Busted Down
Who Do You Call?
DEBORAH LOCKRIDGE
SENIOR EDITOR
It's 3 a.m. and one of your trucks just threw a belt. What happens next can make the difference between an on-time delivery and an unhappy customer. When your truck's on the road under a hot load, it can be tempting to say, "get it rolling again now, no matter what the cost." But you can improve your bottom line by being prepared for the unexpected.
One option is to have your own staff available to handle breakdowns. But the increasing availability of roadside assistance services has prompted many fleets to outsource part or all of the responsibility.
The granddaddy of breakdown services is FleetnetAmerica, Cherryville, N.C., an independent service that handles 7,000-8,000 calls per month. But these days, every truck and engine maker offers some type of roadside assistance. And if you lease equipment or contract for maintenance from a company such as Ryder or TIP, they have their own programs.
While the details vary, here's the basic blueprint: When a driver breaks down, he calls a toll-free number, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. The person on the other end gets information from the driver, including where he's located, what the problem appears to be and identifying information. Then the breakdown service finds the nearest service provider in their database that can help the driver.
Most services try to get the problem fixed by the side of the road to save towing costs. In fact, 85% of breakdowns are handled roadside, according to FleetnetAmerica. If roadside repairs aren't possible, however, the service arranges a tow. Most services also follow up and make sure the truck gets back on the road quickly.
"It's basically establishing a safety net," says Jeff Parietti, Kenworth spokesman. "The bottom line is, the customer is going to get help. The customer doesn't have to start calling around in the middle of the night."
Some breakdown services offer other benefits, such as guaranteed pricing or parts discounts, communication via Qualcomm, GPS location of the disabled truck, foreign language translators, pre-set fleet preferences, various payment/billing options, the ability to track the repair progress on the Internet, and extensive reporting for fleet management. Breakdown service may be part of a larger offering that includes services such as maintenance outsourcing or preventive maintenance scheduling on the road.
Some programs are free, some charge a flat fee per truck, some charge a fee per breakdown incident, and some include the service as part of a charge card or other special program. Of course, the customer is responsible for any repair or towing costs, unless they're covered by warranty.
Only a handful advertise that they handle all makes of trucks, but most OEM-provided services admit they will handle other makes for customers with mixed fleets.
"When you look at the components on a Class 8 truck, there's 80% commonality in parts across all vehicles," says Dave Leske, manager of support service at International Trucks. "Really, what's different is the sheet metal."
Talk to the breakdown service you're thinking about using and find out how they can help you cut costs and manage your maintenance program. For instance, many of the programs allow you to set preferences on how you want roadside repairs handled.
Spike Vera, senior product manager at Ryder, offers an example of how pre-set parameters can save the day:
"Say the customer is running JIT for automotive assembly plants, and literally, they may have four hours leeway. We have it programmed into the system that if this particular truck number breaks down, we right away find a substitute vehicle to finish taking the load to the assembly line. We don't even wait to find out what the diagnosis is."
Other parameters can include payment options, repair facility preferences, and the like. "We have instructions in our system such as, if it's a certain type of problem, direct them to these sorts of facilities," says Scott Pearson, general marketing manager at Peterbilt. "Or if the repair is below a certain dollar level, go ahead and repair it, but if it's above a certain dollar level, call the maintenance director at 2 a.m."
Some fleets have discovered that it's cost-effective to operate their own call centers during the day and switch to a breakdown service for nights and holidays. Others let a breakdown service handle on-the-road problems 24 hours a day.
"We've had situations with customers who have been able to cut staff at dispatch offices because drivers have instructions to call (800) 4-PETERBILT if they have a breakdown," says Peterbilt's Pearson. And it's not just small fleets. Yellow Freight, for instance, has Volvo Action Service handle its calls. It even has its own dedicated toll-free number.
Here's a rundown on the services offered:
FleetnetAmerica
(800) 438-8961
www.fleetnetamerica.com
A national road breakdown service covering the 48 contiguous states, plus Alaska and all provinces of Canada, FleetnetAmerica is an independent service not affiliated with any OE, vendor or supplier.
