There is an old saying that a new car is mainly about money and a clean car is mainly about character. To put it another way, a person or business may not have the money to purchase and maintain new equipment, but they should have a primary goal of keeping their older equipment, whatever the age, clean and well maintained, even when their resources are limited.

In the transportation industry your equipment and drivers represent the face of your company. Wash your equipment often so that you can present the best impression possible to your customers. Set aside sufficient money in a maintenance reserve to ensure that all preventative maintenance and unexpected major maintenance is completed on a timely basis. As you do this service failures will decrease, customer satisfaction will increase, and repeat business will increase. Your customers will look upon you as a professional whose service adds value to their business.

There is also an unexpected result of keeping equipment clean and well maintained. It lasts longer, or it seems to, because you have a tendency to keep it longer. You take pride in it and it's more satisfying to own. I know a man who purchases a car every 2 or 3 years. He never worries about maintenance and his car is always dirty. He becomes dissatisfied with the vehicle after a short period of time and purchases a new one. I also know a man whose car is immaculate and well maintained after 10 years. He has the money to purchase a new car as often as he likes, but chooses to drive his cars longer because of the pride he feels in driving a clean and well maintained vehicle. The same principles apply in business. Profits will increase as you focus on keeping your equipment clean and well maintained, because you will take pride in it and not look to replace it as often.