Are you planning to sell your car? If your answer is yes, you must be ready to accomplish a few things to get a quick sale at an impressive price.

To get these things completed, you’ll have to spend money. It’s worth it. The benefits outweigh the investment. In case your car has mechanical problems, first, ensure you get those fixed. Something that’d cost you $300 to fix might see you lose more than $2,000 in the sale value. It’s, therefore, essential that you fix everything before you put your car on sale. 

Once you’ve completed the mechanical aspect, it’s time to have your car detailed.

Why is pre-car sale detailing important?

Below are some of the reasons why you should consider taking your car to a professional detailer before putting it out in the market for sale.

The Looks Sell It

Everyone who wants to buy a car already understands the kind of headache that comes with owning a car that has mechanical problems.

Knowing whether a car has such problems isn’t easy. Most people often judge by the looks. So, if you want your car to fetch you a good figure, clothe it with a brand new look. You won’t struggle to sell it, neither will your buyer have the confidence to bargain so much. That’s to say that pre-sale detail raises the value of your car.

Spend Less to Earn More

Car detailing costs money, of course. At the end of it, however, a pre-sale detail is worth every of your penny. You’ll realise that the amount you’ll spend on detailing will be way less than the amount your car will earn you as a result. By just parting with a little amount of money, you get your car exterior and interior to look new, and that has everything to do with the resale value of the car.

Make It Fresh

Who wants to buy a car without enjoying a test drive? Not you, right? 

If you’re the buyer, you want to get behind the wheel and have a feel of the drive and the comfort. The interior of a car that’s not detailed will most likely not have a pleasant smell. Even if the smell isn’t terrible, it might simply not be welcoming, and the potential buyer might not get excited to pay a higher amount for it. To attain the best results, ensure you start the freshening process early enough. 

Correct and Polish The Paintwork

The first thing that a buyer sees is the paintwork. A car that has a cheap-looking or scratched paintwork is likely to make a potential buyer think twice. 

Therefore, take your car for a pre-sale detail for paint correction. If there are scratches on its surface, have them removed to give the car a brand new look. 

Examine The Seats

Full pre-sale detail service will ensure that your car seats are looking good enough to attract big bucks. Torn leather or notably dirty seat materials will make your car look unwelcoming and, as a result, make potential buyers disinterested. However, once you’ve got the seats corrected, your buyers will be willing to pay good money for the car.

In conclusion, pre-sale detail gives you so much. It pays off at the end of it. It’s not something you take lightly, particularly if you’re keen on earning as much as possible in the sale.

Read Also:

Why You Should Remove Bad Odour from Your Car Interior

Getting Your Car Ready for Sale

Heavy Goods vehicles (HGV) drivers need specialised training apart from the ordinary driving course available in most driving schools. The growth of the manufacturing industry has given rise to the need for more heavy goods vehicles to transport goods from the manufacturer to retailers. Also, raw materials used in manufacture are ferried to the factories in heavy goods vehicles.

Qualifications for a HGV driver

• Have a provisional licence
• Undergo medical examinations
• Take a theory test
• Acquire CPC certification
• Train with a DVLA approved trainer
• Take a practical test

A person who has an HGV licence can also drive a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) as both types of vehicles need the same licence. It is important to note that LGV does not stand for Light Goods Vehicle, as most people presume. The licence covers commercial trucks with a gross weight of more than 3500kg; and includes box vans, fridge trucks, tippers, Lutons, drop sides, and flatbeds among many others.

What skills do you need to be an HGV driver?

Apart from being able to drive the heavy goods vehicle, there are other skills that you need if you want to succeed in the career. The following are some of those skills:

• Be able to work under pressure with minimum supervision
• Have ample knowledge of transport methods, benefits and costs
• Be a team player
• Accept criticism positively
• Have skills to control and operate equipment
• Be physically fit with proper coordination, movement, grace and ability
• Be thorough and attentive to every detail
• Possess excellent customer relations
• Have necessary computer skills or hand-held devices
• Have patience and be calm even in stressful situations

Misconceptions about HGV Drivers

There are misconceptions that people have about HGV drivers that are not true. Let us look at some of these fallacies.

