BREAKDOWN!
Who You Gonna Call?
Deborah Lockridge
Senior Editor
The average roadside breakdown is going to set you back several hundred dollars, not counting downtime or the time your personnel spend trying to get the truck back on the road.
There are a number of breakdown-related services available to help make this task easier:
• Breakdown directories help you find repair services online, in a paper directory or on CD-ROM.
• Truck OEMs offer breakdown services for their customers, and many of them are free.
• Engine makers don't have extensive programs like the truck OEMs, but they can usually help you find the nearest dealer if you've got a problem.
• Independent breakdown services typically charge a flat fee per breakdown but may offer some benefits the free services don't.
• Leasing and maintenance outsourcing companies usually provide breakdown service to their customers.
Most of the breakdown services we spoke with reported significant growth in the past couple of years. "More trucking companies and private fleets appear to be recognizing the fact that it is more cost- and time-efficient to utilize the resources of a professional national emergency road service company than try to find vendors on their own when a breakdown takes place," says Tom Prasch, national sales manager with Truck Tire Service Corp.
With a breakdown service, when a driver breaks down, he calls a toll-free number, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some systems may also accommodate notification via computer or satellite. 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 service finds the nearest 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. If roadside repairs aren't possible, the service arranges a tow. Most services follow up and make sure the truck gets back on the road quickly. Typically, you can set various parameters, or "ground rules," such as spending limits, purchase order requirements and the tire brands and designs used. Other features may include detailed reporting, real-time Internet reports, price discounts, easy billing options and other services.
WHY USE A BREAKDOWN SERVICE?
A good breakdown service should be able to save you money over the long haul, compared to doing it yourself.
By using a breakdown service, says Oren Summer, president/CEO of FleetNet America, "fleets can fully utilize their trained technicians and supervisors for the mechanical function that they have been hired for, rather than having them handle road failures, most in unfamiliar regions. As we all know, qualified heavy duty truck technicians are becoming a rare commodity."
A good service will be able to sort through the confusing maze of service charges more easily than you may be able to on your own. Denny Devlin, president of Truck Repair Network, notes that a vendor's cost per hour may be misleading. "We might tell a fleet it's $65 an hour, and they say they just talked to a guy who will charge only $40 an hour. But maybe he didn't tell them he charges $2 a mile or a callout fee of $50. There are a lot of parameters in a vendor's pricing, and a good vendor service weeds through all that."
A good breakdown service will rate vendors, steering customers to the most reliable and quality vendor available.
Bruce Lafky, director of maintenance field support services for the Ryder Customer Response Center, admits that "our services aren't always the cheapest in town. You can call Joe and get it done cheaper, but it may take Joe six hours to fix the truck.
"[With our vendors], we know we're going to get quality service and quality parts put on the vehicle. Fixing it right the first time is always cheaper over the long term, [as is] getting the driver up and running and delivering the product on time."
Breakdown services also may be able to pass along discounts that fleet customers wouldn't be able to get themselves. At GE Fleet Services, for instance, the ASE certified mechanics manning the call center are able to negotiate prices because of their knowledge of what's involved in the repair.
FleetNet America's Summer notes that because many of the services' vendors are used two to four times a day, "this allows for a degree of negotiations when there is a question regarding the repair quality, pricing or downtime."
Then there's the question of how you pay for the repair. Fleets who are doing it themselves need some way for the driver to purchase the repairs. Many services pay the vendor, then re-bill the fleet customer, so drivers don't have to carry funds to cover roadside service.
Due to the number of trucking company bankruptcies over the past few years, service companies and garages are less likely to work on an open account basis, says FleetNet America's Summer. "Many require some immediate form of cash or credit card."
Breakdown services also have the clout to get priority service and to resolve problems down the road.
"We have priority access to their management and facilities, and can often get a vehicle worked on earlier than a customer would on their own," says Mark Vehlewald, director of Diamond Services Marketing for International, speaking about its EBS (Emergency Breakdown System) call center.
Similarly, if you've had the alternator replaced and 400 miles down the road, the truck's down again for the same problem, typically the breakdown service will have better luck getting the problem resolved.
In the long run, you can use the information gathered by a good breakdown service to help fine-tune your maintenance program and avoid breakdowns in the first place.
