VTC (Vehicle and Transportation Care)

Vehicle and Transportation Care (VTC) is one of the largest segments in the I&I (Industrial and Institutional) cleaning market in North America. It is estimated that truck and car wash applications constitute over three-quarters of the market; planes, trains, and boats represent the rest of the market.Aside from safety and performance requirements, what adds to the complexity of the industry is the plethora of soils that impact transportation vehicles. Abrasion can occur from tires, brakes, metal, and streets; diesel can create tar and fatty soot; and salt, insects, bird droppings, and plant residues (algaes and moss) also contribute to the soils that institutional cleaners are expected to combat.Additional complexity comes from the wide range of surfaces that must be considered: lacquered (fiberglass boats), metal (steel, aluminum, chrome for trains, trucks, and cars), plastics (cars), rubber tires, and even wood.The industry’s challenges with cleaning don’t end there. Cleaning solutions must be compatible with a multitude of technologies: sponges in manual cleaning, lances and brushes in high pressure cleaning and car washes. The list of requirements is extensive since cleaning performance cannot be compromised for material compatibility, material protection, or biodegradability. Functionally, the VTC industry requires wettability, dispersing power, foam control, and streak free/shine.BASF offers a wide range of ingredients and formulations for car shampoos, glass cleaners, high pressure cleaners, rim cleaners, tar removal, insect removal, rust removal, and more.