1. HGV Drivers are Men 

Although trucking is an industry mostly dominated by men, there has been a rise in the number of truck drivers in recent years. Female truck drivers have a better chance of getting hired to balance the gender gap in most companies. More women are encouraged to train as truck drivers as it is a rewarding career like any other.

2. Anyone can do it

Truck driving is a tough job; hence it is not for everyone, especially if you do not possess the skills above. It can be compared with being in the military, which is not for everyone, but those who make it are excellent in their work. People with young families find it challenging to be truck drivers as they spend most of their time on the road. However, if you are young and still do not know what you want with your life, you can be a truck driver before you decide to go to college.

3. It Does not Pay Well

The starting salary of an HGV driver is £19,000 – £24,000 a year. As you progress and gain more experience, they will increase up to over £40,000 a year.

In conclusion, if you need HGV driver training, seek a reputable institution that will train you according to the set standards. Instead of staying idle, become an HGV driver and start earning money within a short time. 

Hoists are mechanical devices that lift heavy loads. They operate by relying on the counterweight to lift loads. Hoist machinery evenly distributes weight through the use of gears and pulleys. The laws of lever systems guide the use of the machine. Hoists are used to lift heavy loads such as car engines and other heavy machinery. They use a hook connected to a crane to grasp the loads and transfers them to the required location.

Hoist Types

The two types of hoists are manual and powered hoists.

Manual

Manal hoists use a hand chain to lift loads. The hoist functions through the use of two chains, one for application of the effort and the other to hold the load. A manual hoist costs less than an electrically powered one and it’s also easy to carry. However, since the manual hoist depends on the physical strength of the operator, it requires a lot of effort to lift heavy loads. Also, it takes longer to lift a load the hoist wears down faster than the powered models. 

Powered

Powered hoists function through three different types of power; hydraulic, electric, or air. The hoists lift loads at higher speeds and also have varied ranges of lifting abilities. Electric powered models overheat when used frequently while air models are ideal in facilities where sparks are a security concern.

Applications

Hoists are not only used in industries; they are also useful in cargo lifting, construction sites, and in hauling warehouse stock. Hoists are used in the following industries; automotive, logging, manufacturing and mining.

What to consider when operating hoists

 When using a hoist, you need to consider the application and the load. The distance of travel and the speed is also an important consideration as it affects the durability of the trolley. To ensure that the hoist works efficiently, the load should be within the limits of the hoist. The hoist should also be operable and simple to use. When lifting a load, note that the weight of the hook also adds to the overall load weight. Therefore, factor it in while using the hoist.

What to Look for When Purchasing Hoists

• Lift capacity – this is the maximum weight that the hoist can support
• Power source – this is the source of power that operates the hoist. Your choice will depend on where you use the hoist and the type of load to lift
• Line material – this is the means through which a force is applied to lift a load
• Lift height – the distance between the load hook’s highest and lowest position
• Lift speed – the speed that a hoist lifts a load

To operate a hoist, you have to receive training from a reputable trainer. Most of the haul truck training schools provide services for all interested parties. If you need hoist operator training Sydney, find a good one among the numerous driving schools and get your license. Do not assume that years of experience as a driver for an ordinary car, translate easily to being a hoist operate. Go for training to be equipped with all the knowledge you need to operate a hoist. 

If by any chance you have had your European truck brought to the shop to be repaired, then you would know that the price tag that comes with such services and parts could be somewhat expensive. This often leaves you with a decision to make: should you go with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or try your luck with aftermarket parts for European trucks?

Should you elect to go with aftermarket parts for European trucks, then you must be made aware of the different benefits that come with making such a choice. Sure, these parts may be fairly cheaper but there remain several questions that still need concrete answers.

But before we take a dive into those, let’s first take a brief look into what exactly are aftermarket parts.

What are Aftermarket Parts?