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you're a small, hands-on operation, you may want the control that handling a breakdown yourself offers. But thanks to the Internet, it's a lot easier these days to find vendors.
"We believe in letting fleets decide who they want to use, and price shopping and comparing different services is better than us charging them every time they have a breakdown," says Lane Goebel, owner of the NTTS Breakdown Directory. Many trucking companies, he says, want to know who's working on their truck.
Some small fleet owners keep themselves armed with an NTTS Breakdown Directory on their night stand or have access to a service such as TruckDown or NTTS from a computer at home.
Many fleets will handle breakdowns themselves during the day and turn to a breakdown service on nights or weekends. "In practice, many carriers tell us they use a maintenance and repair strategy that combines using TruckDown and emergency breakdown service companies," says Bob Toews with TruckDown Info International.
But whether you're using it at night or full-time, how do you know which breakdown service is right for you?
Most truck OEMs offer breakdown services for free, while independent services usually charge a per-incident fee of less than $50. Some services charge a yearly per-truck fee or other pricing structure.
OEM services may be best for fleets that have only one make of truck, says TRN's Devlin. "They keep VIN numbers and warranty coverages on file for each truck, and the information on what a dealer did a month ago can be pulled up by another dealer. So if you're a fleet that buys nothing but Kenworths and Cat 3406's, it makes a lot of sense to stay very close to Kenworth."
However, if you have a mixed fleet, he says, you might want to consider an independent service. Freightliner, for instance, has a very good call center, he says, "but you have to keep in mind that their attention is on Freightliner trucks. They want to send business to Freightliner dealers."
Oren Summer, founder of FleetNet America, points out that independent breakdown services such as his can choose repair services based on cutting downtime and keeping costs down, without being restricted by brand affiliations. "This non-exclusive environment affords our coordinators the ability to perform required dispatch and repair duties and make decisions that are in the best interest of the customer."
QUESTIONS TO ASK
• How long has the company been in business? Many breakdown services have come and gone. Look for one with a good track record.
• How is the vendor paid?
• If your fleet uses owner-operators, how does the service handle them?
• Does the service specialize in commercial trucks, or do they handle lighter-duty vehicles and autos as well?
• How does the service choose and rate vendors?
• What can the company do to help if you get unsatisfactory service?
• What is the charge?
• How easy is the system to use?
• What methods are used to report the breakdown? (Phone, Internet, satellite communications).
• How will the service keep fleet representatives updated of the status of the repair?
• What is the average time to get the truck back on the road?
• What are the qualifications of the people answering the phone? Are they capable of doing some diagnostic work over the phone, perhaps even getting the truck running again without a road call?
• Does the service get any special pricing it passes through to customers?
• What types of reports are available to help you analyze your breakdowns?
• If your fleet has drivers for whom English is a second language, does the service offer Spanish-speaking service coordinators or translation services?
DO IT YOURSELF GUIDES
National Truck & Trailer Services Breakdown Directory
www.otrrepair.com
(800) 288-0002
This 700-800 page paper directory has been around since 1989. Today's version is lower-priced than ever, and it's also available on CD-ROM, or via a free searchable Internet site.
"I think one of the best things we have going for us is our Internet site is linked directly to our database, so you're getting the information just as fast as we're putting it in," says owner Lane Goebel.
The directory is something like a national Yellow Pages devoted to truck breakdown services — but unlike the Yellow Pages, Goebel says, if a repair service doesn't do good work or overcharges, they won't be listed.
The NTTS directory includes more than 30,000 vendors, most of whom have paid to be included. The company has nine people whose job it is to call each vendor and double-check the information.
Goebel also offers a service you normally would find only with a breakdown service — he helps resolve disputes with vendors. "If a trucking company feels they've been overcharged by the repair place, I have them fax me a copy of the repair ticket or invoice. If I agree they've been overcharged, I contact the repair place to try to negotiate the dispute."
The directory is $49.99 and next year will be $39.99. The CD-ROM is $199, and it allows the fleet to add notes about vendors they use and even add their own vendors.
TruckDown
www.truckdown.com
Since 1997, the free TruckDown web site has let users search for towing companies, mobile repair services, truck repair shops and other providers from more than 33,000 vendors. You can log on as a guest, or you can register for free, which offers additional tools such as saving your searches and being able to add your own comments on vendors.
