Despite being early into the new year, there are many, new trends for commercial fleet management in 2021 that are manifesting right now. These crucial changes could impact your business and challenge the way you currently conduct operations.
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Truck Safety 101: Promoting a Culture of Safe Driving in Your Company
If you have one or more employees driving trucks for your company, then encouraging and incentivizing truck safety needs to be one of your top priorities. Truck driving is one of the most dangerous jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but this profession acts as a lifeline for the things that we need on a daily basis: groceries, fuel, building materials, and other essential goods. Plus, if you’re trying to run a successful transportation business, then truck driving might be essential to your operations.
How Can Commercial Fleet Roadside Assistance Benefit Your Business?
Commercial fleet roadside assistance plans are essential for both small and large businesses seeking cost-efficient methods of protecting their fleets. For business owners who may heavily rely on transportation, keeping your vehicles, and therefore your drivers, safe is sometimes the most important factor in maintaining overall efficiency.
How To Ensure Your Vehicle Is Ready For Winter
Getting your vehicle ready for winter is very important as there are certain situations that you can face that are not a concern during most of the year. Being prepared can literally mean the difference between life and death if the worst of scenarios were to occur. Use the steps below to ensure that you are prepared for whatever may come your way.
The first step is to ensure that your vehicle is in the best possible shape. It is ideal to fill all fluids and change those that are due to be replaced. This will lower the chances that your vehicle will face mechanical issues when it is put through the stresses of low temperatures.
One of the most important fluids to fill is the anti-freeze. If your reservoir is empty you will want to fill through the main line. To do this make sure your vehicle is completely cool to avoid the danger of being seriously burned. Open the cap and fill the reservoir with anti-freeze as high as it allows you to. Leaving the hood open and the cap off the line you can then start your vehicle. You will notice that the fluid is bubbling. This is because of air escaping that was in the line. When the bubbling has stopped you can then turn off your vehicle and add additional fluid up to the appropriate fill line. Additionally, you should always use de-icing windshield wiper fluid in the winter. This greatly improves your visibility during inclement weather.
There are also a number of things that are ideal to have on hand inside your vehicle in case of an emergency during the winter. A snow scraper is important to remove ice and snow during and after a storm to allow for better visibility while driving. Having a shovel on hand is ideal. You can find ones that fold up in a compact fashion to save space. This is great in case you get pulled off the road into deep snow drifts. You can then try to dig yourself out so that you can continue to your destination. If you can not dig out completely you will want to at least dig out the snow near your tail pipe so that you can run your heat without worrying about carbon monoxide poisoning. Additionally, you should keep a kit in your vehicle that includes road flares and cones. In the event of a breakdown or accident this will allow you to signal other motorists of your presence in the event of inclement weather. Also keep blankets, extra outerwear, and other snow gear are also a good idea to have on hand so that you do not end up stranded in the cold with no way to keep warm.
Finally, make sure to purchasing roadside assistance coverage to protect you in the event of a breakdown or other winter roadside emergency. Emergency roadside assistance plans cover towing, lost keys or lockouts, running out of gas, dead batteries, and all the other things that can go wrong with your vehicle. Purchasing a plan through Best Roadside Service will cover you in the event your car slides off the road during a winter storm, you run out of gas, or you look your keys in your running car while warming it up. In addition, national chains including Meineke, Aamco, and Jiffy Lube offer discounts to Best Roadside Service customers for car repairs and maintenance. Best Roadside Service offer plans for less than $80 a year, much below the average cost of a single tow, which can range from $120 and up.
People do not think much about weather concerns during the warmer months, but between the harsh temperatures and the higher risk of losing control of your vehicle it is crucial to prepare for the winter months. Use the tips above to ensure that no matter what comes your way you will be as prepared as possible.
Effectively Maintain Your Commercial Fleet
If you own a business that relies on commercial vehicles keeping those vehicles on the road is the backbone of your business. With delivery trucks and company cars constantly grounded for repairs your employees will be unable to complete the necessary work to keep your company running smoothly. Properly maintaining commercial vehicles means your fleet works for you to make and keep your company successful.
While commercial fleet management is not a “one size fits all” solution, there are some basic steps that will help maintain all commercial fleets regardless fleet size. Relying on the steps below will have you well on your way to keeping your fleet at maximum productivity.
