You’ve got a bad smell in your car, and no matter what you do, it won’t go away. That usually means you haven’t found the source of the unpleasant smell.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much you can do other than sprinkle baking soda and hope for the best. Removing stubborn odors is a problem best left to professionals.
A skilled professional detailer has all the right equipment, chemicals, and the most effective way to clean any vehicle properly. And when it comes to ozone odor removal in cars, the best way to do that is to use an ozone generator.
In this article, we will learn about ozone odor removal in cars.
Smelly Cars Can Be Awful. Clean it with Ozone Odor Removal. Photo Credit: AdobeStock by metamorworks
But even before we start with ozone treatments, you must find the source of the smell. The easiest way to do this is to wash and detail your car’s interior. Check out the information below for more info on locating the source of stubborn odors.
How Do Odors Get Into Cars?
Odors get into cars primarily through two sources: water and food.
You know how it goes; you’re driving along, and suddenly the car smells musty, or like someone just opened a can of paint. That’s because water has gotten into the car and created a perfect environment for mold to grow. Not only does mold smell terrible, but it can also cause various health problems.
Food is another common odor-causing culprit in cars. All those french fries, hamburgers, and tacos that we love to eat while on the go can create some pretty powerful smells. And like water, food can also lead to the growth of mold.
It’s essential to find and eliminate the source of car odors if you want the ozone treatment to be effective and permanent.
After cleaning the vehicle’s interior, an ozone machine is placed inside the car and fills it with the gas ozone.
Locate the Source of Stubborn Odors
It would disgust you if you saw all the things that create a bad smell for a professional detailer to locate.
Body odor from sweat-soaked car seats is one that still gives me nightmares.
Mold and mildew odors inside vents are a frequent problem that is unhealthy to breathe.
Spilled food and grease saturate upholstery fibers and create a bacteria breeding ground.
Cigarette smoke might seem bad, but cigar smoke has it beat for the worst of the odorous compounds.
Don’t forget secondhand tobacco smoke from riders in the car. Sometimes it’s not the driver.
Two words – old milk.
One word – vomit.
And you might think these would be unusual situations, but no young padawan, it is not. Ask any detailer about the worst car they ever cleaned. Then sit down as they regale you with a long story about that one minivan.
It’s always a minivan.
Babies are awesome but very messy. Make sure you are cleaning your kid’s car seat often.
And just because minivans are often in the worst condition, it’s not always kids to blame. I’ve seen many cars owned by salespeople that looked like they let a trash panda live out of it for several months. Ketchup-covered french fries, mashed between the front driver’s seat and the console, seem to be the choice of most salespeople in cars. It’s gross but fixable.
Find the Source of the Odor and Remove it Before Ozone
You can do it yourself or get it done by a professional. Either way, it must be done. Getting a full interior detail is usually the only way you will find the source of the smell. Nearly every smell in a car is caused by various organic sources such as rotten food or body fluids from humans or animals. It could be baby or dog vomit in the backseat. Or the ever-popular french fries in between the center console and driver’s seat. And if you’ve got small children, don’t overlook possible spilled milk on the baby’s car seat. There are simply too many possible sources to list here. We have an extensive list of odor-causing sources and how to remove stains and smells from car seats in our article on How to Clean Cars Seats with Household Products.
Defeating Bad Odors with an Ozone Generator
Professional detailers always boast about their cleaning process. Getting horrible stains out of a car is a big deal and a valuable skill.
Great car detailers also have a secret weapon in defeating foul odors. It’s called the ozone generator. And when combined with interior detailing, odors and smells have no chance.
I have used many deodorizing methods in two decades of cleaning and detailing cars, boats, and planes. But I have never run into bad smells that were impervious to ozone generators on all interior areas of a vehicle.
So let’s learn more about the magic of oxygen molecules and how they interact to make ozone odor removal in cars an excellent service to offer for killing car odors.
What is Ozone?
Ozone (O3) is a gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. Also called trioxygen, it is unstable and highly reactive. Ozone is created naturally by the sun’s ultraviolet rays and by lightning.
What Does Ozone Smell Like?
Did you ever hear someone say that they are able to “smell” rain or an oncoming Summer storm? There is some truth to that. They aren’t smelling the rain, per se, it’s actually something called Petrichor, which was named back in 1964 by Australian scientists trying to describe the distinct scent of rain in the air. They found that right before a rainfall, the earth releases a mix of several naturally occurring elements, plant oils, and ozone. This clean, fresh smell will often also remind people of a faint chlorine odor like a nearby pool.
Why is Ozone Used to Remove Odors?
Use ozone odor removal in cars, boats, planes, and anything else that can become smelly over time. It is simply the most effective way to kill an odor.