Aftermarket parts are components of your truck or vehicle that are made by a company different from the original manufacturer. These are meant to be replacements to original parts of your vehicle that have been damaged or compromised. While many experts have debated the quality of aftermarket parts, it always goes back to the fact that the company that manufactured your truck did not produce these parts.

So the question remains: does this really even matter? Some might say that it really depends on what part it is and which company made it. Most times though, the thinking is that aftermarket parts are inferior in quality compared to the ones that were originally made for your truck. And while that may have been the case many years ago, the market of aftermarket parts have since evolved through the years, with many boasting of comparable or even better quality than those of OEM parts.

That being said, let’s now take a look at the different benefits of aftermarket parts.

The Benefits of Aftermarket Parts

1) Price

This is, without a doubt, the biggest reason why there is a demand for aftermarket parts in the first place. The price tags of aftermarket parts are almost assuredly far less than that of OEM parts, at times going as low as 40% less.

2) You Have a Wide Selection of Manufacturers to Choose From

Going for OEM parts means you only get to have one singular option, which most times, means that the price would be a lot more expensive. On the other hand, aftermarket parts are made by a wide range of manufacturers, which means it would be more convenient for you to procure such a part or components. OEM parts that can only be bought at your truck’s dealer may still need to be ordered, and these may take some time before they arrive. All these delays can only mean that you might not be hitting the road with your truck any time soon.

3) The Quality of the Aftermarket Part

This really depends on the kind of equipment from your truck that needs to be replaced. However, it is really not uncommon to locate an aftermarket part that exceeds the quality of its OEM counterpart.

Conclusion

If you are unsure on whether or not to use aftermarket parts for European trucks, you should try and discuss this matter with a trusted mechanic or truck expert. You can also do your due diligence and do your own research on the Internet about the aftermarket part that you are looking for and different manufacturers that are producing this.

If your car has a bad smell, you cannot be comfortable in it. You’d do everything you can to do away with it. We’re not talking about that brand new car smell, though. Even though some people don’t like it, we don’t categorise it as a bad smell. Why? Well, almost everyone loves that smell, despite speculations about its effect on your health. Many people love it so much that they go the distance to buy special sprays to restore it after using their car over time.

Here, we’re talking about that bad smell that comes from dump parts or other sources. A problem with the brakes, clutch, heater core, oil leak, busted catalytic converter, or gas could also result in a bad smell. Some of these may require advanced servicing to correct. 

However, you can fix most of the sources of bad smell in a car by detailing it. Car detailing is a tried and tested way of restoring that brand new car look and smell, giving you the freshness you desire. 

Most car owners appreciate car detailing. Unfortunately, not so many have the time to take their cars to a car detailer. But that’s not a big issue anymore. Mobile car detailing services are available across Australia. They make it easier for busy people to enjoy car detailing services without the need of going to a car detailer. If you don’t have time to take your car to a detailer, you can call a car detailer to come to your premises to offer customised services. 

Instead of just visiting a car wash, car detailing is your best bet when it comes to removing bad odour. It’s the service that will go beyond the mere cleaning of surfaces to cleaning and fixing every detail as a restorative measure to your car’s interiors and exterior. Interior detailing remains among the most sought after services because of the great results it delivers to car owners.

Of course, you have every reason to eliminate bad odour from your car. A bad smell makes your car inhabitable or just unfriendly. But what are other reasons that make it crucial that you remove the bad odour? 

Toxic Odour

If your car has a bad smell and you can’t figure out its source, car detailing is your best bet. You shouldn’t entertain a bad smell because it could be as a result of something harmful. The smell of sulphur, for example, may come from a busted catalytic converter. Bad odour resulting from gas leakage or overused lubricants may also pose a risk to your health and, thus, shouldn’t be left to continue unattended. Car detailing will help you get rid of the smell and reveal areas that need further attention from your mechanic. Doing so is a precautionary measure so that you don’t inhale toxic substances that may end up causing severe harm to your health.

Breeding Place for Germs

Are you experiencing bad odour in your car? That’s a sign that something is wrong. Where the smell is a result of stale foodstuff or dump surfaces, your car may be a breeding space for germs. 

