Left untended, the chemicals that eat away at snow and ice on the road can do the same thing to truck chassis, metal components and wiring.
One of the best corrosion inhibitors is simply keeping the truck clean, says Scott Colvin, PPG Commercial Transit brand manager. However, a typical exterior truck wash won’t remove corrosive chemicals and road salts stuck in the frame, junction boxes, couplers and other hard-to-reach areas.
Even when focused on those spots, a thorough removal of road salts isn’t as simple as just hosing off the rig with cool water.
“A combination of detergents and hot water is really what is needed,” says Jack Lennon, vice president of operations for Blue Beacon Truck Wash. Hot water does a better job of dissolving contaminants and surface salts.
Once the truck and trailer have been washed with detergent or neutralizer, it’s equally important that they are rinsed thoroughly. “Salt’s not the corrosive agent,” says Gerry Mead, executive director of innovation for Phillips. “When you add water and it breaks down, chlorine comes out of there, and that’s your corrosive agent of the salt.”
Oklahoma City-based Gemini Motor Transport washes its equipment at least on a weekly basis, says Jim Dillon, truck assets manager. “If they’re running through areas where these chemicals have been heavily applied on the highways, we’re going to wash them more often than that,” he says.
Optimal truck and trailer wash cycles vary, but Lennon advises paying attention to when salts and chemicals are no longer being applied to the road and having the unit cleaned thoroughly soon thereafter.
