Do you care about the cleanliness of your rig?
If you don’t, you really should.
Not only does a clean truck look amazing but it offers many benefits as well! You’ll be working in a cleaner and safer environment and representing your trucking company in a professional and positive way.
But if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to cleaning up your rig, here is a cheat sheet to help you out. Just follow the steps and you’ll have the cleanest truck in the fleet!
Clean Truck Checklist: Cleaning the Interior
Let’s start with the inside, because this is where you work all day and night, right? A clean interior is a healthy interior.
Clear Out the Garbage
It doesn’t take more than one trip for trash to accumulate in the cabin of your truck. Garbage can include anything from crumbs, wrappers, plastic bottles, etc.
You can skip this step in the future by having a small wastebasket with a liner in the cab with you. Tie up the bad every time it gets full and it’s ready to toss at your next stop!
But if you do have to toil through this task, make sure you do it first. The last thing you want is to shake out crumbs all over your newly cleaned cab.
Wash the Mats
In order to get grime and dirt off of your floor mats, soap them up really well and use a scrub brush.
You may want to do this step first so that you can hang them out to dry while you continue your truck washing endeavors.
Clean the Curtains
While your mats are drying, now may be a good time to remove the curtains from the interior of your cab and throw them into a washing machine.
Make sure, however, that you read the tags and follow the manufacturer’s directions when it comes to washing and drying them.
Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to wash your curtains regularly so try to make a habit of throwing them in when you do your laundry!
Vacuum
Before you start vacuuming, make sure you remove the floor mats so you can make sure to clean up all of the crumbs and debris from the inside of your dirty truck.
Use a long vacuum attachment to reach all of the nooks and crannies around the pedals, between and under the seats, and around the dashboard.
Clean the Dashboard
If you are going to vacuum the dashboard, make sure you use a soft brush attachment so that you don’t damage any knobs or dials. Remember to be gentle!
You can also use a gentle cleanser and a soft cloth to give your dashboard a shine. Just make sure to avoid cleaners and polishes that have a glossy finish – these can cause glares that can interfere with safe driving.
While you’re cleaning the dashboard, it’s probably a good idea to gather any stray papers and receipts that may have been unceremoniously thrown up there. Be sure to go through them to decide what to keep and what to toss.
Remove Stains
Vacuuming isn’t going to get rid of any stains on your seat’s upholstery. To remove the stains, start by scrubbing them with warm, soapy water.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to invest in an upholstery cleaner – just be sure to test the product on a small spot first to make sure it won’t damage the material.
Once the cleaner passes the test, apply it thoroughly across the stain, let it sit, then scrub the area.
This method will work for stains on your truck’s carpet as well.
Of course, you can avoid the need to scrub out stains by wiping up spills and messes as soon as they happen.
Replace the Air Filters
Unless your company regularly replaces your truck’s cabin air filter, you’ll need to do this yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be breathing in dirty air and dealing with the smell of must.
Follow your owner’s manual to see how to replace the air filter and the specific model of cabin filter your truck requires.
Wipe the Windows
Using a gentle window cleaner, wipe down the inside and outside of your windows.
And don’t be too quick to grab a newspaper to do the job. While newspaper is great for removing stains and spots from windows, it’s no good for tinted windows. It’s abrasive and can remove the tinting.
To be safe, use a soft cloth instead.
Clean Truck Checklist: Cleaning the Exterior
There’s little point in cleaning up your truck if you can’t show it off! Here’s how to make sure your rig’s exterior shines:
Wash With Warm Water and Soap
Use warm water and a professional cleaning solution to wash the exterior of your truck. Dish soap and non-truck products are a no-go since they can damage your truck’s wax and paint job.
Plus, using products not designed for vehicle washing can increase the risk of getting nicks and developing rust spots.
Once you have your truck all lathered up, you can use a squeegee or hose to remove the soap suds. Squeegees are great because they will reduce the likelihood of soap spots on your truck.
If you have one available to you, you can choose to use a pressure washer as well. Make sure you are using a lightweight sprayer to prevent any damage to the truck’s finish.
Scrub the Wheels
Using a firm scrub brush or sponge, loosen up any built-up road grime on your wheels and rims. Use a hose to rinse off the soap.
Take a look at cleaning products that are specifically designed for difficult-to-clean areas such as your wheels and wheel-wells. These may make your life easier!
Rinse Thoroughly
Before you give your truck a good waxing, make sure the exterior is thoroughly rinsed. Dowse the exterior with buckets of warm, clean water to wash away any stray particles before you hit it with the hose.
When you rinse off the particles first, you avoid the risk of water pressure from the hose pushing it along your truck’s finish.
Finish With Wax
As soon as your truck’s exterior is dry, it is with some wax! This will help protect your truck from weather and road debris – and it makes your truck look amazing!
Truck Drivers’ Clean Truck Cheatsheet: Recap
Ready to have the cleanest truck in the fleet? Here is a recap of the steps to thoroughly clean your truck:
Interior:
- Clean out garbage
- Wash the mats
- Vacuum
- Clean the dashboard
- Remove stains
- Replace the air filters
- Wipe the windows
- Clean the curtains
Exterior:
- Wash with warm water and soap
- Scrub the wheels
- Finish with a wax
Truck Washing Services
Of course, not every truck driver has the time to make their rig look amazing! That’s why you should consider a local pressure washing company. They just might be the answer to your lack of time.