A three-year study conducted in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration estimates that corrosion costs the U.S. transportation industry $50 billion each year. For fleets, in particular, there is an increasingly corrosive environment for vehicles due largely to the use of new deicing chemicals.
Replacing the compound sodium chloride that has been used for deicing roadways for many years, government agencies have begun using magnesium chloride and calcium chloride due in part to their ease of application. With these deicing agents, however, corrosion on vehicles has increased.
For one thing, state and local DOTs often apply these chemicals prior to any snowfall, increasing the degree of exposure to trucks and trailers. These materials are also especially destructive because of their ability to cling to the underbody of a vehicle and because they attract and absorb moisture, a benefit when it comes to deicing roadways, but a trait that also multiplies their corrosive nature.
Winter road traction and deicing materials also create a "sandblast" effect on the understructure of vehicles. Once protective coatings used by manufacturers are compromised, these areas are the exposed to the caustic environment caused by road chemicals. For any fleet, this also adds up in unprecedented costs for repair and replacement attributed to corrosion, as road chemicals may affect structural members, suspensions and trailer landing gear, among other items.
Preventive care
Crucial for optimum corrosion protection as well is frequent washing with a properly mixed ratio of fresh water and soap, especially in the undercarriage area, to remove corrosive chemicals used for deicing. Cleaning procedures should include a low to mild pressure application as well as thorough rinsing.
Vehicle washing options for fleets range from a variety of in-house systems to on-site washing services to truck wash locations. Blue Beacon, for example, operates over 100 truck wash locations across the U.S. and Canada. Each location is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a Blue Beacon National Fleet Charge Account can be established. For information, visit www.bluebeacon.com.
An alternative for traditional in-house fleet washing is offered by DyChem, which offers its customized Fleet Washing System for new or existing wash bays. The company provides hardware, service, repairs, maintenance and installation of its Automated Fleet Washing System at no cost to fleets.
The DyChem Fleet Washing System eliminates the need for hot or soft water. The system uses ecologically safe and biodegradable fast acting chemicals that are then flushed away under high pressure rinsing. These specially formulated chemicals work without brushes to clean vehicles, which eliminate the cost of brush replacement, maintenance and repairs.
DyChem’s Automated Fleet Cleaning System can wash over 100 tractors and trailers every eight hours. For information, visit www.dychem.com.
Supplier Spotlight: Great Dane
Designed to provide a protective barrier against harsh environments, undercoating compounds and other solutions are offered by Great Dane Trailers.
As a standard product offering, Great Dane uses corrosion-resistant undercoating compounds like Valspar’s Val-Flex and Dry-Flex for steel components of the underbody of dry freight and reefer trailers. Also standard is Valspar’s R-Cure, a two-step epoxy primer and urethane topcoat for dry freight rear frames and platform trailers.
Dry-Flex undercoat is a soft and flexible high build film that resists stone chipping and temperature extremes while blocking moisture from reaching vulnerable components of the underbody. I-Beam crossmembers are dipped in a specially formulated high temperature hot melt wax compound that completely encapsulates the crossmember. This effectively blocks corrosion by sealing the steel from the environment.
CorroGuard with Technology by GatorHyde is the latest Great Dane product designed to fight corrosion. This polyurea elastomeric coating was developed specifically for trailer underbody protection from rock and stone impingement and chemical resistance to current de-icing chemicals and road hazards. This impact-resistant barrier is designed to withstand de-icing chemicals, as well as road debris, climate fluctuations, and ice and snow. Air tight and water tight, CorroGuard will not peel, crack, warp, flake or split under even the harshest of conditions, the manufacturer also notes.
Great Dane’s partnership with its vendors to develop new technologies to further enhance underbody corrosion control is ongoing. For information, visit www.greatdanetrailers.com.
