When it comes to keeping their big rigs clean and sparkling,
most truck drivers are as particular about a good wash as any car owner might
be—maybe even more particular considering the dollars some have wrapped
up in their 18-wheelers. Owners of large vehicle fleets such as buses and
delivery trucks seem to appreciate the value a clean machine has in properly
projecting their corporate image. During winter months in many northern states,
just cleaning off road salt and sand is imperative to vehicle maintenance.
As a former truck driver, Chester Biadasz understands that
first impressions make a huge difference in selling the image of reliable,
high-quality businesses. When Biadasz bought Beaver of Wisconsin, a
manufacturer and supplier of high-quality pressure-washing equipment and
detergents, he capitalized on that knowledge to meet the cleaning needs of
trucks, buses, farm equipment and even railroad cars. Beaver of Wisconsin,
located in the central Wisconsin community of Plover, currently works with more
than 1,800 commercial vehicle accounts within a 300-mile radius.
Experience has proven that high-quality soaps and spray
systems are not enough to assure a clean wash time after time. The water
quality at each customer’s location presents a critical challenge to
getting vehicles really clean.
“We sell degreasers and washing soaps for vehicles. We
use mild soaps so vehicle finishes last longer,” said Biadasz, president
of Beaver of Wisconsin. He went on to explain, “Those soaps and
degreasers best achieve their goal
with soft water. Everything revolves on the condition of the water to get the
best results in cleaning.”
To meet the challenge, Beaver of Wisconsin sought the
expertise of Water-Right, Inc., a water conditioning equipment manufacturer
located in Appleton, Wis.
According to Kurt Gruett, vice-president of Water-Right,
Inc., “Beaver runs into many different kinds of water conditions:
hardness up to 50 grains, iron of 10, pH as low as 5.5. Treating these severe
water problems is not an option, it is a necessity.”
High calcium content causes build-up on the washer’s
coils that can eventually plug the system up. The use of heated water—up
to 200° F—can increase the precipitation of calcium and
magnesium. Due to the
corrosiveness of low pH water, different treatments are used so acids
don’t damage the coils of the pressure washers.
Because of the wide range of water problems in the area,
Water-Right has partnered closely with Beaver of Wisconsin to share their
expertise and recommend appropriate water-treating systems and equipment to
use.
In many applications where the water source is not city
treated, Biadasz found great results through the use of Water-Right systems
that use Crystal-Right® media, a manmade zeolite crystal manufactured
exclusively by Mineral Right, Inc., Phillipsburg, Kan.
Water conditioners using zeolite crystals offer excellent
filtering along with ion exchange capabilities. Zeolite water crystals are capable of removing hardness,
iron and manganese while raising pH levels—all in a single pass. With
this unique capability in hand, Biedasz has all he needs to meet the challenges of problem water anywhere in the state, according to Gruett.
But those aren’t the only water problems being tackled
collectively by Beaver of Wisconsin and Water-Right, Inc. N & M Transfer,
Neenah, Wis., a customer of Beaver of Wisconsin, operates a drive-through truck
wash that has a unique water-handling problem.
“At N&M Transfer there is no sanitary sewer
available,” Biadasz said. “The expense to run sewer lines made that
option impractical. Because the ground table is less than four feet down,
installing below-ground storage tanks also was not an option. As a result,
N&M Transfer can’t discharge any water. At present, water is
collected and stored in above ground tanks. Beaver of Wisconsin is now helping
process all this water for re-use in the washing operation.”
Between 30 and 50 tractors and trailers go through the wash
on an average daily basis. Each wash requires 500 gallons of water. Of that,
N&M reclaims 75 percent in a two-step washing program. The firm can hold
9,000 gallons of good treated water while processing 30 gallons a minute of wash water. The system achieves a 10 TDS (total dissolved solids) or less on the recovered water.
It is that kind of success that has maintained the working
relationship of Beaver of Wisconsin and N & M Transfer over the past six
years.
Beaver of Wisconsin has been successfully working with
Water-Right, Inc. for the past 10 years, sending employees to Water-Right’s
training and service schools to become better educated in treating problem
waters. Biadasz says his company’s affiliation with Water-Right gives him
the ability to control the water quality and insure his customers receive the
highest quality washes possible no matter the water quality problem.
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