When ozone comes into contact with odor molecules, it binds to them and destroys the molecules. The ozone molecule is small enough to fit between odor molecules and destroy them, thus eliminating the odor. The smell is gone for good as an ozone treatment does not leave a nasty smelling residue like some irritating chemicals found in commercial cleaners on the market.
When you use an ozone treatment, it is so much more effective than air fresheners that only temporarily mask the problem.
And ozone gas permeates throughout available space. That makes it an excellent choice for getting rid of smells in hard-to-reach areas such as inside a car or boat.
How Does an Ozone Generator Work?
A commercial ozone generator is a relatively simple device consisting of specific wavelength UV light (ultraviolet) lamp tuned to 185nm wavelength, a fan to move air through the machine, a transformer to power it, and a box to hold it all together.
So how does an ozone generator work? It essentially creates negatively charged ions. Those ions attach to the larger particles of the pollutants and odors. Then the generator blower sends the particles through its electrostatic filter to be cleaned out later.
A more detailed lesson on the science behind how an ozone generator works can be found on this excellent web page from Oxidation Technologies, titled “Ozone production from UV.”
The ozone treatment process is somewhat time-consuming since ozone generators are left inside the vehicle from 30 minutes to 120 minutes. It is also crucial to follow safety procedures like never allowing people or animals inside vehicles when using an ozone generator. And always air out the car for at least 40 minutes after ozone treatment.
An ozone generator with a timer is a better choice in case you forget to remove the machine. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock: Patricia
How Much Do Ozone Generators Cost?
An average-sized Ozone Generator will produce between 5,000 mg/h and 10,000 mg/h and cost anywhere from $100 to $500 or more. You can find cheaper ozone generators, but they won’t necessarily hold up under the stress and frequent use of an auto detail shop. I found several units online that I would consider durable and reasonably priced in the $70 to $199 range. Just be sure to check that the unit you buy doesn’t have a “not for commercial use” disclaimer.
The great thing about ozone generator units is that they work to remove hard to eliminate smells like smoke and mildew, so the upsell is easy. And this service can be a long-term profit source for any detail shop that manages it appropriately.
Using Ozone Generators to Disinfect Against Covid-19 Viruses
Ozone is a very effective disinfectant in buildings, vehicles, and anywhere with surfaces to protect. In a technical information paper titled, “Use of Ozone Generators Against Covid-19”, the US Army Public Health Center found that using 2.5 parts of ozone per million parts of air (parts per million (ppm)) to 5 ppm will effectively disinfect against covid-19 viruses and limit damage to surfaces.
Another report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in December 2020 listed multiple case studies showing the effective use of ozone gas as a disinfectant and its anti-viral properties. One such study titled “Ozone gas as a virus decontaminating agent” discussed the use of peak ozone gas concentration of 20-25 ppm for a very short time resulted in 99% of viruses being inactivated. In fact, according to the study, “there was not even a single virus which was resistant to ozone.” That is out of 12 viruses they tested.
When you offer ozone odor removal in cars as a service, adding a few items to advertising mentioning how ozone machines can be used as an effective disinfectant could potentially be a significant opportunity for additional profit centers. All your potential customers are worried about viruses, so being able to disinfect customer cars against Covid-19 viruses is a great selling point.
How Much Does Ozone Odor Removal in Cars Cost?
When it comes to an ozone car treatment price, you can usually expect to add $150 to $300 or more onto your standard full detail charge. We call this the Ozone Machine Upsell. Offering ozone odor eliminator services for cars will become a significant profit center for any auto detailing business. You can offer a guarantee to make it an easier sell. Our shops told customers that if we didn’t eliminate the foul smell, they don’t pay the additional ozone car treatment price. That makes it easy to sell.
Ad Copy for Ozone Odor Eliminator for Cars Service
Here’s the copy we use on flyers and web pages when advertising the ozone generators for odor removal services. It spells out precisely what it does for your customers:
Our ozone odor eliminator for cars service is the most advanced in this region. This service is an add-on when combined with an interior detail or a full premium detail. We start by removing any hidden garbage or possible sources of the smell. Then we vacuum the interior carpet and upholstery, followed by steam cleaning the car interior. The Ozone Generator Machine is placed in your vehicle for 30 to 120 minutes, depending on the severity of the smell. This process will neutralize bacteria, mold, mildew, pet odors, smoke, and many viruses, including influenza and Covid-19, on exposed surfaces within your vehicle. The ozone gas fills your car passenger compartment, trunk, air ducts, heater, and air conditioner with concentrated odor-killing ozone gas. This service adds one to two hours to any detailing package.
Bad Odors Make Motivated Customers
Vehicle odors make very motivated customers. Ozone treatments will give you an edge in bringing back the new car smell your customers want.
And they will understand that you invested in ozone machines that will remove everything from pet odors to bad car smells in about half an hour. So it’s going to cost them some money for ozone treatments.