TruckDown also offers several premium services, including TruckDown on CD-ROM, an in-cab call-in service for a yearly fee, and an Advanced User feature for high-volume users that will be added later this year.
Service providers can register their company online for free; some pay additional fees for premium listings. The TruckDown staff will work with carriers to help them set up a preferred network of service providers, and will add a fleet's recommended vendors if they aren't already in the database. All listing submissions are verified by TruckDown staff.
Beyond finding emergency repair services, TruckDown is also used by carriers to map out preferred truckstops, locate weigh scales, find truck-friendly hotels and even contact local police.
TruckDown President Stan Cork has more than 30 years of experience managing large-scale fleet repair and maintenance.
"Don't wait until you have a breakdown to take TruckDown out for a test drive," says TruckDown's Bob Toews. "We encourage carriers to experiment. Run searches in areas they frequently have trucks and compare the information we have available to whatever they are currently using."
OEM SERVICE
Freightliner Customer Assistance Center
CAC: (800) FTL-HELP
Fleetpack: (503) 745-8182
Freightliner offers two levels of breakdown assistance for customers. Its Customer Assistance Center will — free of charge — locate the nearest service facility. It will then connect the caller and the repair service on the phone to determine the best way to get the truck moving again, and stay with the call until the disabled truck gets help.
If there's no Freightliner dealership in the area, the service will turn to an independent repair shop or even a competitive dealer, says Bruce Lohse, manager, customer assistance. "Our whole focus is trying to get that vehicle running again."
Ken Cummings, a CAC supervisor, points to the level of staff experience. "Our call center probably has an average of 15 years in the heavy duty truck business," he says.
The CAC also helps with parts issues. "Even if our parts distribution centers are closed, we have cellphone numbers for key personnel who can get a part and ship it for us," Lohse says.
For mixed fleets, Cummings says, the center will handle other makes as best as they can. Often, if it's a warranty issue, they'll get the driver in touch with the right OEM.
Extended breakdown coordination is available for Fleetpack charge card members for $35 per occurrence. In addition to the basic free service, the CAC contacts the service provider to confirm 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. It is available to fleets enrolled in the Fleet Charge or Diamond Advantage purchase 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.
When a customer has a breakdown, International EBS answers all phones with a live service coordinator, never an automated system. EBS service coordinators are trained to quickly determine whether a situation merits towing a unit into a shop, or whether road service can rectify the problem. The call center has the latest repair information on customers' International trucks, which they can provide to the repair facility. They actively manage the repair process until work has been completed.
Repairs done at International dealerships can be added to the Fleet Charge/Diamond Advantage billing statement. Published International parts pricing is consistent and guaranteed at participating locations.
Mark Vehlewald, director of Diamond Services Marketing, says one of the benefits of International's service is the extensive dealer network, the largest in North America. However, he says, "If the International dealer is not available or backlogged, we'll try to find the nearest repair facility."
For an extra charge, the Diamond Plus support package gives the added security of priority repair service and guaranteed parts availability, along with replacement vehicles when repairs can't be made within 24 hours.
Kenworth PremierCare Customer Center
(800) KW-ASSIST
Kenworth offers free emergency roadside assistance for all makes of trucks through its PremierCare Customer Center, which provides roadside assistance as one of its main services.
Pre-register with the PremiereCare Customer 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. However, you can use the service without pre-registering, as well.
When a driver calls 1-800-KW-ASSIST, the call is typically answered in less than 30 seconds. After getting the information from the driver, the Customer Center will contact the nearest participating Kenworth dealer or designated PremierCare provider to dispatch assistance or get the truck to the shop. The center has access to 50,000 service vendors.
A fleet can set up its Customer Center profile to indicate that it wants to approve a repair before work is started. In that case, the Customer Center staff will contact the fleet dispatcher to get approval, then pass along the fleet OK to the dealer or independent service provider.
The Customer Center also will keep the driver informed every step of the way. Fleet management can get real-time repair updates via the Internet.
A National Tire Account with Bridgestone gives owner-operators and small fleets using the Kenworth program the ability to buy new tires at preferred pricing in an emergency situation.
