollar, in those cases, its acceptable to jsut say "Im not the right person for the job" and walk away. If you do the work for nothing that driver will turn into your worst nightmare and you'll be throwing money away everytime he comes to visit you. I've tried being nice before and it has always turned around to bite me in the end.
 
I would only accept this account if I could sit down and explain in detail what can and can not be done within a given price range. Explain what your labor rate is and if he is willing to pay accordingly then game on. Go through the history of the fleet and reccomend what is needed to maintain them at a desired level.All o/operators aren't the same. Some realize the importance of keeping the equipment looking good and others could care less. If after sitting down one on one the owner was agreeable then it could be a win/win deal for both of you.
 
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