An innovative mobile washing system reuses water and cleans up to 20 trailers on a single tank of water, saving both time and money, manufacturer Jim Manufacturing said.

The Vader I 5000 Series is a mobile brush washing system that reclaims 99.9% of the water that normally falls to the ground during the washing process. This water is then reused during the next wash cycle, dramatically reducing water usage. Clean water is used for rinsing. A trailer can be washed in six minutes, the company said.

The system, which utilizes shielded brush action to remove road film, soot and chemical deposits, comes with a wand with a reel-up hose so rims, mud flaps, and other hard-to-reach areas can be detailed.

Vitran Express is one fleet that is seeing the benefits of the system. “We want to have a good-looking image, and being on the road day in and day out, the trailers get a lot of road grime,” said Chris Smith, shop manager for Vitran. “On a scale from one to ten, the importance of image is a nine, just after safety. And you can't beat cleaning 50 or 60 trailers with those savings.”