Heavy Equipment Detailing in Edmonton | What You Should Know About Detailing Heavy Equipment

Heavy Equipment Detailing in Edmonton | What You Should Know About Detailing Heavy Equipment

My name is Stefan Gautron. I am the CEO of Starfleet Detailing, and we specialize in commercial detailing and heavy equipment detailing in Edmonton. Today, I’m going to be talking about heavy equipment and what’s involved in detailing those types of units.

What is the difference between detailing heavy equipment and other vehicles?

I think the biggest difference between doing equipment detailing versus plain old vehicles is that, when we’re doing heavy equipment, we’re dealing with a different type of dirt. There’s grease, mud, and we also have to deal with heights. A lot of equipment is really tall, so we have to work up and down ladders, and safety is a big concern. Obviously, we want to keep the standard rule of three touchpoints when we’re going up and down, and when we’re working inside those types of vehicles.

What’s the biggest challenge you face when detailing heavy equipment?

I would say the biggest challenge is heights—trying to get your equipment up onto the vehicles, the platforms, or within the cabs. That’s a big challenge. The other challenge with heavy equipment is that a lot of times they don’t fit in the bay; they’re too big. So we have to work out in the yards. We have to deal with the weather, the wind, sometimes the heat, and when it’s off-season, cooler temperatures.

These factors can make it challenging. We have to work with the fleet manager and try to get the best weather for what we’re doing, but that would probably be the biggest challenge.

What kind of heavy equipment requires detailing in the yard?

The heavy equipment that we detail out in the yards are going to be affected by the weather. Weather is a big part of detailing out in the yard. If there’s going to be rain or high winds, those conditions make our detailing very challenging. Sometimes it’s almost pointless if the weather is not good, because as you clean, it just gets dirty again with the wind blowing and bringing in dust. Of course, if it’s too cold, that can also be a challenge.

If it’s about 5° Celsius and below, we usually don’t detail in that environment. If it’s heavy equipment that’s not too big—like an excavator or a bulldozer—usually they can do that inside the bays. In that case, we just have to worry about the heights and trying to get all our equipment in a level that’s handy and doesn’t go against our safety protocols.

What types of products or equipment are essential for effective heavy equipment detailing?

When we detail heavy equipment, we obviously use the same things that we would in detailing other types of vehicles—for example, chemicals such as a degreaser and a window cleaner. But one tool that most vehicles don’t require, yet is required for heavy equipment, is the vapor or steamer.

That’s important because it helps us break down the grease, whether it’s from hands or boots. A degreaser has a hard time with heavy grease. Light grease and oils, a degreaser can handle no problem. But when it comes to built-up, hardened grease, the vapor mixed with the degreaser is essential to be effective.

What happens if a company decides not to detail their heavy equipment regularly?

If a company decides not to detail their heavy equipment regularly, what happens is that all the mud, sand, and grease start to damage the surfaces. You get premature wear and tear, and it’s also harder to maintain. Some companies wait every two years, and then when we go in there, it’s harder and takes longer. We have to charge more, obviously, and then the results aren’t as good as they would like. So it’s important to do it regularly to maintain the condition of the heavy equipment.

What happens if they return the leased heavy equipment with premature wear or damage?

If it’s damaged when they return their heavy equipment, and there’s premature wear, they will get penalized by the leasing company.

What’s the hardest part about detailing heavy equipment?

I think the biggest challenge in detailing heavy equipment is trying to break up the grease. Also, trying to pick up the mud and the sand is tough. If a company uses a mechanic or even a laborer to go in and detail those units, and they don’t have the right equipment, it’s a losing battle. Instead of picking up and removing all the dirt and grease, they’re just spreading it around. When everything dries, it just looks as bad as before.

That’s the first challenge. The second challenge is working at heights. If you’re working on top of a ladder or a platform on a bulldozer, you have to have a place to put your equipment down. That can be a challenge and a trip hazard. Safety is very important. If you’re not used to that, it could be dangerous and could create a fall hazard.

So if fleet detailing—especially for your heavy equipment detailing in Edmonton—is something that interests you, something that you need, please feel free to give us a call or visit our website at www.starfleetdetailing.com or call us at 587-991-3301. We’ll set you up so that we can go ahead and give you the service that you deserve.