Preventative Maintenance
The cornerstone of properly maintaining any vehicle, including commercial fleet vehicles, is to make sure the vehicle receives regular preventative maintenance. Regular preventative maintenance including oil and other fluid changes, tire rotations, brake service, and tune ups help prevent larger issues from arising down the road. Taking care of commercial vehicles now, ensures they’ll last for their maximum lifetime and save you business money in the long-term.
To ensure your vehicles are receiving the proper and necessary preventative maintenance, it is important to keep accurate records for each vehicle. Utilizing fleet management software allows business owners and fleet managers to get automated notifications for scheduled maintenance based on vehicle usage. Following a manufacturer’s recommendation for a particular vehicle keeps that vehicle performing optimally and ensures you do not void any applicable warranties.
Proper preventative maintenance reduces the risk of breakdowns and expensive repairs. And improve the lifespan of your fleet.
Proactive Repairs
Even with proper preventative maintenance, breakdowns and accidents can take your fleet vehicles out of commission. Your business can bounce back more quickly after an accident or breakdown when you are proactive with repairs. Advances in technology to GPS tracking and management allow you to be notified of vehicle problems while they are minor. This allows you to prevent larger issues before they happen, and can alert you to problems before your drivers even notice there’s anything wrong.
Proactive repairs also mean less time in the shop and money saved on more expensive, time-consuming repairs. Additionally, for business that outsource repairs it will be easier to schedule proactive repairs with a reputable shop and your vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible.
Depend on Drivers
Your drivers are you first line of defense in properly maintaining commercial fleet vehicles. When a vehicle starts showing signs of impending issues or a breakdown, the driver is typically the first one to notice. Keep the lines of communication open with your drivers because they will be able to let you know when their vehicle is starting to pull in one direction or another and its time for an alignment, if the A/C isn’t working properly, or if the brakes are not performing the way they should.
Good business owners and fleet managers need to develop a system that designates when and where drivers are responsible for inspecting vehicles each day and provides a method for drivers to share any maintenance issues occurring on their vehicle. All employees, including drivers, should be well-trained on how these systems work.
Roadside Assistance Coverage
Even when a company has systems in place to properly maintain its fleet vehicles, breakdowns and accidents can happen. An important component of any fleet management plan is roadside assistance coverage. Commercial and fleet roadside service plans provide 24/7 coverage and rapid response times which help get your fleet vehicles to a repair shop and back on the road quickly. Bouncing back quickly after a breakdown or accident minimizes lost productivity, repair and downtime costs, and lost revenues.
Additionally, plans through companies like Best Roadside Service are customizable to make sure you’re meeting the specific needs of your employees and customers as well as your business. This allows you to more efficiently schedule preventative maintenance and proactive repairs while considering the individualized needs of your business and fleet.
Don’t wait for your vehicles to break down before you decide start thinking about fleet maintenance. Develop a fleet management plan before you need it, and use preventative maintenance, proactive repairs, dependable drivers, and roadside assistance service coverage to keep your commercial vehicles running and your business operating smoothly.
Commercial Roadside Assistance Can Be Vital For Your Business
Whether you’re a small local florist with a couple of delivery vehicles, a rental car company with hundreds of passenger cars, or a local government agency with a variety of vehicles, your business depends on your fleet vehicles working when you need them to. Unfortunately, just like personal vehicles, fleet vehicles breakdown too. When your fleet vehicles breakdown it can leave your employees and customers stranded on the side of the road. Additionally, fleet disablement decreases productivity and erodes revenue. Roadside assistance coverage for your fleet provides the protection you need for employees and customers and the services you need to keep your fleet operating effectively.
Employees and customers are the lifeblood that keep your business growing. Without good employees and loyal customers, a business owner cannot sustain a profitable business. Making sure employees and customers are taken care of in the case of a breakdown is essential to keeping them happy. Having a roadside assistance plan for your fleet vehicles gives your employees peace of mind if the vehicle they are driving becomes disabled. Commercial and fleet roadside service plans provide 24/7 coverage and rapid response times. Whether they need a tow, jump start, tire change, or gas delivery service, roadside assistance plans have your employees and customers covered. Additionally, plans through companies like Best Roadside Service are customizable to make sure you’re meeting the specific needs of your employees and customers as well as your business.