The bad smell is a message that you should have your car detailed. Mobile car detailing services makes the whole process easier. The detailer will come to the most convenient place for you and provide you with customised services.

Generally, you must ensure that you have your car detailed regularly to get rid of bad odour. The process will allow you to know if there are other underlying mechanical problems that you need to attend to.

Read Also:

Getting Your Car Ready for Sale

A Thorough Cleaning

The development of e-commerce has been challenging conventional business trends in every commercial space for almost two decades now. What started out as a transformation of the communications industry has now worked its way into every business sector on the globe. We are now at a point in time where an industry that does not embrace e-commerce is setting itself up for failure. 

New research carried out by the American Trucking Research Institute, ATRI, released in February 2019, into the impact of e-commerce on the American trucking industry, has created quite a buzz with its findings. While the study focuses on the American market, the results have major implications and learning points for the industry worldwide.

About ATRI

The American Trucking Research Institute, ATRI, has been in existence since the mid-1950s and has had a significant impact in shaping the global trucking industry. By learning from the comprehensive research carried out by ATRI on a wide range of challenges in the industry, trucking companies all over the world have been able to improve the efficiency of their trucking operations.

From its base in Arlington, Virginia, this not-for-profit organization has been focused on several research areas with an aim of improving the trucking industry such as Congestion and Mobility, Safety and Security, Economic Analysis as well as Technology and Operations among others.

ATRI’s research on emerging trends and the impact of e-commerce and omnichannel retailing on the trucking industry has revealed several challenges as well as opportunities that can help trucking companies, which are willing to adapt, to stay in business for several years to come. In business, survival for the fittest often means survival for the most adaptive. Here are a few key findings that were highlighted in ATRI’s research.

Dynamic Increase in E-commerce Sales

Since the onset of online sales and the popularization of the internet in the 90s, e-commerce has been on the rise. In the US alone, e-commerce sales have risen by about 3,000% from less than 1% in 1999 to more than 9% in 2017.

Retail companies are focusing more on developing their online sales platforms because of transformations in consumer trends. More consumers are shopping online because of its convenience and the wide variety of options it offers. As a result, the annual e-commerce growth rate over the past five years has been between 13% and 16% while conventional retail sales growth rate has been limited to at 1% to 5%.

Shrinking the Last Mile

With the growth of e-commerce and internet access, there has been an increased demand for the fast delivery of products with many consumers requesting less than ‘two-day’ shipping. This has required retailers to be more flexible in their interaction with consumers and led to the decentralization of distribution networks so that the inventory can be closer to the consumers.

In 2017, 73% of the industrial real estate market was owed to the development of ‘Last Mile Fulfillment Centres’ in the US further shrinking the last mile between consumers and retailers. This improved access to market has dynamically transformed the supply chain logistics and had a major impact on the trucking industry.

Implications for the Trucking Industry

The increase in e-commerce sales and shrinking of the last mile have major implications on the trucking industry which has traditionally generated most of its revenue from long haul interstate transportation of goods from manufacturers to department stores.

The decentralization of distribution networks with the aim of shrinking the last mile and bringing the inventory closer to the consumer has collectively led to a significant reduction of long haul trucking services and an interesting rise in demand for intrastate and local haul services. This is evidenced by a 7.8% increase in the registrations for single-unit trucks compared to a 4.4% increase in the registration of the larger combination trucks between 2007 and 2016.

The report indicated that about 2,130 department stores stopped their operations between2015 and 2017 and 385,000 workers in the sector lost their jobs. At the same time, there was a notable rise of about 1,937 more courier services and over 85,000 new jobs were created in the sector.

The shift in traffic from long haul trucking services to intra-regional and last-mile truck trips has seen the average length of haul decreased by 37% since 2,000. This has changed the face of the trucking industry making it more attractive to drivers who were not interested in committing to the long distance trips.

Shorter trips also reduce the wear and tear of the truck reducing the frequency of maintenance costs and demand for truck spare parts. The rise in demand for shorter trips also creates a great opportunity for younger drivers under 21 years of age to build up their trucking experience as they wait to qualify for long haul commercial Driving License.

