Breakdowns in the 21st Century
Today's technology has changed the way roadside breakdowns are handled.
Deborah Lockridge
Senior Editor
Cellphones. Computers. Satellite tracking and communications. The Internet. Sophisticated mapping software. Telematics.
All these things have drastically changed - and continue to change - how roadside emergencies are handled, and have contributed to the growth of an industry designed to cut side-of-the-road downtime to the bone.
"When I first started out as a [breakdown] coordinator, we were handwriting the road calls on paper," says John Diehl, director of emergency road service at Penske Truck Leasing. "Today we have our paperless application, where coordinators are using PCs and the Internet and mapping software is right at their fingertips. In the last five, 10, 15 years, we've been able to utilize all these technologies and implement them into our system, and it really cuts down on the time the coordinator takes in handling the call and the time the driver is spending calling in."
For instance, most drivers these days have mobile phones. This not only allows them to call in the breakdown faster, but also lets the breakdown service keep in touch with them every step of the way until they're rolling again.
And look at the benefits of satellite locating systems. "One of the things we experience a lot of times when drivers call in - just getting a good location on where they're down at so we can send service right there," Diehl says. "The faster they can find the driver, it cuts down on the downtime."
Bill Jackson, vice president and general manager of Paccar Parts and Aftermarket Services, notes that satellite and other mobile communications systems such as Qualcomm are also being used more for communication with the driver.
At the breakdown service end, sophisticated computer software allows the call center to have the specs and in some cases even the maintenance history of your truck - as well as your preferences for handling breakdowns - at their fingertips. Computers also allow them to easily access large databases of vendors, their locations and capabilities. Mapping software makes it easy to get help to the downed truck faster.
"Before, we used to have a physical map and would have to figure out where the downed truck was," says Dana Lloyd, vice president of sales and marketing for AnswerPlus, which offers customized call center services to fleets and service providers. "Now you do it right online, and you can provide driving instructions" to the responding technician.
Coming down the line are remote onboard diagnostics and predictive maintenance, which use telematics to communicate information about the truck via satellite or cellular communications.
"If you can pull fault codes that maybe tell you what caused the engine to stop, you can send the correct response out and have faster turnaround time," says Tim Derochie, product manager for maintenance and safety solutions at GE Commercial Finance's Emergency Breakdown Management program, which is investigating the technology. "It will help in terms of gathering failure data and doing an analysis from that standpoint, as well. It's definitely going to play a part in our maintenance and breakdown programs going forward."
Beyond the ability to access fault codes remotely, taking it one step further is something called predictive maintenance, or prognostics - catching breakdowns before they occur. Sophisticated electronics could alert you that a starter is going to go out soon, so you could schedule time to replace it, rather than facing the downtime and expense of a road call.
"The goal of every fleet manager is to eliminate road service," says Oren Summer, president and CEO of FleetNet America. "There are two things that people want and need" in order to move toward that goal. "One is why they're having road failures, so they can prevent them. Secondly is to determine before a unit fails that it's going to."
FleetNet America is working with one of its customers in this area. For instance, if the truck's electronics detect a low voltage problem, an alert can be sent to FleetNet America, which can arrange for the truck to be checked out at one of its vendors before it actually breaks down.
Paccar's call center is already taking steps to make sure they'll have the right technology to take advantage of telematics when they become available on Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.
"In the future, as we get to the point here we can read off the truck the problems that may occur, we'll be able to avoid that repair event and get the gentleman in for maintenance on the truck before it breaks down," Jackson says. "The call center will be integral in that process."
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 offers an exclusive "Same Day Or We Pay" QuickServe Guarantee at every authorized Cummins QuickServe location in North America for its on- and off-highway customers. Cummins QuickServe Guarantee claims 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.
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 staff 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 Diamond Emergency Breakdown Service
(800) 44-TRUCK
International's Diamond Emergency Breakdown Service handles all makes of vehicles, including trailers, through a nationwide network of more than 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 purchase a Heavy Diamond Spec vehicle, a 2-year/200,000-mile limited warranty and EBS is standard, with the per incident call fee is waived.
