EDMONTON, Alta. – The state of your equipment says a lot about your company, but keeping equipment clean can be a full-time job in itself.

Nobody knows this better than Chris Nystrom, who has been cleaning trucks for years. Like most people, he used to do it the old-fashioned way with a power-washer and some elbow grease, but now he’s invested in some equipment that makes the job a whole lot easier and more efficient.

Nystrom’s Clean Image Mobile Power Wash has become the Canadian distributor for the Vader and Bitimec Speedy Wash systems. They’re capable of thoroughly washing a 53-foot trailer in less than eight minutes and they’re now available for sale to fleets or individuals.

Nystrom purchased his first Vader washer several years ago and has since provided on-site trailer washing for truck fleets in the Edmonton area. The demand has been overwhelming, and now the company is focusing on selling the units to fleets so they can improve the efficiency of their own washing operations.

“With these units, one guy can easily wash 20-30 units per day,” Nystrom says.

The Vader is a drivable, mobile system featuring a large brush and two chemical tanks. It also has a 230-gallon water tank and can wash between 15 and 20 trailers per tank of water. The Vader has an enclosed cab and four-wheel steering for excellent maneuverability, Nystrom says.

The operator simply drives alongside the trailer, washing it as he goes.

The Series 3000 is designed for use in wash bays while the Series 4000 has a catch basin to capture and recycle the water so it can be used in the yard without contaminating the ground. It has been approved for use by the City of Edmonton, Nystrom points out.

The latest product to be offered by Clean Image is the Bitimec Speedy Wash. It’s a self-propelled unit that is operated on foot. It accomplishes the same job as the Vader, but is less expensive. It’s intended for use in existing wash bays.

Nystrom says the machines are gaining in popularity around the world. In fact, he recently returned from Kuwait where he taught customers how to properly use the machines.

“They have three machines over there and they’re washing 150 trailers a day in 48C heat!” he said.

Nystrom says Clean Image is willing to demonstrate the units to any prospective customers in Canada. So far, he says everyone that has seen the unit at work has been instantly sold on the concept.

For more information, call him at 780-905-9762 or visit www.cleanimage-canada.com.

The following are some of the new and interesting products found at this year’s Truxpo trade show in Edmonton, Alta.

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KPSA Compliance Management was on-hand to promote its Mense compliance management software designed for transportation safety and fleet management stakeholders.

The Internet-based program allows fleets to audit and manage compliance-critical information including driver logs and vehicle maintenance. Customers are able to store and retrieve the information on-demand using their Palm Pilot.

“Embedded within Mense is KPSA’s deep domain knowledge, which is maintained by our continuous research and development practice,” the company says. “This enables Mense clients to become and/or remain compliant with the myriad of changing legislative and regulatory requirements incumbent upon them.”

KPSA also provides transportation consulting and auditing services as well as document management. For more information, visit www.kpsa.ca or call 780-409-5620.

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AC Global Systems is planning ahead for the day when anti-theft immobilizing systems become mandatory for trucks and passenger vehicles.

The federal government has already announced passenger vehicles built after 2007 will require some sort of technology preventing the engine from starting when an unauthorized user is behind the wheel.

However, AC Global Systems says the time to act is now – especially in the trucking industry.

The company’s Raptor anti-theft land-air-sea device allows users to shut down their vehicle if an unauthorized driver is behind the wheel or if the vehicle strays from a pre-determined route.

The system is discreetly mounted out of sight with no noticeable antenna protruding from the vehicle, the company says.

For more information, visit www.acglobalsystems.com or call 877-364-2333.

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RLM Holdings introduced a new one-tonne, four-wheel-drive truck with sleeper and hydraulic crane combination at Truxpo.

The truck is ideal for hot shot applications, says RLM president Randy Rigel.

Rigel says the sleeper allows the unit to be operated by two drivers, reducing the time it takes to travel to and service an oil rig or other piece of equipment.

“This allows the truck to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he says.

Another feature of the new truck is the picker crane, which can be operated by people without a crane operator’s licence.

“It can be modified and manufactured to many specifications,” Rigel says. “It has many applications for many industries from construction to oilfield to courier service.”