Read Also:

• FUSO’S Built Ready Wide Cab Canter Tipper Has Gained an Extra Tonne of Capacity
• UD Trucks’ Innovation Roadmap Aims to Offer Fully Electric, Autonomous Trucks by 2030

Is it time to say goodbye to your beloved chariot? The car that has served you well on road trips with friends, family holidays, and countless hours driving to and from work. Your reliable car deserves the best price for it. If you want to get a fair price, you have to put in a little bit of effort, and that includes a mechanical check and a decent clean inside and out.  In this post, we take you through the necessary steps to ensure you get the best price for your vehicle.
 

Registered or Unregistered.

Expect a significantly lower price if you plan on selling your car un unregistered. The cost involved in getting a vehicle registered sits around the $1000 mark, and that’s providing no repairs need to be made to attain a roadworthy certificate. That being said, it’s much easier to sell a car that registered. Of course, you will still have to get the roadworthy certificate as it’s a condition of sale for a registered vehicle in Australia.
 

The Mechanicals

Before sale take your car for a service at your local mechanics. Potential buyers will pick up on the noises coming from your car, and it’s an indication of how well the car has been maintained. Getting a service will ensure that your car running well and ready to impress a potential buyer. The service also includes an oil change, and any person with a little car knowledge will check the oil to see how well the car has been looked after. Clean oil on the dipstick is a good sign that the car has had a good life and will help you sell it.
 

Get Your Car Detailed

Make your car sparkle inside and out for a quick sale. You could detail the car yourself but to be honest, you won’t be able to do the job as good as the professionals. You will be able to retrieve the cost of the detail service on the sale. You may even be able to mark the price up to a few hundred after the detail and make extra profit.
Car detailers are mobile these days and will come directly to your home or business and detail your car inside and out. Some companies offer a pre-sale service that includes a full vehicle clean inside and out. The detailer will even clean underneath your car and in the engine bay. When you pop the hood, you want the motor to look as good as the rest of the vehicle.
 

Selling Channels

There is no need to ring up the trading anymore. There are many ways to sell your vehicle on the internet for free such as a free classified like GumTree or an online car trading website. Oh… and don’t forget to post your car on social media.
There are a few things to do to get the price for your baby but if you enlist the help of a professional mechanic and car detailer it really isn’t that much work at all. Good Luck.
 
Read Also:

• A Thorough Cleaning
• A Beginner’s Guide to Car Detailing

Some people religiously clean their cars almost every chance they get. Then there are the rest of us who go about our lives without giving our cars that much thought. It’s not always bad; however, if your car hasn’t had a deep clean in a while, it might be time to take her to the car wash for proper cleansing. This is especially important if you are someone who has a long commute every day. Whether you are doing to cleaning or getting a professional to do it, there are few steps you want to follow:
 

1. Inside and Out

When taking your car for a deep clean, make sure you think about both inside and outside. There is no use in only having the outside washed and polished when the inside is a big mess.
 

2. Turn Up the Pressure

Make sure that the people who clean your car use a pressure washer to get rid of any dirt and grime that will be difficult and tedious to remove otherwise. The pressure should not scratch or scuff your car during the cleaning process.
 

3. The Wheels

Your wheels also need a good scrubbing now and then. A lot of dust and sand gets stuck beneath the rim, and this needs to be flushed out so that your rims live a long and happy life.
 

4. Vacuum

Vacuuming the seats and carpets will make sure that any crumbs and dirt stuck in little crevices will be removed. Preventing ant and other insects from making your car their home.
 

5. Shampoo

Having your seats and carpets shampooed is also very important. It will prevent any mouldy smells and sticky messes from prevailing in the confines of your car, leaving your car smelling brand new.
 

6. Don’t Forget the Boot

This is one area in a care that is at times overlooked because we toss in our groceries or gym bag and go on our way. Having your boot vacuumed should not be left at the wayside as dirt and grime can also easily build up here.
 