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.
International EBS answers all phones with a live service coordinator 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 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.
With Fleet Charge/Diamond Advantage, published International parts pricing is consistent and guaranteed at every participating dealer location. Gaylynn Skelnik Diamond Services marketing manager, says International's service is supported by an extensive dealer network - more than 1,000 parts and service locations, the largest in North America.
Mack OneCall CompleteCare
(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 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. "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 to 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.
Paccar Customer Call Center
(800) KW-ASSIST or www.kenworth.com
(800) 4-PETERBILT or www.peterbilt.com
Paccar's 6-year-old Customer Call Center provides free breakdown service supporting both Peterbilt TruckCare and Kenworth PremierCare. When customers call the 800 number or contact the center via satellite communications, a call center agent will ask for the driver's name, contact number, VIN or unit number, location and a description of the problem.
The agent then accesses the system on available service information or parameters that have previously been established by the owner-operator or fleet management for that particular vehicle. For first-time callers, the information is recorded in the system by the call center agent on the first call.
Paccar Customer Call Center will locate the nearest Peterbilt or Kenworth dealer and contact the dealer 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 call center agent will call the driver back to keep him posted on the service activities.
Fleet managers can use the Internet to track real-time activity on the job status, as agents update the system with information on all conversations concerning the incident. Everything is time-stamped, and the customer can read the updates on the Internet through a password-protected site. All conversations are digitally recorded and can be sent via e-mail.
Fleets can sign up for the web-based Maintenance Manager service and track when and where the truck was serviced, what was done, and if the dealer identified additional service items.
The Paccar Customer Call Center can handle Peterbilt and Kenworth products, as well as any brand name truck, since many fleets are mixed and vehicle owners want one solution for all brands.
Volvo Action Service
(800) 52-VOLVO
www.myactionservice.com
Volvo Action Service handles all makes and models of trucks for a yearly fee per unit. VAS gets you rolling again with the help of more than 50,000 service facilities. For large fleets, it can even set up customized private label call centers, run automated maintenance scheduling and in June 2005 experience online Auto Dispatching.
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 VAS' new eService web site. The eService web site allows VAS members to check the status of their unit, or log onto corporate reporting and check on an entire fleet. Members can also download data for analysis, request customized reports and more. 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 onto the truck owner.
The VAS vendor database includes all OEM dealers (not just Volvo), as well as independent facilities. All the vendors are rated and reviewed. For instance, if a vendor's profile says it is open 24 hours, VAS will periodically call late at night to check. This information is used to help determine if VAS should keep it as a preferred vendor.
VAS can also handle credit card clearance, arrange hotel accommodations, arrange rental equipment, forward loads, coordinate tire, windshield, roadside and towing services, and organize cash if extensive repairs are required.
VAS offers two levels of membership. Silver is $99 per year per power unit; Gold is $225. The basic Silver service includes emergency service, basic case tracking via the Internet and rental assistance. Higher levels of membership include services such as detailed emergency and preventive maintenance reporting, PM scheduling, and trailer coverage and a pre-approved credit program.
CDI Services
(800) 492-8125, Ext. 202
www.911roadrepair.com
CDI Road Support has been in the emergency road service business for more than 15 years.
"CDI Road Support's mission is to minimize downtime and expense," says Dana McFletcher, sales manager and account specialist. "Our service advisers are trained to act with urgency on every call because we realize that downtime can mean the difference between profit and loss. We act as an extension of our customers' maintenance staff."
Many of the CDI service advisers are ASE certified, or have over-the-road or fleet maintenance experience. All it takes is one phone call to a service adviser to give the initial breakdown information and CDI will handle the rest. A service provider is usually dispatched within 10 minutes or less and the average downtime, which includes all tire and mechanical repairs, is less than three hours.
CDI has more than 50,000 vendors nationwide and in Canada, and more than 90% of them are on a purchase order system. CDI bills customers the actual vendor cost and taxes without invoice markups, plus the applicable dispatch fee. Dispatch fees are based on fleet size and volume.