When your business relies on fleet vehicles, mechanical breakdowns need to be handled efficiently. Making sure fleet vehicles are properly maintained is vital to keeping them on the road. However, even well maintained vehicles can experience breakdowns. At any given point in time up to 20% of typical fleet vehicles will experience mechanical disablement. Getting them back on the road as quickly as possible will minimize lost productivity, repair and downtime costs, and lost revenues. Roadside assistance coverage provides rapid response times and fast towing times. This gets your fleet vehicles to a repair shop and back on the road quickly. Commercial and fleet roadside plans have the added benefit of being assigned to the vehicle not the driver. This means you can assign any driver to any fleet vehicle and the coverage follows the car or truck, allowing you to schedule your fleet for optimal usage.
Nobody likes dealing with a vehicle breakdown. When you’re a business owner and that breakdown is with one of your commercial vehicles it impacts your ability to earn a living. Whether your business has just a couple of vehicles or a few hundred, you want to know in the event of a roadside emergency you, your employees, and your business are protected. Purchasing a roadside service plan for your commercial fleet vehicles provides you with the protection you need for your employees, your customers, and your business. You can visit www.bestroadsideservice.com and sign your business up today.
Why Southern Drivers Should Have Roadside Assistance This Winter
Be prepared for more snow and ice this winter.
In early January of this year, The Weather Channel released their three month outlook for winter weather. The outlook shows that El Nino, a weather pattern that is influenced by ocean temperatures, will be in effect over North America for the remainder of the winter weather months. What this means is that areas in the southern states of America that don’t usually get a lot of snow or precipitation during the winter will likely see more snow, ice and sleet, while their northern and western counterparts will see somewhat less snow and slightly warmer temperatures than normal. This prediction is already turning out to be true as winter storm Jonas sweeps across the southern and eastern portions of the United States this month.
Perhaps nothing is quite so affected by inclement weather as our ability to travel. Driving can become treacherous and sometimes impossible during snow storms, while air travel and some train travel is completely grounded or canceled. For many people, flight and train cancellations means they must take a chance and drive in bad weather to get where they need to be. While we don’t recommend that anyone drive a car in a situation that isn’t safe, we do know that sometimes you simply don’t have a choice but to get behind the wheel.
In these cases, and for anyone who regularly deals with inclement weather while driving, a roadside assistance plan is an absolute must. And for those who live in areas that are normally not affected by winter weather, consider adding a roadside assistance plan to your vehicle or to an individual driver in your family as El Nino continues to threaten the south with cold, snowy weather.
Roadside assistance companies provide emergency assistance when your vehicle experiences issues. Whether you get a flat tire, run out of gas or other fluids, lock your keys in your car or even if you skid off the road and into a ditch – a roadside service company can provide mechanical help or a tow truck to get you and your vehicle to a safe place. Most roadside service companies have providers across their areas of coverage so that a tow truck, mechanic or locksmith can get to you quickly. But of course, some companies provide better coverage and quicker responses than others. Best Roadside Service, for instance, has over 45,000 service providers across America and Canada. This kind of dense coverage gives them an average response time of just 34 minutes. And when you’re sitting on the side of the road in the cold and the snow – that response time becomes critical.
Of course, it’s always good to be prepared, even if you do have a roadside assistance plan, in case something does happen. While you’re waiting for a service provider to come and help you, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is stocked with water, an ice scraper, extra blankets, maybe even disposable hand and feet warmers, basic tools, a spare tire, and a flashlight. Additional cold weather vehicle preparation tips can be found on this blog: Cold Weather Auto Maintenance Tips.
So this winter, be prepared and don’t rely on your normally warm and sunny location to keep you safe. Winter weather can hit at any time, and thanks to El Nino, in any place in the country. A roadside assistance plan can help keep you, your family safe and warm this winter.
Credit Card Companies Drop Roadside Assistance Coverage
Many people do not know that their credit card companies may provide additional services beyond loaning money for purchases.