Mack OneCall
Complete Care
(800)866-1177
www.macktrucks.com
Mack says its OneCall Complete Care service offers one thing many services don't — trained technicians who know the Mack product and 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. "We are not only a breakdown service, but a technical center also." 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. Baker notes that if a live person is not immediately available, it's faster to leave a message than to remain on hold. If follow-up contact is needed, the customer will be connected with the same technician they originally spoke with.
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.
Peterbilt TruckCare Services
(800) 4-PETERBILT
www.peterbilt.com/100_cus_ast.asp
Peterbilt's free five-year-old breakdown service is part of its TruckCare Services. When customers call the 800 number or contact the center via satellite communications, an operator will ask for their location, a description of the problem, and information on the truck (such as VIN or unit number) so they can pull up available service information or parameters set by fleet management. (Drivers can call in without being pre-registered, but it takes more time.)
TruckCare Services will locate the nearest Peterbilt dealer and call to set up an appointment, dispatch roadside assistance or a tow truck. If a nearby dealer is not available, the system provides information on alternative service providers. The center calls the driver back to keep him posted.
Fleet managers can use the Internet to track real-time notes on the job, says Lori Price, Customer Care Center manager. "As we're facilitating that repair, we're typing in who we're talking to, and what they're saying. Everything is time-stamped, and the customer can read those on the Internet through a password-protected site." Conversations are digitally recorded and can be sent via e-mail to the dealer.
Fleets can sign up for Peterbilt's Maintenance Manager online service and track when and where the truck was serviced, what was done, and if the dealer found additional items that needed to be worked on at next service.
The center can handle other makes, as well. "We'd like to think our fleets are 100% Peterbilt product, but the reality is many fleets are mixed, and they want one solution," Price says.
Volvo Action Service
(800) 52-VOLVO
www.myactionservice.com
Volvo Action Service handles all makes of trucks for a yearly fee per unit. The service can get you rolling again with the help of more than 50,000 service facilities. 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 call center passes national account savings on to the truck owner.
The VAS database includes all OEM dealers (not just Volvo), as well as 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."
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.
ENGINE SERVICES
Caterpillar Truck Engine Call Center
(800) 447-4986
Cat's Call Center will help make the necessary arrangements for emergency assistance if you have a problem on the road. If repairs are needed, they will follow up with a call to the dealership or service facility to make sure the repair is being made and parts were received.
The toll-free number also offers a truck dealer and Cat dealer locator service, lets you order literature on Cat engines, and answers non-emergency questions from customers and dealers.
Large fleets such as Werner, Swift and USF Holland have separate national fleet lines for breakdowns and other problems.
Cummins Customer Assistance
(800) DIESELS
Cummins' Customer Assistance Center provides Cummins customers with technical support for all Cummins products. They will help you find your nearest Cummins service location in North America, 24 hours a day.
Cummins' QuickServe Guarantee states that for minor in-shop repairs, they will complete that repair the same day. If you're not able to get to the Cummins shop, they guarantee that they will dispatch a certified technician in a QuickServe truck to your location within four hours of your call. If they don't meet these targets, you'll get a $75 credit toward your next service event.
Owners of Cummins ISM and ISX engines with cooled EGR can take advantage of the Uptime Guarantee program, recently extended through the end of 2004. If you have a problem with your ISM or ISX within the first 12 months of service, a Cummins distributor will repair these engines within 24 hours at no charge should they fail for any reason. They will also pay for a rental truck or tractor if necessary beyond that 24 hours.
Cummins is currently reviewing all of its breakdown service initiatives to see where they could make improvements, and will have more news in the near future.
Detroit Diesel
(800) 445-1980
Detroit Diesel's 800 number connects customers to a tech center, not just a call center, says Tom Freiwald, senior vice president of marketing.
"You actually talk to a technician when you dial the number," he says. "If they're unable to talk you through the issue you're dealing with, we can dispatch someone to help you, or if the truck's still driveable, we can direct you to the nearest repair facility."
Through caller ID, the center knows exactly where the caller is and can send assistance from one of more than 20,000 vendor suppliers.
Unlike many call centers, which have proliferated along with mobile phones since the late 1990s, Detroit Diesel has been offering its free service to customers since the late '80s. The number is printed on the engine's rocker cover.