By guaranteeing your work, you give your customers peace of mind that they aren’t getting baited into something they don’t need.
Ozone Odor Removal in Cars
Your focus should be on the technology, required equipment, and effectiveness to sell services for ozone odor removal in cars. The alternative is for the customer to try a DIY baking soda and activated charcoal blend and spend a few hours scrubbing their car interior.
Just make sure they understand that ozone treatments are one of the only reliable methods for eliminating hard-to-remove odors like smoke, bacteria, mold, and mildew in car upholstery and carpets.
Offering ozone odor removal in-car services at your shop will be an excellent value-added service that your customers will appreciate.
Misclassifying detail shop employees as 1099 Contractors will only hurt your business and employees.
1099 Independent Contractor vs Employee [Updated 2020]
Many new business owners in the auto detailing and reconditioning industry pay their workers under the table. Obviously, this isn’t an issue limited to the car detailing industry. But it is a problem with numbers large enough to attract the attention of state and Federal tax agents.
The unfortunate result of cases like this is the obvious damage to the finances and reputation of their business. Sadly, it also creates an unfair perception with the public about the type of businesses that operate in this manner.
Since I often write about the business of auto detailing and reconditioning, taxes and insurance are two big subjects that I receive many questions about. Which is why I created this overview of 1099 independent contractors vs employees, updated for 2020.
Avoiding Taxes by Paying in Cash
There are many ways small business owners pay employees under the table. The most popular method is obviously cash. The person does the work and the business owner gives them cash.
The initial reaction by most people when they hear about cash transactions is that it’s illegal. It’s not. Cash, aka the almighty Dollar, is the official currency of the United States. You can pay for whatever you want with cash without raising an eyebrow anywhere.
The problem isn’t the cash unless you specifically choose to pay with it for tax avoidance purposes.
Cutting Corners or Raising Prices
This happens more often than you realize. Try requesting bids from contractors for any type of work on your house. You will no doubt have at least one or two that mention discounting the total cost for paying in cash. Why anyone would take that risk is crazy. But it still happens.
If you reach a point in your business career where the only way you can make a profit is by cutting corners in this manner, then you should raise your prices.
Or find a new career.
In the following sections, we will discuss 1099 Independent Contractors and how you can avoid misclassification of W2 employees.
1099 Independent Contractors
Many small business owners attempt to legitimize their payroll tax avoidance schemes by paying employees via check and calling them 1099 Independent Contractors.
Whereby the business owner treats the worker as an employee but pays them via check with no payroll tax deductions.
When the end of the year arrives, the business owner issues a Form 1099-Misc to the employee and the IRS. This form tells the IRS that the worker was paid via all those checks.
Why would the business owner do this to their valued employee? Most of the time it’s driven mainly by greed.
Only The Business Owner Wins
The only person that wins in this scenario is the business owner. They save having to pay the employer side of payroll taxes. And they avoid paying workers comp and unemployment insurance.
The largest win, by far, is the business owner can now deduct 100% of those 1099 contractor check payments as labor costs on their income tax return.
You should never treat your employees like this and let them work without workers comp or unemployment insurance. In my companies, we also provided disability and health insurance coverage.
Businesses should take care of their people.
Until the Tax Man Comes Calling
Unfortunately, now the worker/employee is liable for taxes on that income. So what do you think happens? Of course, they get angry. Maybe they get themselves fired.
Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal. People get fired every day. But this is the tricky part.
If you fire that independent contractor, they will immediately attempt to collect unemployment. You, the business owner, their boss, will be listed as their employer because let’s be honest, they had no idea how the 1099 independent contractor arrangement worked. And most wouldn’t care either way.
And that is the typical story of how many businesses get themselves on the radar of the taxman.
As you can see, paying anybody under the table is illegal and it hurts both your business and your employee. Plus, it opens a pandora’s box of legal issues with many departments within the State and Federal government.
When you pay your workers as 1099 contractors instead of W2 employees, you also make the IRS aware of this fact. They know auto detail shops are one of the many types of businesses that abuse the 1099 independent contractor classification. And all it takes is an audit to catch you. Then they tell their friends in your state revenue department and you have some sleepless nights ahead of you.
So how to you avoid these nightmare problems and properly classify 1099 Contractors vs W2 Employees?
How to Properly Classify 1099 Contractors
Two questions to ask in order to properly classify 1099 contractors are: who defines the end result; and, who controls the process?
From a business owner’s perspective, this means if your goal is to hire an independent contractor to complete a project, your involvement is limited to:
Define the details of the project and the timeline to complete it;
Negotiate a reasonable price for the work; and,
Establish exactly what you want as the outcome or end result.
That is it. Then you step back and let the contractor do their work.
The contractor determines:
How to complete the project;
Which tools or equipment they need to use;
The length of time to complete the work;
How much to charge in order to cover their cost and earn a reasonable profit;
And finally, when that project is actually completed.
