Safety Rolloers On Conveyer

[iwashcars]

What is the recommended amount of safety rollers to have on an over under conveyor. Right now I have a total of 3 rollers coming up. One pushing the car and two safety rollers. I used to have a total of two but had a customer step on their brake causing a collision. So now I have a total of 3 but it slows us down when loading cars.
Thanks,
Paul

 

[robert roman]

Cause and effect

What prevents you from using two and have no slow down loading cars, conveyor or customer?

Who caused collision, conveyor or customer?

So, it’s the customer that needs fixed not conveyor.

The cost of teaching customers not to step on break will cost less than the cost of slowing down loading cars.

 

[Washmee]

One safety roller should be enough. Changing your entire operation for every customer because one out of thousands(Millions?) couldn't comply doesn't make sense. Last time that happened at my wash I told the guy who put his brakes on it was his fault the other car rear ended him. 99% of the time this happens the only car that gets any damage is the one who gets hit in the back, so any damage was his responsibility, not mine.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Roller spacing may affect desired practice. If You have 7 goot spacing and they blow a roller, you are more likely to have them bump than if you have one roller and 3'6" Spacing.

If you have 3'6" spacing and 2 safety rollers it will have less effect on production. Perhaps none at all since the 2 safety rollers at 3'6" take up the same space as 1 roller at 7' . You can also have more optimal thru put since if the first available roller is missed by the roller up timing the next one takes only half as long to get there if the spacing is haved. Of course, with a 200' conveyor you have added 30 rollers which has a cost.

At the end of the day the system is not fool proof. The Fool is bigger than the proof.

Luv the line about cost of teaching customers not to step on the Brake, or Steer, or find neutral. The first flaw in this theory is that they are all teachable.

 

[iwashcars]

The problem is I just converted to flex serve from full serve six months ago. I am the only car wash within at least 50 miles that has drive thru service. Everywhere else is full serve so the customers are not used to staying in their cars. We had a customer put his foot on the brake in mid tunnel for no apparent reason. Both rollers went under the rear and front tires of his car. The next car kept moving which pinned the wrap around in between the two cars. The wrap rode up the hood of the second car and smashed through the windshield causing $12k in damage. So the potential damage to vehicles is far greater than just a scratched bumper.
Since then we have taken many more precautions and trying to educate the customers more including having three rollers come up for every car. But we still have people stepping on the breaks and putting the car in drive at times if the conveyer stops for even just a few seconds. It only takes one stupid customer to cause an accident. So the three rollers does slow us down a bit on busy days but if it can prevent an accident it's worth it. Just not sure if that extra roller does make a difference.
Paul

 

[Washmee]

Do you have video cameras? If I saw that happen in my tunnel I would fight paying out on the claim. If what you say is true, that entire accident was caused by the first car who applied the brakes. In my mind the accident damage is his responsibility. At the point he applied the brakes his car was under his control, not yours. I went through the same changeover you are doing about 7 years ago. It did take some time to educate the customers but I never experienced the types of problems you are having. If you say that both rollers went completely past his car, I'm not sure another roller would have made any difference. Where in New York are you located? City, suburbs?

 

[Earl Weiss]

HAd a similar incident a few months back. Person had car in reverse. Somehow it went thru half way and then went backward pinning the wrap. Cameras showed the car moving backward and the reverse light on, but first car must have figured something was worng and put it in gear and left.

Showed video to second car and gave her license # of second car. She called police, and a half hour after watching the video the police brought the first driver back.

First she said she did not have it in reverse and the cop asked her to put her car in neutral and then reverse. Sure enough when she put it in reverse the reverse light seen in the video came on.

They she said sh wasn't responsible because the loader did not instruct her properly. Told her "good luck with that." Let the drivers' ins. work it out.

Have had others where the person drives into the car in front and leaves. Give the first car the license # and tell them to report a hit and run. One guy had his lawyer send me a letter "Had cars to close blah blah blah". Told him to get plucked.