AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 28, 2011 — When it comes to a definition of success in the world of over-the-road support for truck operators, the statistics don’t lie. 

“In 2010, the Goodyear fleetHQ Solution Center helped more than 164,000 customers get their trucks back on the road.  And that’s a nearly 60 percent increase over 2009,” said Tony Starling, general manager of fleetHQ.  Fleets call the Solution Center for tire-related emergency road assistance and receive service through the 1,800 plus locations in the fleetHQ Servicing Dealer Network. 

“And, we got them back on the road fast. We track each and every call in real time, and that information is easily available to fleet managers through fleetHQ.com,” Starling added. “Time is money, and we reduced the average roll time (from initial call to the truck being back on the road) by nearly 30 minutes in 2010.” 

The average length of time was just two hours and seven minutes. Getting their equipment back on the road faster offers fleets and owner-operators real value. (Results may vary, based on reasons for downtime, travel conditions, and nearest location of a participatingservice facility.) 

Starling said fleetHQ emergency road service has no enrollment fees, no incidence fees for calling its toll free number (866-fleetHQ), and the price customers pay for tires on the road is the same as they pay at home. Other emergency tire service programs have incidence fees that can range from $25 to more than $75.

Because customers can establish complete portfolios listing all tires installed on each of their trucks, a fleet driver or owner-operator can simply tell the fleetHQ agent what vehicle is being driven, and the agent immediately knows what type, brand and size of tire is needed for replacement.  

“Truck operators, fleet owners, managers and dispatchers find that fleetHQ can save them the hassle of making several calls to find a location that’s open, or a tire dealer with the right tires in stock,” Starling said. “With fleetHQ, one call is all it takes.” 

Fast response time with its emergency roadside service, multiple business tools and ease of use are major reasons why the program has more than 20,000 customers enrolled, he added. 

“fleetHQ is much more than an emergency call center,” Starling said. “We offer a portfolio of business solutions that include online information systems providing 24/7 access to services in progress, retread history, repair data and tire purchase histories. That can save fleet managers and truck operators time in reviewing invoices and service reports.” 

Since Goodyear unveiled fleetHQ three years ago, Starling said customer service representatives and participating tire dealers have worked hard in achieving program success. “We’ve worked as if our business depended on a faster roll time, because for our customers it certainly does,” he added. 

Because customers pay the same price for replacement tires on the road as they pay at ‘home,’ with the local dealer providing the invoice, there are fewer surprises for fleets,” according to Starling. 

“Truck operators and fleets are finding that fleetHQ offers outstanding service, regardless of the number of trucks they operate,” he added. “The program is proving popular because its mission is to respond to customers quickly and cost-effectively with no incidence fee.”

Sidebar
Need fleetHQ information? Goodyear has an ‘app’ for that
Accessing tire services on the road is easier now that fleetHQ offers a new free app for cellular “smart” phones – http://m.fleethq.net.  

The cell phone application or “app” can be downloaded and saved to a smart phone, such as the iPhone, Android, Palm and Blackberry. The app shows the user the closest service location, and help is only a phone call away.

“For truck drivers who want to have access to the latest technology to help them improve their efficiency while on the road, the new fleetHQ mobile app offers them a way to do it,” said Tony Starling, general manager of fleetHQ. 

Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems offer complete products and services to the trucking and bus industries, including a full range of original equipment and replacement tires. This includes the 24/7 fleetHQ Solution Center, national programs, tire management tools, online information access and business problem-solving for tomorrow's trucking and bus fleets. For more information on the fleetHQ program, go to www.fleetHQ.com.