And when the project is completed, you pay the contractor.
As you can see from this definition, you control the results, but the contractor defines the process to get the work done.
The contractor should also own their own equipment, control their own schedule, and maintain their own insurance. That last one, insurance, is very important and I will expand on that in more detail below.
The IRS will reclassify your detail shop, 1099 contractors, to employees by simply asking a few somewhat general questions:
Do you tell these workers how to do their jobs?
When to do their jobs? Are workers free to come and go as they please as long as they complete the work you assign?
Who owns the equipment that workers use to perform their services? Do you provide equipment for them or do they arrive with their own tools, machines, and supplies?
Do you have signed and executed contracts with each worker specifying what is expected of them and how they are paid for their work?
Does each worker have their own liability insurance and worker compensation coverage? This is important if you are attempting to prove independent contractor classification during an audit.
Do you train workers to do things your way? There are many companies that do this with contractors, you just need to be careful how you follow-up after the training.
Do you set quotas, deadlines, or issue-specific instructions as to how long a worker is permitted to complete a project that you assign?
Did you answer yes to ANY of these questions? If so, then how many of your 1099 contractors are actually W2 employees? Most likely, all of them.
Learn the Rules or Hire a Professional
The ‘I didn’t Know’ defense is a bad idea. The Government won’t care. And it makes you look unintelligent for attempting to use that argument.
The IRS and State Revenue agents won’t care whether or not you understand the rules and regulations. That’s not their job. It’s actually yours.
As a business owner, you are expected to understand the rules, regulations, and laws that pertain to the type of business you own. If you don’t understand something, you hire a lawyer or accountant to explain it to you.
Or you can look it up on Google, which is most likely where you found this wonderfully informative article. Although as advice goes, it is always better to talk to a lawyer or accountant who knows your particular situation. Especially since I am neither.
My point is, you own a business so be professional and learn the rules or hire a professional to help you better understand issues that can ultimately cost you time and money to fix later.
Taxes are one of those important things to do right.
The IRS Always Gets Its Money
You could be liable to pay ALL of the payroll taxes that both the employee and the business were required to pay for ALL the years that you did this.
They can also charge penalties and interest for all the years that you did it.
The really unfortunate part of this is in the majority of these situations the employee isn’t liable for those taxes, it’s on the business owner.
Even worse, if you can’t pay it or decide to shut down and declare bankruptcy, you’re still stuck. IRS taxes can’t be eliminated in bankruptcy. So they will still come after you for everything. The IRS always gets it’s money.
Correct Classification as W2 Employees
Pay your employees properly with the correct classification as W2 employees.
If that is indeed what they should be. You don’t want the stress of looking over your shoulder wondering when you might get caught.
If you can’t afford to pay the taxes that are due, then your costs are too high and the pricing model is wrong. Something is out of wack. So fix it.
You should be able to make money and run your business legally without having to cut corners like this. Otherwise it will end up being a huge problem for you down the road.
Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?
It is critical that business owners correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors.
Generally, you must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee. You do not generally have to withhold or pay any taxes on payments to independent contractors.
Select the Scenario that Applies to You:
I am an independent contractor or in business for myself If you are a business owner or contractor who provides services to other businesses, then you are generally considered self-employed. For more information on your tax obligations if you are self-employed (an independent contractor), see our Self-Employed Tax Center.
I hire or contract with individuals to provide services to my business If you are a business owner hiring or contracting with other individuals to provide services, you must determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors. Follow the rest of this page to find out more about this topic and what your responsibilities are.
Determining Whether the Individuals Providing Services are Employees or Independent Contractors
Before you can determine how to treat payments you make for services, you must first know the business relationship that exists between you and the person performing the services. The person performing the services may be –
In determining whether the person providing service is an employee or an independent contractor, all information that provides evidence of the degree of control and independence must be considered.
Common Law Rules
Facts that provide evidence of the degree of control and independence fall into three categories:
Behavioral: Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job?
Financial: Are the business aspects of the worker’s job controlled by the payer? (these include things like how worker is paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, who provides tools/supplies, etc.)
Type of Relationship: Are there written contracts or employee type benefits (i.e. pension plan, insurance, vacation pay, etc.)? Will the relationship continue and is the work performed a key aspect of the business?
Businesses must weigh all these factors when determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor. Some factors may indicate that the worker is an employee, while other factors indicate that the worker is an independent contractor. There is no “magic” or set number of factors that “makes” the worker an employee or an independent contractor, and no one factor stands alone in making this determination. Also, factors which are relevant in one situation may not be relevant in another.
The keys are to look at the entire relationship, consider the degree or extent of the right to direct and control, and finally, to document each of the factors used in coming up with the determination.
