Three Years On and the Milton Keynes Fleet Still Looks Brand New
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
I’d heard it said several times that the vehicles at Milton Keynes still looked as good as they did when the graphics were first installed. Naturally, that made me incredibly proud but last week, I finally had the chance to go and see them for myself.
Back in September 2023, we produced and installed graphics across more than 120 vehicles for the new SUEZ waste and recycling contract in Milton Keynes. It was a major fleet rollout involving refuse collection vehicles, street-cleansing vehicles, sweepers, cage tippers and other supporting vehicles, all completed and ready for the first day of service.
Nearly three years later, I visited the site, met some of the people I had previously only spoken to on Teams calls and was shown around the fleet.
And honestly, everything I’d heard was true.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the photographs I took last week were taken on the same day as the original installation. Both visits happened to fall on beautiful sunny days, but it wasn’t just the weather making the vehicles look good. The colours are still strong, the finish is clean and the graphics genuinely look remarkably fresh. Our Dan has since turned the photographs from my visit into a video, allowing us to show the fleet as it looks today rather than relying solely on images from the original installation.
Getting it right from the beginning
The long-term performance of vehicle graphics starts well before anything is printed or fitted.
Early conversations about the vehicles, the surfaces, how they will be used and how they will be cleaned all help us choose the correct materials and installation methods for the job.
As Dan at SUEZ explains:
“The early engagement with Mobad in Milton Keynes ensured we had the right wrapping in place for our vehicles and Day 1 of service delivery. Using Mobad’s expertise, we adopted the correct body-cleaning tools and methodology, ensuring that our vehicles are as good today as they were when we started back in September 2023.”
That early engagement matters. A vehicle may look fantastic when its graphics are first installed, but the real measure of a successful fleet project is how it performs after years of daily use.
A culture of looking after things
What really struck me during my visit was that this wasn’t only about the vehicles. Dan talked me through the culture at Milton Keynes and how looking after equipment, vehicles and the site itself feeds through into everything the team does. The whole site was immaculate, and it was clear that this wasn’t simply about making things look tidy for a visit, it is part of how the operation is run every day and that approach has a very real financial benefit.
Dan shared examples of the savings being made through regular cleaning, care and preventative maintenance. I won’t quote figures but the overall impact was significant. When vehicles are kept clean and properly maintained, damage is spotted earlier, repair costs are reduced and parts last longer. When the graphics are cleaned using the correct products and methods, they remain presentable and don’t need to be stripped and replaced prematurely. It sounds simple, but across a large working fleet, those savings build up.
I was genuinely blown away by how much difference that culture of care appears to make.
Good materials are only part of the story
Choosing materials that are suitable for the vehicle, its working environment and the expected lifespan of the job is essential, particularly for municipal vehicles operating in demanding conditions every day. However, even the best vehicle graphics need to be looked after properly.
We give out a graphics care sheet with every vehicle we fit, providing practical guidance on cleaning products, pressure washing and the methods that can damage or shorten the life of the graphics. This means the people responsible for looking after the vehicles understand what should, and should not be used from the outset.
The Milton Keynes site has an external cleaning contractor working on site five days a week and following a rigorous cleaning schedule. Regular, controlled cleaning helps prevent dirt from building up without relying on overly aggressive chemicals or washing methods. Harsh cleaning products should not be left to soak into the graphics, while pressure washers need to be kept at a sensible distance and directed away from the edges of the vinyl. This is particularly important with products such as traffic film remover. The wrong product, an overly strong mixture or incorrect application can attack the laminate and adhesive, causing graphics to fade, lift or fail far sooner than they should.
What long-term performance looks like
The condition of the Milton Keynes fleet isn’t down to one single thing. It is the result of suitable materials, careful production and installation, clear advice from the beginning and a consistent cleaning and maintenance routine but more than that, it comes from a culture where looking after things properly is seen as part of the job.
It is also a great example of what we mean when we say that durable is sustainable.
When vehicle graphics continue to look good and perform properly for years, they don’t need to be prematurely stripped, reprinted, repacked, transported and replaced. Looking after them protects the original investment while reducing unnecessary materials, waste, repair costs and disruption. Seeing the Milton Keynes vehicles for myself made me incredibly proud of the work our team delivered and very grateful to the people who have continued to look after it so well. They looked great in September 2023 and nearly three years later, they still do.
Planning a commercial fleet rollout?
Talk to us about durable vehicle graphics designed for real working environments, along with practical aftercare advice to help keep them looking their best.
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