President and founder Oren Summer was director of maintenance of the now defunct Carolina Freight Carriers when he devised a road breakdown service network to serve the fleet. It worked so well that senior management told him to market the business to outside customers. It was known as Carolina Breakdown Service until the fleet was acquired by ABF.
The company has 60,000 vendors in its computer system, arranged geographically by type of service offered (ie: tires only, towing, general service and repair). Most are independent vendors, although OE dealers are used when a customer requests it and/or when warranty work or electronics diagnostics are involved.
Service requests often come in by computer message from regular fleet accounts where drivers call in their breakdowns. Others come via the 800 number, which is manned 24/7 by professionals who in some cases are able to provide solutions by phone, thus avoiding a road call. Average downtime from time of call to repaired and running again is 1.8 hours.
FleetnetAmerica uses VMRS codes in its reports to customers so a fleet can more easily track breakdown causes and expenses. Electronic billing is done via file transfer or individual image transfer. The system will track duplicate repairs to the same vehicles within 90 days to alert fleets of ongoing problems.
There is no membership requirement or monthly fee. The published rate is $42 per call, handled with major credit cards and Comchek.
Freightliner Customer Assistance Center
CAC: (800) FTL-HELP
Fleetpack: (503) 745-8182
Freightliner offers two levels of breakdown assistance. Its Customer Assistance Center will pinpoint the truck's location and locate the nearest service facility free of charge. It will then connect the caller and the dealer or other repair service on the phone to figure out the best way to get the truck moving again, and stay with the call until the disabled truck gets help.
"We'll try to assess what the difficulty is, and we'll send a mobile unit out — which is less expensive — if we can," says Bruce Lohse, manager, customer assistance. "If we can't figure it out or it's something a mobile unit can't handle, we'll get a tow truck out to the nearest Freightliner dealership or into an independent if there's not a dealer in the area. Our whole focus is trying to get that vehicle running again. We've even gone to competitive dealers."
The CAC also helps with parts availability issues. "Even if our parts distribution centers are closed, we have cell phone numbers for key personnel who can get a part and ship it for us," Lohse says.
Extended breakdown coordination is available for Fleetpack charge card members for $25 per occurrence. In addition to the basic service outlined above, the CAC contacts the service provider to confirm the vehicle arrival, relays results of diagnosis and estimated repair time and cost, gets customer approval to proceed with repairs, monitors the repair process and notifies the customer when the truck is back on the road.
International Emergency Breakdown Service
(800) 44-TRUCK
International's Emergency Breakdown Service handles all makes of vehicles, including trailers, through a repair network of 16,000 locations throughout North America. It is available to fleets enrolled in the Fleet Charge or Diamond Advantage credit card programs. There is a $35 per-call administrative fee. If you own a Diamond Spec vehicle, EBS comes with it and the fees are waived.
Dave Leske, manager of support service, says one of the benefits of International's service is the dealer network. "We have the largest dealer network of all the brands. If you have an International truck and there is warranty repair involved, if there are more facilities available to you that are International, there's a better chance you can turn it into a warranty claim rather than a retail repair."
EBS repairs done at International dealerships are added to the Fleet Charge/Diamond Advantage billing statement, so you don't have to worry about setting up open accounts along your routes, wiring funds, credit clearances or payment problems. Published International parts pricing is consistent and guaranteed at participating locations.
However, the EBS center keeps in mind that the top priority is getting the truck back on the road fast. "If the International dealer is not available or backlogged, we'll try to find the nearest repair facility," Leske says. EBS tracks the repair and notifies the fleet when the truck is ready to roll.
Kenworth PremierCare
(800) KW-ASSIST
Kenworth offers free emergency roadside assistance for all makes of trucks.