Be aware that it can take at least six months to get a determination, but a business that continually hires the same types of workers to perform particular services may want to consider filing the Form SS-8 (PDF).
Employment Tax Obligations
Once a determination is made (whether by the business or by the IRS), the next step is filing the appropriate forms and paying the associated taxes.
Consequences of Treating an Employee as an Independent Contractor
If you classify an employee as an independent contractor and you have no reasonable basis for doing so, you may be held liable for employment taxes for that worker (the relief provisions, discussed below, will not apply). See Internal Revenue Code section 3509 for more information.
Relief Provisions
If you have a reasonable basis for not treating a worker as an employee, you may be relieved from having to pay employment taxes for that worker. To get this relief, you must file all required federal information returns on a basis consistent with your treatment of the worker. You (or your predecessor) must not have treated any worker holding a substantially similar position as an employee for any periods beginning after 1977. See Publication 1976, Section 530 Employment Tax Relief Requirements (PDF) for more information.
Misclassified Workers Can File Social Security Tax Form
Workers who believe they have been improperly classified as independent contractors by an employer can use Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages to figure and report the employee’s share of uncollected Social Security and Medicare taxes due on their compensation.
Voluntary Classification Settlement Program
The Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP) is an optional program that provides taxpayers with an opportunity to reclassify their workers as employees for future tax periods for employment tax purposes with partial relief from federal employment taxes for eligible taxpayers that agree to prospectively treat their workers (or a class or group of workers) as employees. To participate in this voluntary program, the taxpayer must meet certain eligibility requirements, apply to participate in the VCSP by filing Form 8952, Application for Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, and enter into a closing agreement with the IRS.
Proof of Insurance for Any Contractors
Another item that both Federal and State labor departments look for is whether or not the “contractor” has their own liability insurance. If they do that is a good sign that they have their own business and only work for you on a contract basis.
Your insurance company will also require you to provide proof of insurance for any contractors that you hired over the course of the policy term. If you can’t provide such proof then they will rate you and increase your premiums at the time of your annual insurance audit since you have exposed your insurance carrier to insuring “uninsured contractors” who work for you.
As I mentioned above, it’s also a nightmare if the government decides that the “contractor” is actually an “employee” resulting in you having to pay both your portion of the employment taxes and the “employee/contractor’s” portion plus penalties and interest. The Federal Government will also notify the local and state agencies and you will have to go through it all over again with them.
Be a Professional
Most of this is common sense. You are in business. It’s time to be a professional business owner. Otherwise, you will always be treated like a fly-by-night hobby instead of an actual business.
As mentioned previously, I’m not an accountant or an attorney, so you will have to consult with these experts to get details on how any of this applies to you and your business.
We just included this for information purposes so that you can ask your legal and tax people how to best incorporate these matters as it benefits you and your business.
The only advice I can offer from my own experience is to follow the rules and listen to the advice your legal and tax advisors offer you. It will save you a lot of money in the long run.
When I think back about how I started my detailing businesses, I did it the old fashioned way.
By old fashioned I mean I opened my own fixed location shop with a bunch of overhead. Those ‘hard’ costs that are difficult to adjust or eliminate because you need them.
I’m talking about things like building rent and utilities.
When you have an auto detail shop, you need the fixed location shop part to actually do business. And all the utilities are a cost you incur while doing the work.
Things like electricity to run the tools and lights. Water for basically everything.
And gas… Can’t forget about the damn natural gas bill. Pittsburgh winters are brutal. And heating garage bays and offices are expensive in winter.
Overhead Can Kill a New Business
Overhead can kill a new business. And building rent and utilities is second only to employee payroll as far as the largest numbers in the expense column of your P&L (profit and loss) statement.
They say hindsight is 20/20, but if I had to do it all over again I would skip the fixed the shop location and go straight to offering mobile detailing services.
The obvious place to start in this industry is by offering mobile detailing just based on the lower cost of equipment and easier training.
You really need to consider some of the other mobile services that the auto reconditioning industry has available though. Going from simple detailing and car washing to high-end auto reconditioning services will amaze you when you see the difference in profits.
I’m talking about the really profitable mobile services such as:
These mobile services are a great place to start. This is also a great way to add profitable mobile services to your existing detailing business if you already have one. Either way, reconditioning mobile services is a fantastic way to add profits and expand your skills in your community.
Your mobile detailing truck and trailer along with your mobile detailing equipment is referred to as your “Mobile Rig” or simply a “Rig”.
The mobile rig is the single most important part of the mobile detailing business. If you don’t have the equipment to get the job done, then you can’t do the work.
So naturally, mobile detailing equipment is going to be a subject that you focus on frequently if you are offering these services.
Some mobile detailing equipment companies promote the open trailers with the water buffalo, pressure washer and other equipment out in the open.
If you live anywhere cold or near any areas that aren’t exactly secure, then this will end up being a real pain for you.
