Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/759228
32 commercial carrier journal | december 2016 Like a good neighbor BY JASON CANNON B reakdowns rarely come at a convenient time, but when they happen at roadside – leaving a driver and his truck and cargo stranded on the highway hundreds or thousands of miles from the main office – it only adds insult to injury. A nationwide network of 24-hour emergency service vendors dot the map, standing at the ready for everything from mechanical failures to flat tires and towing, as well as equipment relocation, driveway services and preventive maintenance issues that need to be handled over the road. "We handle each event per our customers' specialized instructions," says Heather Dean, director of marketing and sales operations for FleetNet. A breakdown service vendor also acts like somewhat of an Angie's List for truckers, allowing the service expe- rience of previous customers to dictate who gets called for the next one. FleetNet ranks the service, quality and pricing of each of its vendors after each event, which gives the company insight into which ones to use again and which to avoid. "If a vendor performs poorly, they are ranked low in our system and not used again," Dean says. "Because FleetNet manages over 450,000 events annually, customers enjoy our priority service due to repeat business with vendors." Emergency networks also benefit from their ability to buy services on scale. FleetNet negotiates rates with towing vendors that saves customers more than 30 percent, Dean says. In almost all cases, emergency breakdown services also can arrange warranty repairs. Security and speed Savings aside, using a reliable emergency service network also acts as a security blanket for time-sensitive deliveries. "If you've got a load of ice cream that you're carrying across the country, you can't afford to not have some sort of emergency contingency," says Jane Clark, Natio- naLease vice president of member services. "If you can wait a couple of days, maybe you don't need something like this. But if you've got deadlines or perishable loads, you can't afford to not have some kind of backup plan." Fleets that turn to emergency services as a final option usually argue the expense isn't worth the time saved, but Dean says if properly planned and executed, an emergen- cy service call can be your best option in many cases. "Contacting a vendor directly without having [an] insurance certificate on file or not knowing their history with service calls can cost customers much more than the service fee if things don't go smoothly," she says. Clark and Dean say both their companies begin contacting the most qualified service vendor available as quickly as the call for help is placed. In many cases, a customer's average downtime can be measured in min- utes versus days. "The average downtime for non-major events is just over two hours from the time we receive the call until the unit is rolling again," Dean says. It's also worth considering the time of day you do most of your driving, which could limit your options when the need arises. "In the middle of the night, you've got to have some- thing," Clark says. "I just don't think you can not have some kind of plan." Payment plans While NationaLease service only is available to network members, FleetNet is an open network that offers con- tract rates and bills direct for contract customers. For fleets willing to roll the dice on not needing a vol- ume of roadside service annually, FleetNet also handles one-off calls for customers not under contract but who find themselves in a bind. Dean says the service fee for noncontract customers is a little higher, and those cus- tomers must pay the vendor at the time of service. "Contract customers with established credit are billed," Dean says. "Being able to bill a customer is more conve- nient for their drivers [and] dispatchers, as they do not need to worry about a form of payment." in focus: ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE Using a reliable emergency service network acts as a security blanket for time-sensitive deliveries.