Pre-register with the PremierCare Call Center, and the system will track your preferences for everything from repair payment to tires, including past vehicle history, the type of truck and how it's powered. That way, when a driver calls in, he just has to give his location, the nature of the emergency and the truck's VIN number. However, you can use the service without pre-registering, as well.
After getting the information from the driver, sometimes the customer representative can identify what's wrong and give the driver information needed to get his truck back up and running. If not, they will contact the nearest participating Kenworth dealer or designated PremierCare provider to dispatch assistance or get the truck to the shop. The Call Center has access to 50,000 service vendors throughout the U.S. and Canada.
They also get the diagnosis and repair estimate to fleet headquarters for approval, if that's in your profile, and keep the driver informed every step of the way. The Call Center also offers fleet management real-time repair updates via the Internet.
Mack OneCall CompleteCare
(800) 866-1177
Mack says its OneCall CompleteCare service offers one thing many services don't: trained technicians on the phone who will try to walk the driver through a repair on the side of the road.
"These aren't just 'call center' people, so to speak," says Luke Baker, manager of customer service/product support. Most of them are former technicians at Mack dealerships, he says, carefully screened for people skills and the ability to keep a cool head as well as for their mechanical ability.
When a driver calls the hotline, a Mack expert will identify the problem, troubleshoot and arrange for roadside repairs or towing if necessary. Mack promises that this will be done within an hour. Trucks equipped with GPS technology can be instantly located by OneCall technicians. If follow-up contact is needed, the customer will be connected with the same technician with whom they originally spoke.
Many fleets using the Mack OneCall center operate their own call centers during the day and switch to Mack's service at night, Baker says. The center maintains a file on each fleet with special customer instructions on how to handle various repair situations.
Nextel Heavy Duty Roadside
Nextel has introduced a service that is an option for small fleets operating medium-duty vehicles.
Nextel's new Heavy Duty Roadside 24-hour assistance program covers vehicles up through Class 7, including cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, cargo vans, buses, RVs and commercial trucks up to a gross vehicle weight of 33,000 pounds.
The company says it is the first and only wireless carrier to offer this service for heavy-duty vehicles. Services include flat tire changing, jump starts, lockout services, fuel delivery, oil and water delivery, towing and minor mechanical service.
Customers are covered for any vehicle that is in their service package, as long as they have their Nextel wireless phones with them at the time of service.
The service includes up to six service calls within a 12-month period and is available on all Nextel wireless phones for $7 a month.
Peterbilt TruckCare Services
(800) 4-PETERBILT
Peterbilt's breakdown service, part of its TruckCare Services, is free to Peterbilt customers. When they call the 800 number or contact the center via Qualcomm, an operator will ask for their location, a description of the problem and information on the truck so they can pull up available service information or parameters set by fleet management.
TruckCare Services will locate the nearest dealer and call to set up an appointment or dispatch roadside assistance or a tow truck. If it's an after-hours situation and it's not a 24-hour dealer, the system provides information on an alternative service provider. "The customer can avoid a lot of headaches calling around himself," says Marketing Manager Scott Pearson.
Mike Arzamendi, TruckCare brand manager, says one of the first things the call center will do is get the customer's number so they can call back and keep them posted. "That's not only important for drivers and owner-operators calling in, but also for fleet customers who want information associated with that repair."
Conversations are digitally recorded and can be sent via email to the dealer, so the dealer can actually hear the driver describe the problem.
Arzamendi notes that fleets can sign up for Peterbilt's Maintenance Manager online service and track when the truck was serviced, what dealer, what was done and if the dealer found additional items that needed to be worked on at next service. In addition, when a fleet manager gets into the office in the morning, he's got a report on his system on what happened overnight.
Ryder Customer Response Center
(888) 715-RCRC
Ryder services its customers who have breakdowns through its Ryder Customer Response Center. This applies whether it's a one-day truck rental, a truck/maintenance lease package, or customers who own their trucks but have Ryder handle the maintenance.
The RCRC's network of service providers includes about 750 company-owned facilities plus about 10,000 independent service providers. Spike Vera, senior product manager, says one of the things that makes Ryder's program stand out is the attention it pays to these independent providers.
