Protecting Your Fleet From Adverse Weather: The Refinishing Role

The right paint and finish can play a surprisingly important role in protecting your fleet from extreme weather conditions. Dan Szczepanik, Global Marketing Director for the Automotive Finishes division at Sherwin-Williams, explains why.

As the worst of the winter weather starts to bite, fleet managers around the country want to know that their vehicles are winter-ready for the months ahead.

Mechanical maintenance plays a big role in ensuring that fleets are able to withstand frost, snow and ice, as well as the salts and chemicals used to de-ice roads. But, surprisingly, the right paints and finishes can also make a significant difference.

Tell-Tale Signs That a Vehicle Needs a Paint and Finish Touch-Up

Our advice to fleet managers is to look for any dents, imperfections or cracks in the bodywork of their vehicles. Salt and chemicals can get into these cracks, attack the surface and cause corrosion.

Fortunately, in the UK, sodium chloride (salt grit) is the most commonly used chemical de-icer because it’s suitable for most UK winter conditions, is relatively low-cost and is readily available. Traditional rock salt only causes corrosion when it’s wet and doesn’t absorb a lot of moisture. This means it causes less damage than the chemical slurries used in countries where winter weather conditions are more severe. These slurries stay wet a lot longer and absorb moisture from the air, causing corrosion over a longer period of time.

Even though salt doesn’t cause as much corrosion as chemical slurries, it still poses a risk to your fleet.

Take Preventive Action – Repair Bodywork Imperfections Now

To minimize this risk, it’s important to repair any damage now, choosing quality paint and finishes that will give you the processing speed and durability that will save you money over the long term. Bear in mind that the cost of paint only accounts for about 5-10% of the total cost of bodywork repairs. The rest of the cost lies in labour, energy and time.

Inexpensive paint may seem like a good choice but it will take longer to apply and process, costing you more in labour and keeping the vehicle is out of action for longer. It also won’t offer the durability of a quality paint. Taken together, these two factors mean that you could end up spending 33-40% more over the lifetime of a vehicle than if you had used a quality coating in the first place.

UV Protection Is Also Important

Sun damage may not be top of your list of worries this season, but snow and ice are not the only weather that can take the shine off your fleet. UV rays can cause colours to fade and even change, causing your bright-red van to turn pink or purple.

Again, a quality paint will give you the color retention you need if you want your fleet to stay true to brand. Avoid paints that use industrial-grade pigments and instead look for finishes using automotive-grade finishes. In addition to pigments, look at the overall chemistry of the coating. Acrylic urethane topcoats mixed with automotive-grade pigments will give you a lasting glossy finish, come rain, snow or shine. 

Call in the Experts – Get a Professional Body Shop Audit

Finally, if you’re keen to fine-tune your body shop and maintenance operations, a professional body shop audit by a trusted paint supplier can help you optimise every step of the process from cleaning to curing. You may think you’ve already reduced downtime and operational costs as much as possible, but in our experience, however good your processes are for maintaining fleet exterior integrity, there’s always room for improvement.

Remember, your fleet is the rolling billboard for your business, and first impressions count – with vehicles as well as people. 

To find out more about Sherwin Williams premium paints and finishes that keep fleet vehicles looking their best, click here.