In the cold weather, open trailers need anti-freeze dumped into the water supply and the pressure washer needs anti-freeze in all the plumbing just to keep from freezing. If you park your truck somewhere in a city or near a construction site the chances of something turning up missing when you get back are very high.
When we first added mobile detailing equipment to our detail shop business as an add-on service, we went the open trailer route because of the cost savings and we already had a pickup truck and a box-type mini-van that were both large enough to pull the trailer with water.
Closed trailers are another option for this type of work, but not the best choice. You still have to drag a trailer around with you everywhere you go.
Try backing up a closed trailer in a parking garage without hitting anything. The only nice feature about the close trailer is if you use your pickup truck for personal business then you simply unhitched from the trailer and go. In the overall big picture a closed trailer is a good choice, but the best one. Your mobile detailing equipment will be enclosed and protected and it is easier to keep everything from freezing in the winter this way, but you still have the other issues I’ve mentioned above.
By far the best choice for hauling mobile detailing equipment and making the perfect mobile rig is a cargo van. Preferably a 1-ton cargo van. Our shop really loved the 1 Ton Chevy Express Cargo Van. It was large enough to haul everything and had the power we needed to haul the ever-important water buffalo. A measurement that will become very important to you when you start mobile detailing and cleaning is 8.34 lbs per gallon. That is the weight of a gallon of water. So when you are shopping around for mobile detailing equipment and you add your water buffalo, you need to keep this figure in mind. It is very easy to exceed your max weight capacity on your 1 Ton Cargo Van if you aren’t careful. Here are some things to consider when thinking about weight issues with your Mobile Detailing Equipment:
Mobile Detailing Equipment Weight Capacity Issues and Ways To Calculate
When it comes to mobile detailing equipment, weight is something that you worry about every day. If you are adding a 200-gallon water buffalo, then you need to figure that weight when full which would be 200 gals multiplied by 8.34 lbs per gallon for a total weight of 1,668 lbs.
The water buffalo itself doesn’t weigh much, but for easy math let’s figure about 32 lbs for the actual water buffalo to set our total water weight at 1,700 lbs.
One ton equals 2,000 lbs, but this is not your safe hauling weight. That would be a newbie mistake to just take 2,000 lbs and subtract your mobile detailing equipment and water weight from that.
What you need is the GVWR from the door jamb of the cargo van, truck or whatever you are using to haul EVERYTHING. GVWR is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The thing about the figures from the manufacturer is that they are figuring on an empty van. So according to Chevy here’s how they calculate maximum hauling capacity:
8,600 GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
5,291 Subtract Curb Weight also referred to as GVCW (Gross Vehicle Curb Weight) – be careful here though, this doesn’t include you or anything else but the empty van
3,309 Max Payload Capacity – According to Chevy this is what you should be able to haul safely.
A more accurate calculation includes you, your equipment and your water weight, then add that to the GVCW (Gross Vehicle Curb Weight) and that will give you the real number. As long as you don’t exceed the GVWR number, then you are within your safe hauling capacity.
Another way to do this is trying to stay within these numbers and then call a nearby weigh station and ask if it is possible to take your fully-loaded vehicle to their weigh station to check it and make sure it is within safe hauling weight.
We did this with all of our vehicles and made sure the driver and the one or two additional workers that were on that job were included in the trucks when they were weighed.
The officers at the weigh station were more than happy to help with this and the supervisor at the station that I brought our trucks to each year complimented me on being proactive with my vehicle safety program.
We never ran into any issues on the road, but I’m sure developing a relationship with these state officers would have helped us prove that we were proactive in our safety and maintenance program if we ever had any problems while out in the field.
Another consideration when looking at Cargo Vans to haul your mobile detailing equipment is simple things like being able to lock your equipment inside.
If you park your van in your driveway when you’re at home during the winter you can run an extension cord to the van from your garage and plug-in a small electric heater to keep everything from freezing.
Plus, and this is a very big plus if you have ever returned home after doing a ton of fleet cars you know how tired you are. Imagine how excited you’ll be to have to unload the entire pickup truck or open trailer when you’re that tired.
With vans, you don’t have to do any of that. Vans work great. Plus, if you go to lunch on the worksite, simply throw everything inside the van and lock it up.
There’s a “ton” of different mobile detailing equipment you can get for your mobile rig.
Right off the bat, you’ll be excited to get everything you can afford, but don’t waste money at this point. You need all the operating capital you can get.
Your first mobile detailing equipment purchases should include the following:
2000 PSI Pressure Washer
Hose – 3/4″ industrial garden hose – 100′
Hose reel with 3/8″ high-pressure hose – 100′
High-speed buffer – Makita 9227C, the most reliable and lightest
High-speed orbital buffer – Porter Cable 7424 is the best
Generator – at least 5,000 watts
That’s a good start to your mobile detailing equipment needs. Please check back and I’ll be updating this page with more specifics as to smaller things you need to carry with you to job sites to get work completed faster.