CDI has developed an interactive web site that allows you to access your breakdown information 24 hours a day via the Internet. CDI's web site also contains quick and easy-to-use reporting features designed to give you the information you need in order to make informed maintenance decisions.
The web site gives you the option of selecting standardized reports or downloading the data so that you can modify and create your own reports that suit your needs. You can even issue purchase order numbers without ever picking up the phone.
FleetNet America
(800) 438-8961
www.fleetnetamerica.com
A national road breakdown service covering the 48 contiguous states plus Alaska, Mexico and all provinces of Canada, FleetNet America is an independent service not directly affiliated with any OE, vendor or supplier.
Coverage in Mexico takes effect this month, allowing for road failure repairs to be managed throughout the entire country. The networking and vendor procurement has been in the works for years and will allow U.S. companies to contact FleetNet for any needs in Mexico.
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 Arkansas Best Corp.
The company has 60,000 vendors in its computer system, arranged geographically by type of service offered (such as 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. The FleetNet America vendor network also provides customers protection from nonconsensual towing events via its FleetNet "Select" Towing and Recovery program.
Service requests often come in by computer message from regular fleet accounts where drivers call in their breakdowns. Others come via the 800 number, and via satellite messaging. The service center is manned 24/7 by professionals who in some cases are able to provide solutions by phone. Average downtime from time of call to repair and running again is 1.8 hours.
FleetNet America 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. Upload capabilities are also available, allowing the transfer of FleetNet America generated work orders directly to the end user's proprietary maintenance software package. The FleetNet system will track duplicate repairs to the same vehicles within 90 days to alert fleets of ongoing problems.
Predictive maintenance is being introduced via on-board software and hardware to measure component parameters and alert certain customers.
"The advantage of this new technology is clearly the leading edge of minimizing road failures," Summer says.
FleetNet America provides service via a flat per call rate of $45, handled with major credit cards, Comchek, EFS checks, T-Cheks, or via pre-approved open account status.
GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services Emergency Breakdown Management
(800) 256-0053
www.gefleet.com
GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services runs one of the largest corporate fleet management programs in the world. Its Emergency Breakdown Management program is included with its TruckVantage Maintenance Management, but it is also available to leased and non-leased customers as a stand-alone service.
Once you sign up, your units are loaded into GE's computer system. Drivers who break down call an 800 number, and the breakdown service finds a vendor in the area, manages the call, tracks it, pays the bill, then re-bills it to the customer. (For customers using the EBM service alone, there is a per-breakdown charge.)
One of the things setting GE's service apart is the experienced, ASE-certified truck technicians answering the phones. "Because of this expertise and truck manufacturer relationships, we have the ability to recognize where warranty repair can potentially exist and guide drivers to the right vendor," says Tim Derochie, product manager for maintenance and safety solutions.
In addition, GE's web-based technology allows customers to see the breakdown activities in real time. "We also have the ability through ATA codes to alert customers on the type of failures and the type of breakdowns that are happening in the field," says Dave Mellon, lead customer solutions advisor.
The vendor database includes more than 70,000 truck and truck specialty venders that can handle problems such as refrigeration systems and lift gates. It is searchable not only by city and state, but also by latitude/longitude and radius from a location. Vendors are rated according to the quality and speed of service experienced.
GE works with fleets from 10 units up to thousands.
HD America Roadside Assistance
(800) 949-3580
www.hdamerica.com
This free service can connect you with roadside assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
HD America has about 1,500 service providers in its directory. About half of HDA's parts distributor members provide service themselves. For those that don't, they team up with service providers in their area to serve as "service partners," where the HDA member supplies the parts and the service partner supplies the service.
If the service can't find a member or service partner to help you, they've teamed up with FleetNet America to provide access to another 50,000 service providers.
If you sign up in advance to use the program, you can apply for an HD America credit card that will allow you to charge repairs, towing, etc., at HD America member locations. You also can use the roadside assistance service without signing up, simply by calling the toll-free number.
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 as 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 60,000 vendors. 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.
TruckDown
(888) 683-3379
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 and ratings to vendor listings.
