TFR for vans and HGVs: fast, safe fleet washing

Traffic film is the grey, oily layer that builds up on anything that lives on the motorway. On a car you can shampoo it off. On a 44-tonne artic that gets washed once a week in the yard, you need a traffic film remover (TFR) that does the heavy lifting before a brush ever touches the panel.

What a TFR is, and what it is not

A TFR is an alkaline cleaner designed to break down the oils and road grime that bind dirt to paint. It is not a snow foam, although it is often applied through the same lance, and it is not a shampoo. Used neat or too strong, it will dull paint and etch aluminium. Used correctly, it is the most cost-effective product in a fleet wash bay.

Choosing the strength

Nerta makes a ladder of alkaline pre-washes so you can match the chemistry to the soiling rather than hammering everything with the strongest product.

• Active Diamond Foam – a super-concentrated alkaline foam that clings well. The default choice for vans, curtain-siders and refrigerated bodies. Start at 3 %.
• ATC 200 – a classic truck wash TFR for regular weekly washing. 2–5 % depending on soiling.
• ATC 400 – heavy-duty for tippers, plant and vehicles that have gone too long between washes. 2–4 %, PPE required.
• Alunet – an acidic brightener for aluminium tankers, fuel tanks and wheels. Not a TFR, but the partner product when the alkaline step leaves aluminium looking cloudy.

Dosing properly

The single biggest saving in most fleet bays is accurate dosing. A 25 L drum of concentrate at 3 % makes over 800 L of working solution. At 6 %, because the injector was never calibrated, it makes half that and the vehicles come out no cleaner.

1. Calibrate your injector or dosing pump with a measuring jug once a month. Write the figure on the drum.
2. Apply bottom-up on a dry vehicle. Dry panels absorb the product; wet panels dilute it.
3. Dwell 2–4 minutes. Longer in winter, shorter in sun. Never let it dry.
4. Brush or rinse. For brush washing, follow with a brush shampoo such as Super Wash or Carnet Jumbo for lubrication.
5. Rinse top-down at high pressure. Pay attention to door shuts and under the mirrors where TFR collects.

Protecting what you have cleaned

A clean truck gets dirty again within a day on the M27. A drying aid or wax in the final rinse makes next week’s wash faster and keeps the vehicle looking washed for longer. Drizzle Protect and Carwax 2000 both dose at under 1 % through a standard rinse injector.

Safety

Alkaline TFRs are classified as corrosive at concentrate strength. Gloves and eye protection when handling the drum, a safety data sheet on site, and a bund or drip tray under any IBC. Ask Mati for the SDS for any product you order; we send them with the first delivery.

Getting set up

If you run a fleet in Hampshire, Dorset or Sussex, Mati will come and look at your bay, check your water and dosing kit, and recommend a two or three product system. For sites further away, send photos and a description on WhatsApp and we will do it remotely. See the Trade & Bulk page for sizes from 25 L to IBC.