If you own a mobile truck washing, pressure washing or mobile car wash business you may wish to consider washing postal vehicles. They have one of the largest fleets in the world and they are relatively easy to wash. Yes, like all quasi-government agencies they pay slowly, but you know you will get paid as long as you show up to wash.
Pressure washing companies should consider a wide market mix to protect them from sector rotations or downturns in their economy. You can wash things like things like wheel chairs at hospitals, shopping carts at Price Club and bus stop enclosures. The postal washing contracts generally last two-years and can automatically renue up to five times if the VOMA Vehicle Operations Manager Assistant likes you and gives you high scores for service. My company, The Truck Wash Guys was washing jeeps when the new LLV's Long-life vehicles really were jeeps even though many are now Ford Winstars. This can be a very good niche for your cleaning service.
After working with USPS, we've discovered other niches at the Post Office such as steam cleaning mail trays, racks, even postal boxes and transfer boxes on corners. We've cleaned off holiday window paint. We've steam cleaned loading docks, trash areas, walkways and sidewalks; We've cleaned entire annex stations, air cargo containers, aircraft, ground equipment, you name it. If the USPS owns it, we've cleaned it somewhere. Any pressure washing company would be happy to have all that work and you really should look into becoming a certified USPS vendor.
Over the years EPA laws have changed, insurance requirements have changed, labor laws have changed, even the USPS needs have changed. So we too have changed. Customizing our services to their needs is our true specialty and I recommend that all pressure washing companies do the same. What do you need cleaned? Should be your mantra. You must be standing ready with waste water discharge permits, worker's compensation insurance, city licenses and a million dollar liability policy and state of the art equipment to sell to the post office, but once you get the account these same requirements make for barriers to entry for your competitors and you stand to have these accounts for up to 10-years. You can prove your commitment to USPS, by offering to wash all the postal boxes on every corner in your zip code for $1.00 each and then offer to wax them for free as an introduction to your services. The local Post Master will generally take you up on the idea and then you can prove how good you are and get your foot in the door. It's all about image in the delivery business and the USPS is no exception. Think about it and Wash On!
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs