The Fleet Business Authority
Issue link: http://heavydutytrucking.epubxp.com/i/307131
60 HDT • MAY 2014 www.truckinginfo.com important, make sure you look past the established labor rate. Wensel says, "What is the difference if I pay a guy $50 an hour who takes all day to fix the truck compared to a guy I pay $200 an hour to who ends up fixing it in an hour?" Reimer says you need to look at a combination of price, quality and consistency. "Don't look at who has the lowest price, but look at who can provide the best quality of service, on time and at an agreed upon rate using standard repair times. The lowest price does not always mean the best price." Bill Cowell, lead mechanic at Insitu- form Technologies' Indianapolis facility, says he expects fast turnaround on his trucks because downtime costs money. "We are a very lean, efficient fleet," he says of the 100 vehicles used in his com- pany's underground pipe repair opera- tion. "I look for a one-stop shop that can handle anything from minor repairs to major, and handle them quickly." Jorgensen also advises fleets to dig deeper than the initial price of the service and look at the opportunity cost for out- sourcing. "Where else could they spend their dollars and their time if they do not have to invest in things like bidding out parts purchases, paying technicians, upgrading tools and investing in shop facilities?" Build long-term relationships Mike Delaney, president and CEO of the service network WheelTime, says fleets too often look at service providers as short-term relationships. "They should be developing a long-term relationship based on a specific set of rules." His advice is to look at the service provider as an extension of your own business. Cowell agrees that relationships are important. "When you build that rela- tionship, find one guy to be the ramrod on their end so you only have one person to contact. Give him the to-do list and let him help you manage it." He says he exchanges at least 10 phone calls and 100 text messages a day with the contact at his preferred service provider. Tailored standardization Outsourcing doesn't mean you lose control over the repair process. Greg Wilson, truck product manager for GE Capital Fleet Service, a provider of truck financing and fleet management services, says standardizing the maintenance and repair process is a way of controlling your Recruit and Retain with SmartValve ™ TM Drop-and-Hook made Faster, Easier, Safer. Watch the video to learn more at hadleyadvantage.com/smartvalve or call 616.530.1717 Sensor, Electronics and Valve in One Package! 2013 NORTH AMERICAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DRIVER SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE CUSTOMER VALUE LEADERSHIP AWARD Drivers Wanted? Circle 159 on Reader Action Card O u t s i d e p r o v i d e r s _ m a y . i n d d 6 0 Outside providers_may.indd 60 4 / 2 9 / 1 4 4 : 5 2 P M 4/29/14 4:52 PM