Corrosion protection has never been more important than it is today, especially since winter weather de-icing chemicals are stronger than ever. Road salt is a major corrosion culprit, but even worse are newer de-icing formulas, which include calcium chloride and magnesium chloride.
On any bus, protective finishes can wear off over time, or become damaged from rocks or gravel. When corrosive elements such as acid rain or de-icers settle on the body or up in the undercarriage, they slowly eat away at the chassis, bumpers, or even wiring of the bus, resulting in destructive and costly damage.
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that damage from corrosion costs around $276 billion each year for school buses and trucking combined. Because buses are expected to have a longer lifecycle than many other vehicles, premature bus retirement due to corrosion damage is not a wise risk to take.
Spending a little more time and money to prevent corrosion can drastically decrease your maintenance costs down the road, lower your overall total cost of ownership, and keep your bus on the road longer.
One of the easiest ways to protect your investment is with corrosion protection such as the Fleetshield™ corrosion protection treatments offered by Thomas Built Buses, which include Tuffcoat, EdgeCover, and UnderGuard.
- FleetShield TuffCoat is a durable, high-performance coating for bumpers, luggage boxes, and stepwells. TuffCoat provides a flexible, textured surface that reduces abrasions and dampens bus noise and vibration.
- FleetShield EdgeCover is a clear, protective coating applied on top of standard paint. Also used in the luxury automobile industry, this durable, self-healing formula guards against corrosion and weather damage. It is applied to the perimeters of doors, wheelhouse fenderettes, lower skirt seams, and even door hinges.
- FleetShield UnderGuard is a durable, self-healing, high-performance undercoating applied to the underside of the body to protect against impact and corrosion.
In addition to protective treatments, it is also important to keep buses clean. Be sure to wash buses with a soap and water mix often to eliminate corrosion causing agents. Also, don’t forget about the undercarriage of the bus.
Lastly, if there is existing damage due to corrosion, repair and coat the area to prevent further spot corrosion that can spread. If your fleet is experiencing corrosion issues or if you are interested in preventing corrosion on you current fleet, talk to one of the Thomas Built dealers to learn how they can help.