INDEPENDENT BREAKDOWN SERVICES
CDI Services
(800) 492-8125, ext. 202
www.911roadrepair.com
CDI's Road Support Division is part of a 30-year-old company that also is involved in driver training, driver leasing, truck dealerships, truckload operations, truck maintenance and wrecker services. The emergency road service division has been in operation since 1989.
"CDI road support's mission is to minimize downtime and expense," says Dana McFletcher, sales manager and account specialist.
Many of CDI's service advisers are ASE certified, or have over-the road or fleet maintenance experience. When a breakdown call comes in, an adviser pulls up the customer's account and gathers basic breakdown information. They get approval and a purchase order number, then select a vendor, get an estimate and dispatch help to the affected truck, usually within 10 minutes. The average downtime is three hours or less.
All parties that need the information are advised of the ETA, cost estimate, and progress of repairs, with the vendor contacted hourly by CDI for updates.
CDI has more than 48,000 vendors nationwide and in Canada, the majority on a purchase order system. CDI has implemented a quality control department to handle complaints about repairs.
CDI bills customers the actual vendor cost and tax, plus applicable handling charge. Service fees are on a per-vendor-dispatched basis and are based on fleet size and volume.
Customers are kept informed with a series of summary reports detailing needed downtime, expense, and a description of failure information categorized with ATA codes. Custom-designed reports are available at customer request. Customers also can access interactive breakdown information 24 hours a day via the CDI web site.
FleetNet America
(800) 438-8961
www.fleetnetamerica.com
Covering the 48 contiguous states plus Alaska and Canada, FleetNet America is an independent service not affiliated with any OE, vendor or supplier.
The company has more than 60,000 vendors in its computer system. Many 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 direct satellite connection from regular fleet accounts where drivers normally communicate to their dispatch offices via satellite. Others come via the 800 number, manned 24/7 by professionals who in some cases are able to provide solutions by phone and avoid a road call. Average downtime from time of call to repaired and running again is 1.8 hours.
"The most profound difference between FleetNet America and its competition is that the majority of FNA's coordinators have an average of 20 years experience in the heavy duty trucking maintenance arena," says Oren Summer, president and founder.
FleetNet America's newest offering, the Select Towing and Recovery program, addresses the issue of nonconsensual towing charges. Contractual agreements with towing companies are inclusive of towing rates.
The company uses VMRS codes in its reports so a fleet can more easily track breakdown causes and expenses. The system can provide highly customized information, including real time, daily, weekly and monthly reports. It will track duplicate repairs to the same vehicles within 90 days to alert fleets of ongoing problems.
Electronic billing is done via file transfer or individual image transfer. The published rate is $44 per call.
GE Fleet Services
(800) 256-0053
www.gefleet.com
GE Fleet Services is one of the largest corporate fleet management companies in the world. GE's Emergency Breakdown program is included for truck maintenance customers, but is also available as a stand-alone service for truck fleets.
Once a fleet customer signs up, its units are loaded into GE's computer system. Drivers who break down call an 800 number and GE finds a vendor in the area, manages the call, tracks it, pays the bill, then re-bills it to the customer.
Mark Stumne, product manager for maintenance and safety select services, says there are a couple of things that set GE's services apart: ASE-certified truck mechanics man the phones, and GE's Transinfo software allows customers to see the breakdown activities online in real time.
The vendor database of about 22,000 is searchable by city and state and matches the problem with the right vendor. Vendors are rated according to the quality and speed of service experienced.
The transaction fee varies by fleet size and volume. GE manages corporate fleets from 10 units up to thousands.
North American Fleet Service
(866) 367-6237
www.nafsweb.com
One of the things that sets NAFS apart is its level of automation.
"Our service is set up to work as people are used to in the past — by phone — but it's also set up for the future," says Dave Niswonger, general manager. A customer can register online, enter breakdown information online, view the progress of the breakdown in real time, and be notified by e-mail, as well as by phone or fax, when the repairs are completed.
Customers are notified every hour, or sooner if needed, from the time the unit goes down until the time the unit rolls. NAFS pays each vendor, then bills the customer via fax or the Internet. Customers are charged a service fee per breakdown.
NAFS has around 15,000 vendors that handle trucks. It requires vendors to have liability insurance naming NAFS as additionally insured, which gives it clout to handle complaints. The average out-of-service time is less than two hours.