Good luck with your Mobile Detailing Equipment setup and we look forward to hearing about your success on our Auto Detailing Guide Community Forum page.
Transporting cars is an easy thing to do as long as your customer has their own license plate on the vehicle.
Unfortunately, doing business with individual customers is much different from wholesale or commercial work. When you start doing commercial detailing services for auto dealerships, car auctions, and even corporate fleet detailing, your needs change quickly in one major area of business – transporting vehicles.
Adding detailer transporter plates to your business sounds like a great idea until you start working on it. It’s expensive, complicated, expensive, and did I already say expensive? Yes, it’s going to cost you.
Commercial detailing work is a great profit center for any shop or mobile detailer. Provided you are able to ramp up your ability to do higher volume work and maintain consistent quality at the same time.
So let’s discuss the first step in the long process of getting started doing commercial or wholesale detailing work – obtaining detailer transporter plates for your business.
And don’t worry if you don’t understand a part of this. I explain everything in detail and start with the basics.
What are Detailer Transporter Plates?
Every vehicle on the road needs to be registered and insured. Each state has a DMV or Department of Motor Vehicles that regulates this process and issues a license plate to identify each vehicle. The DMV’s also have temporary commercial license plates for businesses that need to transport vehicles without the hassle of obtaining new license plates each time a car is moved. These license plates have names like Dealership, Repair/Towing, Transporter, and Detailer/Transporter.
Differences Between Transporter Plates and Standard License Plates
There is an insurance term called Care, Custody, and Control or the 3-C’s. In a standard vehicle license plate, the registration and insurance are tied to that vehicle owner and identified by that license plate. With a Transporter plate, the 3-C’s move with that plate, and subsequently the registration and insurance also go with that license plate. So it does not matter the vehicle, as long as that license plate is properly maintained and current, while also being used by an employee of the business that owns the plate, then that car is legally allowed to be driven.
Car Salespeople Use Dealership Plates Every Day
If you’ve ever visited a car dealership and took a vehicle on a test drive, then you’ve seen these commercial temporary license plates in action. Auto dealerships don’t have license plates for each of their cars. It would be a nightmare to keep track of everything.
So you pick out a car you like and the salesman grabs a dealer or dealership plate and puts it in the back window. Then you take the car for a spin around the block. Car salespeople use dealership plates every day.
The dealer plate is convenient because it allows car salespeople to use multiple vehicles without needing individual license plates and insurance on each.
The Insurance Goes with the License Plate
Since the insurance goes with the license plate aka dealer plate, it’s easily transferable between vehicles. Move the license plate and you move the insurance to another vehicle.
That’s the point of these types of license plates. That dealer plate insures that vehicle while the salesman is driving it.
So how does this help you? It doesn’t. You can’t secure dealer plates because you don’t own an auto dealership. I’m using it as an example for you to understand how the plates are utilized.
No, You Can’t Borrow Dealer Plates
I know you are thinking that. Right? I asked myself when I first went down this road. Why can’t I just borrow one of their plates? I’m moving cars for the dealership after all. But no, you can’t borrow dealer plates. It doesn’t matter that you are working with them, it only covers dealership employees.
None of the benefits of the dealer plates cover you as a contractor doing services for the dealership.
So what are your options? As a professional detailing business, you can choose to bring your equipment to the dealership in the form of a mobile detailing rig or van.
Or you can transport the vehicles to your detail shop to complete the work. To do so you need to insure the vehicles you are transporting.
Care, Custody, and Control
This is why most dealerships want you to have either “Repair/Towing” license plates, or “Detailer Transporter Plates”.
Both license plates serve to temporarily transfer your garage keepers liability insurance to the vehicle you are driving while you are in care, custody, and control of the vehicle. Remember the 3C’s from the above section and when I mentioned it on our business liability insurance page?
Insurance is tough when transporting cars. It depends on the state you reside in.
Detailers and Repair/Towing Plates
I’m not kidding when I say that DMV’s don’t like auto detailers. They don’t want you transporting vehicles.
For example, in Pennsylvania, you can’t get a Repair/Towing plate if you have the word “detail” in your name.
The government has its reasons for this. I’m simply relaying information.
Specialized Transporter License Plate
Although repair/towing plates are preferred, there is an option for detailing and reconditioning businesses. Most states have a specialized transporter license plate or a detailing transporter plate.
So why, if you own an auto detailing shop, would you want a repair/towing plate? Especially if states already make a special plate for detailers?
Let’s first start with this comment. If you only do car detailing, then you should get a detailer transporter plate.
If you also do other vehicle services, like reconditioning, paint repair, interior repair, dent pulls, bumper repairs, etc., then you should be able to utilize a repair/towing plate.