Last August, TruckDown introduced an advanced user suite of tools as a fee-for-service ($240 per year) package. Advanced Tools are designed for users that run a high number of searches on TruckDown and were asking for features such as being able to see ratings assigned by thousands of other registered users. It also includes a rapid search option, preferred vendor search option, latitude/longitude search, and more. Employees from the same company can each have their own user name and password and still share ratings, preferred vendors and private notes, which are date stamped according to user.
Vendors 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 can also be used to map out preferred truckstops, locate weight scales, find truck-friendly hotels and contact local police.
TruckDown President Stan Cork has more than 30 years of experience managing large-scale fleet repair and maintenance. He describes the TruckDown web site - and the possibility of a wireless version in the future - as "mission-critical services that have rapidly become part of daily life throughout the industry."
Truck Repair Network
(800) HELPRIG
www.helprig.com
This 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. (However, a fleet must be enrolled in advance. There is no fleet enrollment, initiation or obligation in order to enroll.) 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 $45 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 tire-related breakdowns, but has expanded to include mechanical repairs, towing, onsite facility repairs and fleet maintenance and inspection programs.
TTS covers the continental United States and Canada with its vast network of qualified vendors. Members dial a toll-free number, explain the situation to a professionally trained service coordinator, and help is dispatched, usually reaching the driver within an hour. TTS says it maintains an average "call to roll" time of less than two hours.
To register, you complete a one-page fleet registration form, where the customer determines the authorization procedure, invoicing location and other special requirements, as well as a simple credit application.
Qualified members get a generous line of credit with 30-day credit terms from date of invoice. TTS also accepts major credit cards as well as Comcheks for payment. There are no registration or membership fees; members only pay for the service they use.
Customized reports are available showing usage history so you can track expenses. Customer disputes are handled directly by TTS.
Penske Truck Leasing SOS Emergency Roadside Assistance Center
(800) 526-0798
Penske Truck Leasing's SOS assistance center provides emergency roadside service to customers 24 hours a day. In addition to servicing Penske Truck Leasing customers, SOS provides emergency roadside services to a number of companies outside of Penske.
A team of approximately 70 over-the-road coordinators staffs the SOS center, and 95% of them have previous mechanical experience. On average, Penske has disabled vehicles up and running in two hours or less.
When a customer places a call to Penske's toll-free SOS number, they are given three language options - English, Spanish or French. OTR coordinators obtain vehicle identification from the caller and immediately access detailed maintenance and repair information from a computerized database containing the history of every Penske vehicle. The database also houses contact information for the 650 Penske-owned service facilities, as well as information for each of the 22,000 independent roadside service providers in Penske's network. Technicians are empowered to complete repairs and do whatever is necessary to get vehicles back into service for customers as soon as possible.
Every phone conversation is recorded, and the OTR coordinators keep a sequential road call log of all breakdowns. A formal road call report is compiled for every call, so customers can get a comprehensive account of the service provided from start to finish. Web access to monitor road calls is available to every customer.
Ryder Customer Response Center
(888) 715-RCRC (U.S.) 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 17,000 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 Steve Dunbar, senior vendor manager. Five full-time people monitor, measure and qualify the services within the network.
Another thing that makes Ryder's program stand out, Dunbar 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 all of the critical information is readily available when handling the breakdown.
Ryder's goal is to have service assigned within 15 minutes, service to the customer within an hour, and the vehicle up and running in two hours or less. Not only is that their goal, it's also 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. Digital photos of tire failures help analyze the causes.
GE Trailer Fleet Services
(800) 333-2030
www.trailerservices.com
GE's Trailer Fleet Services offers fleet management services from rental and leasing, to asset tracking, to maintenance. Its trailer leasing customers are offered 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 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 breakdown service is standard for GE customers who rent or lease trailers under a standard or full service lease. It is also an optional service for customers of GE's Mobile Maintenance Services. (These customers have GE provide maintenance services to their trailer fleets but may or may not rent or lease trailers from GE.) All repairs are entered into GE's data system for reporting purposes. This enables Trailer Fleet Services from GE to provide customers with fleet management analytics that help customers increase productivity and better manage maintenance costs.
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