Owning and operating a fleet of trucks equals a lot of maintenance and repairs over time. Even owning one truck means that you will require repair services eventually. Regardless of how many trucks you have when you start your business, the one thing you need most is a group of providers for same-day truck repairs. In fact, if you only have the one truck, then you will need this same day service even more so since you won't be able to swap it out for a different truck. To help you get ahead and stay ahead of the trucking industry, here are some on-the-road tips for truck repairs because you never know when you might need to fix your truck(s).
Establish Common Travel Routes
Are you only providing trucking/shipping services within your home state, or are you crossing state lines? The first thing you want to do in preparation for potential truck repair needs is to establish common travel routes. Always know where you or your drivers are going. Put maps up in the main office that has marked routes for every customer you drive for and for which you provide deliveries. This is an important first step since it will help you get faster truck repair service when you need it.
Locate and Become Familiar With the Same-Day Truck Repair Shops Along the Routes
Same-day truck repair services are becoming more common, but that does not mean that your usual travel routes will have tons of these businesses along the way. Become familiar with where they are in relation to where you and/or your drivers typically go. Then create a list of names and phone numbers for these particular truck repair shops.
Laminate each list for durability, and place a list in each truck. Instruct any drivers working for you that these are the places they can call for emergency repairs and same-day repairs when they are on the road. It also helps to include any semi truck and commercial truck towing services along the routes.
Establish Business Partnerships with One or More of These Shops
Now that you know where you and/or your drivers go everyday and every week, and you have successfully located and listed the same day commercial truck repair shops, establish business partnerships with them. This involves calling them, getting to know the owners, and hopefully, cutting some business deals with them so that you always have truck repair services when you/your drivers really need them.
There are multiple benefits to doing this, most of which will:
- Give you a competitive edge
- Keep your trucks running and on the road more often
- Prevent delays in shipping services because you have an established working relationship with same-day repair shops that will put your truck repair needs ahead of non-partners.
When you are just starting a trucking/shipping business, the above benefits of these arrangements are vital to your business's survival.
Keep Lines of Communication Open
Whether it is a driver stuck on the side of the road or a repair shop calling to let you know what the cost is to fix your truck, you want the lines of communication to remain open. Make sure that any drivers you hire know that they need to call you first with truck problems. Then they can call the nearest same-day truck repair shop, which should be featured on their call lists. Call the shop that the driver called to confirm that they are expecting your truck and that the driver called already. When everyone communicates effectively, the repair shop is ready to accept your truck and begin repairs when it arrives.
To learn more about same-day truck repair services, contact companies like Service Pros Auto Center.
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