Ultimately, the repair/towing plate is better and more flexible for your needs.
Talk to Your State DMV Office
Either way, talk to your state DMV office that handles these types of license plates. They will tell you exactly which plates you are eligible to obtain.
Here are a few reasons the Repair/Towing plate is preferred if you can get it:
You can use them 24 hours a day versus transporter plates being limited to use only during your business hours. A big problem if you happen to be driving a car beyond your regular hours of operation;
They are easier to get since the DMV is much more stringent on detailing applications than they are for mechanics shops and towing companies who use these plates most of the time;
Many states are phasing out the transporter plates and just telling detailers not to move vehicles. Amazing how bureaucrats can think their solutions are so easy to live with, isn’t it?
Detailer Transporter Plates
The concept of auto detailer transporter plates was specifically designed for transporting cars between auctions and dealerships.
Auto Detailers picked them up when the state DMV’s didn’t think they were actually considered repair shops. So they rejected the detail business applications for repair/towing plates.
Unfortunately, this means that many detail shops with these detailer transporter plates use these plates beyond their intended purpose when they transport cars between dealerships and their own shops.
Transporting Cars
Unfortunately, the only way you can get auto detailer transporter plates is to convince a dealership to do a contract with you that says you will be transporting cars for them.
The application specifically says that you can’t be driving their cars between your shop and the dealership. So essentially, the DMV doesn’t want the auto detailers moving cars.
Denying car detailing shops the use of these plates is their way of making it more difficult for detail shops to do their work.
Auto Mechanics shops have repair/towing plates.
Auto Dealers have dealer or dealership plates.
Automotive auctions have transporter plates that they use to transport vehicles between dealers and the auction warehouses.
Commercial Profits Come with a Price
Unfortunately, those profits come with a price in the form of new insurance, equipment, and a host of additional headaches if you don’t know what you are doing.
From scaling the volume of cars you can complete per day to increasing the number of employees to be able to handle that volume. It takes an organized approach to expand your business in this way. And the first step is to start the process to obtain detailer transporter plates.
It’s absolutely not easy to get these types of commercial license plates. But I’m going to give you some background, teach you about the different types of license plates, cover insurance requirements, and the step-by-step process for getting your own detailing transporter plates.
The Key to Profitability with Car Dealers
Commercial detailing can be rewarding if you are careful to focus on providing solutions for the pain points of your potential customers.
For example, with car dealerships, a major issue with them is where you plan on detailing their vehicles. Space is a premium and they won’t just hand over a repair bay. Those make too much money for the dealership.
Once you see the problem, you realize the solution. The key to profitability with car dealers is the ability to transport their cars.
This creates the need for your shop to obtain specialized license plates. And that just opened another Pandora’s box of issues for your business.
We Qualified as a Body Shop
So auto detailers are in a weird limbo area between these other types of automotive businesses.
My company didn’t have as many problems because we did so many types of reconditioning services that we qualified as a body shop.
We also got around a lot of these issues by simply building up our mobile detailing crews and sending them to the dealer locations to do the work at their facility.
If you do get transporter plates you need to make sure you are insured with garage keepers and vehicle transport insurance on EACH and every plate you own. That will run you about $1,400 to $1,800 per plate.
Plus the state makes you get the insurance BEFORE they even look at your application. That makes it fun since it takes them over a month to process it.
You Can’t Be In Business Without Being Properly Insured
The auto detailing business is like any other. You can’t be in business without being properly insured. The reason you have insurance is to make sure you are covered in the event something bad happens.
So by cutting corners like many detail shop owners do, eventually you will get burned in some scenario that you might have thought sounded good but in reality just doesn’t work.
When securing auto detailer transporter plates for your shop, you need to make sure the insurance part is set up and maintained correctly.
When Naming Your Business, Don’t Use The Word Detail
***TIP*** When naming your business, don’t use the word detail anywhere in your legal name.
Call your business something along the lines of Joe’s Vehicle Reconditioning or Auto Recon Experts. Or many other variations that don’t include detailing in the name.
This way when you apply for a Repair/Towing plate and they ask you what you do you can honestly tell them that you recondition vehicles, which is entirely true.
Set it Up Right From The Start
Too many detail shops start out just detailing, but by the time they get big enough to need something like detailer transporter plates, only a small portion of their business is actually performing actual car detailing.
So keep this in mind early on when you are naming your business or when you eventually incorporate, consider slightly changing the name.
I hope you have success in securing your transport plates. They are hard to get but definitely advantageous. Most of your competition won’t have the knowledge or the financial resources to get these plates. So they offer you a definite competitive advantage in your local area.
I hope this overview of detailer transporter plates is helpful and informative. As I said, it’s a long and expensive process, but it’s so worth it if you can manage it.
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