If you are like me, then there is nothing quite like a freshly washed truck. I love when I get a little free time and take the truck in for a good cleaning. When the chrome and aluminum give off that blinding glare, it causes me to sit up in my seat just a little taller! Early on in my career I did not know that there was a difference in how you washed your truck and trailer though. I thought that taking it into any old truck wash was good enough and just rolled on through without ever thinking twice about it.
These days my thinking has changed and I now know the difference that an experienced wash location can offer. Aside from doing it myself, I have the next best thing from the place I use on a regular basis. Any old place can spray on a coat of soap and acid, scrub, rinse, and repeat. I have found with the help of my local wash that not all truck washes are created equal. I am sure that some reading this might have had an experience on a hot day of leaving a wash with streaked or dulled out aluminum. This most likely was due to some of the chemicals being used improperly in the washing procedure. Being educated about the use of acids and caustics now, I choose to use only soap, water and wax for the washing of my truck.
Although deemed safe for use in the commercial fleet washing systems of today, harsh chemicals are used by a great number of wash facilities in the United States. If improperly used, or overused, some of these chemicals can actually cause harm over time to the finishes on a truck or trailer. If I had the means to do so, I would hand wash my truck myself, but have found a small chain of washes out here in the west that has been operating free of acids and caustics for a long time and provides a true “hand wash” to your ride. When researching the coating on my Alcoa Dura-Brite wheels, it states to avoid using hydrofluoric acid and other acidic or alkaline cleaners used by a lot of truck washes. This is what ultimately led me to consider the all out elimination of these chemicals in washing my equipment. If they can cause damage to a treated wheel, what other damage could they cause to other components of the truck, or even its beautiful paint finish?
Being that your truck is the face of your business, you should take pride in keeping it looking its best. Although this is a little harder in the winter months due to increased inclement weather, do not let it deter you into letting your truck look like a filthy mess. If you happen to go to a particular truck wash, don’t be afraid to ask what they use and then research to make sure it is not going to make your truck 
shine in the short-term, but hurt you ultimately in the long-term. A clean truck speaks volumes for you before you can even step one foot outside of the cab. Yes, I will go here too…a cleaner truck will actually reduce drag and get better airflow for fuel economy! Unfortunately, it will not impact fuel economy to a significantly measurable degree. The amount of dirt on the truck needed to impact fuel economy would probably deem it unsafe for use on the road! Regardless, take pride in your clean ride and know what is being used to keep it clean!