In fact, several credit card companies offer services through third party providers for things such as identity theft, travel planning and even roadside assistance. These services are not always marketed to credit card customers very well, and J.D. Power & Associates reports that only about 2/3 of people are even aware of their benefits, and even fewer people are using their credit cards to their full advantage. For this reason, many credit card companies are dropping extra benefits from their cardholder agreements.
In August 2015, Discover issued a new cardholder agreement that stated they intend to “simplify the suite of cardmember benefits that it provides by eliminating certain benefits in order to provide a better customer experience.” What this really means is that they are eliminating benefits to save themselves money. With recent laws in effect that restrict credit card companies on the kind of late fees and interest rates they can charge, many lenders are looking at cutting cardholder benefits and other services to save money and help their bottom line.
In fact, Sears MasterCard recently dropped its rental car collision coverage, travel assistance and roadside assistance benefits, and Bank of America is discontinuing its roadside and travel assistance benefits for its MasterCard Better Balance Rewards cardholders as well. With these heavy hitters leading the pack, it’s a logical assumption that other credit card companies will be following their lead and dropping third party services for their cardholders as well. So whether or not you have one of these cards listed above, you should start looking around for another provider for these services.
Even if you do plan to continue using your credit card company’s services, keep in mind that most credit card companies still charge their cardholders a fee to use their roadside assistance and these fees can run up to $70 per call. At that price, you should consider going with Best Roadside Service’s roadside assistance plan. In fact, a year of roadside assistance with Best Roadside Service, which includes up to 6 calls per year, only costs between $65-$80 depending on the plan chosen. Additionally, Best Roadside Service offers travel assistance, travel concierge services, travel discounts, coupons, a 24-hour emergency hotline, discounts at national automotive maintenance shops and more. Your discounts from these partners might just pay for your annual membership! You don’t have to have a particular credit card to have these services and you don’t have to pay a crazy interest rate to earn them. Individual plans are less than $80/year and vehicle plans are just $65 annually.
Why Choose Best Roadside Service
Going with a company that specializes in roadside assistance is also the only way to ensure you get the best and fastest service. Credit card companies are essentially playing the middle man to their cardholders – creating an additional step and costing the customer more time when they do need help on the side of the road. Best Roadside Service, on the other hand, has an average response time of just 34 minutes. And their service providers respond to over 70,000 calls per month. In the last 50 years, Best Roadside Service has unlocked over 170,000 doors, changed over 340,000 flat tires, towed over 6.8 million miles and delivered over 60,000 gallons of fuel!
But not all roadside assistance plans and providers are created equal. Whether you want to purchase a plan for a particular vehicle, no matter who is driving it, or a plan for an individual, no matter what vehicle they are driving – you’ll want to compare plans, and go with a Better Business Bureau A+ rated company that has been providing roadside service for over 50 years to consumers just like you.
The bottom line is that your credit card company is more concerned with their bottom line than customer perks and benefits. Ditch the middle man, and purchase an independent roadside assistance plan for you and your family from Best Roadside Service!
Top Ten Reasons to Choose Best Roadside Service
We know that there are many roadside assistance companies out there to choose from, so we value and appreciate the customers who choose us. We also happen to think they’ve made the best decision. Here are just ten reasons why our customers chose Best Roadside Assistance and why you should too.