"We manage the network of our providers to make sure we get Ryder quality service, whether we're providing it or not. We have eight full-time people — that's all they do — sign up third-party providers and make sure they're delivering the level of service we think is needed."
RCRC uses proprietary software that contains all the information about the customer and the vehicle, so they can get the right provider out to take care of the problem. Ryder's goal is to get a truck back up and running within two hours. The RCRC keeps on top of that case or incident until it's resolved, monitoring by phone, fax or email. Everything is recorded on Ryder's Internet-based system, so a customer can learn the status of the breakdown on the Web or via an 800 number. They also can revisit the breakdown in the future to see what steps were taken to get the truck back up and running.
In addition, trucks equipped with Qualcomm have a direct connection to the RCRC. The driver and the CRC communicate via the Qualcomm, with a copy of the communications sent to the driver's dispatch office.
TIPLine Emergency Breakdown Service
(800) 333-2030
www.tiptrailers.com
Transport International Pool offers its trailer leasing customers emergency breakdown road services.
If a driver experiences a trailer breakdown after normal business hours, he calls the TIPLine Emergency Breakdown Service number. A representative takes the information, then dispatches the nearest vendor to the broken-down trailer. The service has access to 40,000 service vendors throughout United States and Canada. For most repairs, the goal is to get the trailer up and going again within two hours of the call.
The service is standard for TIP customers who rent or lease trailers under a standard or full-service lease. It also is an optional service for customers of TIP's Mobile Maintenance Services. (These customers have TIP provide maintenance services to their trailer fleets but may or may not rent or lease trailers from TIP.)
TIP says it is able to save companies money with the breakdown service, not only by getting the trailer back on the road quickly, but also through negotiated national pricing with suppliers that is passed on to customers.
TTS (Truck Tire Service Corp.)
(800) DIAL-TTS
www.ttsroadservice.com
TTS was established in 1972 to help truckers with flat tires, but this emergency road service has been expanded to include mechanical repairs, towing, on-site facility repairs, fleet maintenance and inspection programs. Members dial a toll-free number, explain the situation, and help is dispatched, usually reaching the driver within an hour.
During the registration process, you determine the authorization procedure, invoicing requirements, data collection and reporting, and other special requirements. Customized reports are available showing usage history so you can track expenses.
The Chelsea, Mass.-based company says it maintains an average "call to roll" time of less than two hours. There are no registration, membership or dispatch fees; members pay only for the service they use.
Volvo Action Service
(800) 52-VOLVO
www.myactionservice.com
Volvo Action Service handles all makes of trucks. The service can get you rolling again with the help of more than 50,000 service facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. For large fleets, it can even set up customized call centers.
VAS not only gets repair help, it monitors the situation and keeps the driver and fleet customer apprised of the situation by phone, fax or through the VAS web site. Once the repair is finished, the repair facility bills VAS, which pays the bill, then invoices the customer.
The VAS database has all OEM dealers (not just Volvo) as well as small independent facilities. All the vendors are rated, says Shawn Shaw, national accounts manager. "Say a vendor says in their profile they're open 24 hours, but we call at midnight and get no answer. We keep track of that kind of thing, and every quarter we review them to see if we should keep them as a preferred vendor or find someone else in that area."
In addition to routine technical service, VAS can also handle credit card clearance, arrange hotel accommodations, arrange rental equipment, forward loads, forward cash if extensive repairs are required and audit repair bills.
VAS offers three levels of membership. Silver is $99 per year per power unit; Gold is $225 and Platinum is $499. The basic Silver service includes emergency service, case tracking via the Internet, a pre-approved credit program and rental assistance. Higher levels of membership include services such as detailed emergency and preventive maintenance reporting, PM scheduling and trailer coverage. Customers also save money on purchases such as tires because the VAS call center passes national account savings on to the truck owner.
Maintenance For Profit continued..
