Owning and operating a truck wash can be a great business. You see, although many businesses and industries have suffered in the recent recession, the trucking companies are making money and doing fine. In fact, there is a shortage of truck drivers, which might be of interest to you if you're looking for a job right now. Now then, as long as the truck wash is doing excellent work and good quality, and charging a fair price their referrals and word-of-mouth will get out and keep them quite busy.
However, getting busy in the first place is rather difficult. And if you are a new truck wash that is just starting out most truckers don't know you are there, and they aren't willing to stop until they hear something positive about your operation and the quality of work. Therefore it's important to learn the secrets of marketing a truck wash. Since I have quite a bit of industry experience, let me explain to you three very important tips you need to know below;
1. Use the C.B. for Referrals
2. Contact Dispatchers from Companies
3. Co-Market with Truck Stops Within 100-mile Radius
Okay so, we all know that using the CB or Citizens Band Radio for anything other than communication is against the law. You can't blast advertisements on it, as that's not its purpose. However, that doesn't mean that a happy customer who just got his truck wash, perhaps an independent owner operator truck driver can't brag about how nice his truck looks after you've just washed it.
Every time a customer comes up and tells you that you've done a wonderful job, tell them thank you, but tell him that you'd rather he get on the CB and brag about his clean truck. In other words you are suggesting that the truck driver spread the good cheer, and refer you some additional business. Believe me they will, and they might drive for another 50 to 100 miles down the freeway telling everyone within earshot what a great job you did.
Next, it makes sense to contact the dispatchers from all the companies that own a large number of trucks. Anytime you see a driver who is satisfied from a large trucking company, ask them for the phone number of their dispatcher. Then put in a call to the dispatcher along with some sort of a discount program if they referred their drivers to come to you with a voucher for payment for their truck wash.
Lastly, it makes sense to make deals with all the truck stops within a 100 to 200 mile radius. Remember most of these truck drivers drive all day and all night, and they are looking for some point to take a break, get a truck wash, a bite to eat, and get back on the road. Indeed I hope you will please consider all these tips and think on it.
Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,222 articles by July 22, 2011 at 2:22 PM is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..
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