Fleet Hire decided in 2013 that it would clean DPFs when they became blocked, rather than replacing them, and called in Hinckley-based DPF Clean Team.
"We have found that regularly cleaning DPFs is a lot more efficient and cost effective than replacing them," says Steve Osier, Fleet Hire's technical services adviser.
"A DPF clean can be completed and a vehicle returned to the road in a matter of days, which is considerably faster than the time associated with sourcing a new DPF, ordering and receiving the part, and then having it fitted."
The only time it didn't work, he adds, was when the DPF had to be cleaned twice – but, he says, this was due to a vehicle issue, rather than the cleaning process.
"Ultimately this has saved us money when compared to the costs of sourcing new DPF parts," says Osier.