7. Windows

Windows should be cleaned thoroughly, not just wiped down. You will notice the difference right away.
 

8. Deodorised

If you are a smoker or spilt something in your car, it’s safe to say it probably doesn’t smell too fresh. Having your car deodorised by professionals is a sure fire way to get rid of any bad smells that may be lingering in the confines of your car.
 

9. Detergent Exterior Wash

It’s all good and dandy when you have your car pressure washed, but it still needs to be washed with a good detergent. This will get rid of any sneaky, grimy spots that the pressure washer could not get rid of.
 

10. Chamois Dry

The chamois will make sure no dust or particles stick to your car as it is dried off.
Cleaning your car can be a tedious and time-consuming job, especially if you are strapped for time. Taking it into the professionals for some proper TLC is a good option when you would rather sit and sip some coffee, while the pros sort out your dirty vehicle. They have the equipment and the knowledge to get the job done right. Or why not find a service that come to you?
 
Read Also:

• Why queue, when a car detailer can come to you
• A beginner’s guide to car detailing

So you want to detail your car and don’t know where to start? Well, you’re in luck my friends because this post will get have you on your way and cleaning your car like a professional. We give you a detailed guide on how to detail your car. Sorry for the pun, but I couldn’t resist.
Cleaning your car regularly will extend its lifespan to keep your vehicle looking and running in tip-top condition. Then when it comes time to sell, you’ll get a better price. Now let’s get down to business.
 

Cleaning the Exterior

I always start by washing the exterior of the car.
 

You will need:

Two buckets
A hose
Soap
Wax
Tire polisher
A big sponge
A chamois
Fill one bucket with soapy water and one with clean water. Why may you ask? Well, I’m about to get into that. The soapy water removes dirt and grime. After each soapy water application, rinse your sponge in the clean water. Doing this will prevent dirt fragments from scratching your car while you wash it. Do this all over the vehicle until it is squeaky clean. Then before your car dries get in there with chamois and thoroughly wipe off the excess moisture. Try not to leave any streaks if you want to look professional.
 

The Tires

For the tires, use the same technique as you did with the paint job. First with the soapy sponge and then rinse in the clean water. After you have the tires looking spic and span wait for them to dry before applying the tire polisher. The tire polisher will not only have your tires looking shiny, but it also acts as a barrier and keeps the dirt at bay.
 

The Wax Job

As Mr Myagi from karate kid says “Wax on, wax off.” He was a brilliant man, and that’s precisely what you will have to do to wax your car. Wipe the wax on with a rag then wipe the wax off with a clean cloth. Waxing your car will bring the paint job back to life. If you’re good at it, you should be able to see your reflection in the paint job.
Giving your car a wax job is not only for aesthetic appeal. The wax creates a protective layer on the paint job of your vehicle and also prevents minor chips and scratches. You should wax your car every two to four weeks, so your vehicle is protected.
 

Cleaning the Interior

The interior clean is an entirely different beast to cleaning the exterior. Think of it more like cleaning your bedroom but instead of a room it’s a car.
You will need

• Two buckets
• A rag
• A vacuum cleaner
• Interior cleaning products

First, you should remove all the rubbish from your car. Yes, that includes all the lost Maccas fries from under the seat. Then get your vacuum cleaner with a nozzle attachment and thoroughly vacuum your vehicle until it is spotless. Don’t forget to vacuum the seat and centre console. Then it’s a matter of doing the soapy bucket, clean bucket trick with the interior. Make sure to ring out your rag thoroughly to avoid excess moisture in your car. Too much water will seep into your upholstery and go mouldy.
After your dash and upholstery are clean. Use an interior product like Armourall to coat your dashboard. Like the wax on the paint job, this will create a protective coating over your dash and keep it safe from perishing in the hot Summers sun.
If all this sounds like too much time and effort, you can always call on the help of a mobile car cleaning service.  They come around to your house and do all the dirty work for you for a reasonable price. Plus, they have all the right tools and will more than likely do a better job than you.
 
Read Also:

• Why Queue, when a car detailer can come to you
• How car detailers protect your paint