You can use your online account to run month-to-date, year-to-date and life-to-date reports. Detailed reports of each breakdown show time-stamped notes of the communications and activities during the breakdown event. You also can change your customer instructions easily online.
The company was founded by Niswonger and his wife in late 2000, but he has been in the emergency road service business since 1982. NAFS also offers other trucking products such as fuel cards, drug and alcohol testing, accounts receivable funding and driver recruiting, and also handles breakdown services for auto and bus owners.
Truck Repair Network
(800) HELPRIG
www.helprig.com
This 13-year-old service boasts a custom-designed dispatch system with mapping capabilities that President Denny Devlin says is faster and higher-tech than the competition.
Devlin spent 32 years running a small fleet in the household goods industry. "I know what the fleet is up against when a truck is down," he says. "If we can get the truck going without having to get a vendor involved, we will do that and don't charge anything for it," he says.
TRN serves many fleets that use owner-operators, and prides itself on its flexibility when it comes to payment options. If there's a critical load, for instance, the fleet may opt to pay for the repair and then deduct it from the owner-operator's settlement check. With one fleet, they have the ability to access computer records showing how much the owner-operator has available in his maintenance escrow account, and can issue a purchase order up to that amount.
The charge is a flat $39.60 per breakdown. Fleets must be enrolled in advance. TRN does allow billing for fleets with excellent credit, but others need to make sure their drivers have Comcheks or some other method of paying for the breakdown at the time of the service call.
Larger fleets, if TRN is chosen to be their sole source, participate in the Preferred Fleet program and are eligible to receive regular maintenance reports and enjoy special pricing.
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 expanded to include mechanical repairs, towing, onsite facility repairs, fleet maintenance and inspection programs. Members dial a toll-free number, explain the situation to the professionally trained service coordinator, 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 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. All service is handled through computerized central billing. Qualified members get a generous line of credit with 30-day credit terms from date of invoice.
TTS honors most national tire accounts, and offers Uniform National Standard Rates for all tire-related service. Customer disputes are handled directly by TTS.
LEASING SERVICES
Ryder Customer Response Center
(888) 715-RCRC (USA) or (888) 715-7273 (Canada)
Ryder services 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 maintenance outsourcing.
The RCRC's network of service providers includes more than 800 company-owned facilities, plus about 18,000 independent service providers.
"We manage the network of our service providers to make sure we get Ryder quality service, whether we're providing it or not," says Darrin Gillham, operations manager. Five full-time people monitor, measure and qualify the services within the network.
Another thing that makes Ryder's program stand out, Gillham says, is the technology used to capture and communicate the breakdown information via the Internet. A web-based system contains all the information about customers and vehicles, so its readily available when handling the breakdown.
Ryder's goal is to have service assigned within 15 minutes, service to the customer within one hour and to get the vehicle back up and running in two hours or less. Not only is that their goal — they say it's currently their average.
The RCRC call center continues to follow up every 90 minutes until the customer is back on the road. The customer and the maintenance facility have the ability to view all of the live repair information via the Internet. This information also helps to analyze why trucks break down.
In addition, the conversations between the driver, the vendor and the call center are recorded and available online to the customer. A new service provides digital photos of tire failures to help analyze the causes.
GE TIPLine Emergency Breakdown Service
(800) 333-2030
www.tiptrailers.com
GE TIP offers its trailer leasing customers emergency breakdown services designed to keep their trailers on the road.
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 20,000 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 GE 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.)
GE TIP enters all repairs into its data system for reporting. This enables it to provide fleet management analytics that help customers increase productivity and better manage maintenance costs.
OTHER
Nextel Heavy Duty Roadside
(800) nextel9
www.nextel.com
Nextel offers a service that is an option for small fleets operating medium-duty vehicles.
Nextel's Heavy Duty Roadside 24-hour assistance program covers vehicles up through Class 7. This includes cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, cargo vans, buses, RVs and commercial trucks up to a gross vehicle weight of 33,000 pounds. It also includes cargo trucks and trailers.
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 customer is covered for any vehicle they are riding in as long as they have their Nextel phone with them.
The service includes up to six service calls within a 12-month period and is available on all Nextel wireless phones for $4 a month for the first two months and $7 a month after. Coverage is up to $500 maximum per incident.
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