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So you’ve started your job in haulage work, you’re driving your first lorry and you’re probably already noticing a few things starting to pile up in your cab. While a bit of mess may seem harmless, there are a number of good reasons to stay on top of it. You may wish to sell your truck, in which case an exterior and interior in good condition will be vital. You’ll want to ensure that you give off a sense of professionalism and competence. Perhaps most importantly of all, working in a clean, tidy space is most likely to keep you happier for longer on the road. Step 1: Pick Up Your Rubbish Before anything else, collect any refuse from the inside of the cab. It’s a good idea to keep a container for rubbish when you’re on the road to stop it piling up all over the place. Be sure to do this before anything else, as you’ll likely drop crumbs and bits of wrapper all over your freshly cleaned truck if you leave it until the last moment. All of the refuse of a life in haulage work – receipts, notes, cigarette packets, coffee cups, wrappers for road food, crumbs – will need to be cleared away. Take out the mats and beat them in the open air to remove as much dust as possible. Step 2: Clean the interior Now you’ll want to get to work with a vacuum cleaner, a soft cloth, newspaper, soapy water and vinegar. First hoover in all the crevices, under the mats and under the seats - it’s a good idea to keep a small, battery-powered vacuum in the cab for any unexpected spills. Then, clean any stains off the chairs and the dashboard with a hoover brush attachment and a soft cloth, using small amounts of soapy water if necessary. Be careful not to polish the dash to a high shine or you might find it hard to read in sunny weather! Vinegar and newspaper (unless the windows are tinted, in which case use a soft cloth rather than newspaper) should leave your windows beautifully clear – a haulage worker’s trick of the trade. Step 3: Maintenance This is the time to shampoo the carpets, condition any leather (always test the conditioner on a hidden part of the leather first to check that any dye is fast), and check for any fraying stitching, broken mechanisms, or sticking dials. It’s also important to change the air filters at this stage too: don’t slack on this one! Step 4: Wash the Exterior Start with the wheels and under the wheel arches (ignore the 5th wheel – it’s a waste of time and it won’t stay clean): these are by far the dirtiest parts of the lorry, and if you do them last then the caked-on dirt from weeks or months of haulage work will end up splattered over the rest of your sparkling paintwork. After this, start at the highest point of the cab and work your way down. Start with a de-greaser if you don’t have a high polish layer on your cab, otherwise skip that part, and finish up by rinsing the wheels of any dirt that’s ended up on them from the rest of the cleaning. Step 5: Finishing Touches Get into the cab and rev the engine: this will get rid of anything that’s ended up in the engine while you’ve been detailing the vehicle. Rinse the truck one last time, and dry with a shammy (a kind of cloth that won’t scratch your paint) to avoid water spotting or streaking. If you want to wax the paintwork, now would be the time. If you follow these steps after any big job, or a couple of weeks of little ones, you’ll have a pleasant, clean workspace and a professional veneer - something that’s invaluable in the world of haulage work. Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage work with available drivers. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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