As truckers, we should take great pride in how our trucks look! After all, our truck is what many see before we can even step one foot out onto a customer’s lot. For many of us, it may even serve as a giant billboard as well. I see a lot of time spent on shining chrome, polishing aluminum, and dressing tires, but painted surface protection should be considered in your truck's beauty routine as well.
Vehicle manufacturers have come a long way in the area of painted surface quality over the past couple decades. Since the 1980's, when advanced clear coats became the norm from the factory, many things have changed other than a plethora of color choices. One thing that has not changed though, is the beating that our trucks take being out in the elements every day, all year long! These trucks see everything imaginable that could harm paint including snow, sleet, ice, dust storms, hail, flying rocks, salt, and even the suns hammering ultraviolet rays! 
With the advances in paint jobs and clear coats, many think there is no longer a need for clear coat protection. This could not be further from reality, as I am sure you have all seen trucks with the roof caps and hoods that have a "lizard skin" look to them with dry patches all over going down the highway. This is a direct result of the harsh elements and abuse a truck’s paint job takes on a daily basis, culminated with years of not caring for the clear finish in the proper way.
Since your clear coat protects your paint, what protects your clear coat? It is hard to think that something as simple as wax could shine and protect your paint, all in one easy step. I have witnessed drivers at the truck wash counter opting out of the extra $5 to $10 it takes for a good spray wax and wonder if they have any idea of the long-term effects on their overall resale value. I happen to know first-hand (being in a family of custom painters) that a good aftermarket rig paint job is far, far more than the extra wax cost over the lifetime of a truck. 
To put it into perspective, if you wash your truck every three weeks, you are only going to spend around $170 extra every year. Over a typical useful life of ten years from your usually owner-operator, that is only $1700, which probably wouldn't even cover repainting your truck’s nose at a decent shop!
Protect your clear coat and spend a little extra money on something that will pay off in ways other than just showing your pride, although that is important as well! Opt in for that spray wax, or even splurge on a hand wax if you can find someone crazy enough to attempt it on a condo sleeper! A good, clean image can do a lot in our industry and whether it is the way we dress or the clean look of our trucks, making the right choice can have lasting effects on your bottom line. Make the most out of your single largest asset and consider spending that little extra bit on things that will make it last longer inside and out! Also, be sure to take care of the paint on the outside to help get the best resale value for it in the end that you possibly can because let’s face it, none of us specifically go truck shopping and say, “Ooh, I really want that oxidized, weather-beaten one!”