- American Owned, Canada Covered
Best Roadside Service is an American Owned and Operated company with the goal of providing our customers with the best emergency roadside assistance plans at competitive prices. Our core values have always focused on offering the best customer service standards in the industry. But Americans are not the only ones who can benefit from our services! Canada is a great place to travel and a beautiful place to live, but with such cold weather, it’s critical to have good emergency roadside service. All of our services are available in Canada for the same low price of $65 a year for one vehicle, no matter who is driving. - Free Gas
Should your covered vehicle run out of gasoline, a technician will deliver three gallons of fuel right to your vehicle at no extra charge. We will get you back on the road in no time and at no fee! - Vacation and travel discounts
Our members enjoy exclusive discount programs and special rates for vacations, cruises, car and RV rentals, even theme park tickets such as Sea World, Busch Gardens and more! Our discount program gives you a range of options for booking a room for vacation or business. And our concierge service can help you get everything straight so you can sit back and enjoy your trip. - 34 minute response time
Your safety is our priority. Our state-of-the-art software allows us, with your permission, to find your location using your cell phone, and dispatch service providers while we’re on the phone with you. We can even send you a text message confirming the arrival time of your service provider. Our average response time is just 34 minutes. - American-Owned and Operated Call Center with English, Spanish and French Speakers
All emergency calls to our 24-hour call center are answered in the United States. You will never be transferred overseas and you will never get a voicemail. We have customer service representatives available at all times who speak English, Spanish and French, so you’re never alone as long as you have Best Roadside Service! - Individual and Vehicle options
Whether you want to cover a specific vehicle no matter who is driving it, or an individual, no matter what vehicle they are driving, we’ve got coverage for you. Individual and vehicle plans also cover motorcycles and scooters. Plans start at less than $6 a month with the option to add family members at a discounted rate! - Personal and Commercial Options
Whether you have a car that is used for business or an entire fleet of vehicles for your company employees, we have a plan that will meet your needs. We have been in the emergency roadside business a long time, and we know that when you have a fleet of vehicles, one of them is bound to break down. In fact, about 20% of typical fleets experience mechanical disablement every day. To keep your business running and your customers satisfied, you need to have your employees and drivers covered for any roadside issue they may experience. Our plans provide rescue and support for your employees and your business. - Map Routing and Trip Planning with 24 Hour Directional Assistance
Going on a trip? You can’t just depend on a cell phone that could die or a GPS that may lose service. Our trip planning and map routing services provide a customized route to wherever you want to go and however you want to get there. If you ever get lost along the way, just call our roadside assistance hotline and we will give you turn-by-turn directions, no matter what time of the day or night. - Motorcycle Coverage
Whether your bike is your main method of transportation, or just one of the vehicles you or your family use, we have a plan to fit your motorcycle roadside assistance needs. Motorcycle drivers receive six service calls per year along with all the benefits of a regular vehicle plan, starting at just $65/year. - Join Now and Save $10 or $15
By now we’re sure you’re convinced that Best Roadside Service is the best emergency roadside plan you can buy, but just in case you need one more reason – if you join on our website right now you can save $10 a year on the vehicle plan or $15 a year for the individual plan.
Sign up today and join our many happy customers who enjoyed safety and security on the road and in their vehicles every day with us!
Commercial Roadside Assistance is a Necessity
Does your company have the security that commercial roadside assistance provides? With the struggling economy, many companies are cutting cost everywhere they can but this is one service that you don’t want to be without. On the surface, it may seem like an extra expense that you can eliminate but after taking time to examine the benefits it offers, you’ll see that’s not the case.
Commercial vehicles are used as a vital part of your business that makes it possible for your drivers to do their jobs in a fast and efficient manner. As much as we would like for things to go smoothly all the time, unexpected things do happen. It’s the way that you respond to these emergencies that matter the most.
If you’re not prepared for emergencies, it can catch you off guard and cost your company a lot of time and money. If you are prepared, you can get the vehicle back on the road quickly, so your employee can continue on with his or her scheduled appointments.
Things to Consider
What would happen if one of your drivers was in the process of making a time sensitive delivery and he ran out of gas because he ended up stuck in an unexpected traffic jam? If you don’t have this service, someone from the office will have to make a trip to deliver fuel to the vehicle, the driver will need to walk to get help or you’ll have to send out another driver to take him enough fuel to make it to the closest service station.
However, if you have commercial roadside assistance, someone in the area will be on their way immediately with a fuel delivery. Your driver will be back on the road with only a slight delay in plans. This is just one example of why you need this type of coverage on your commercial vehicles. When your drivers run into this type of problem or any other emergency that leaves them stranded on the side of the road, they know exactly who to call for help.
If clients don’t receive packages in time or if you miss meetings, you’ll start to lose customers. This could be devastating for your business in this economy, especially if it happens often but it’s also avoidable in many cases. If your company has commercial roadside assistance, help will be on the way with one phone call. It’s the fastest and easiest way to keep your commercial vehicles up and running when emergencies strike.
Added Benefits
Having the help you need to get your vehicles back on the road when faced with an emergency is a good enough reason to invest in a good commercial roadside assistance plan but there’s more. Did you know that some plans offer services that includes planning trips and maps that can help your drivers reach their destinations faster and easier.
Organizing a trip and finding the best route to take can be very time consuming. How much time and energy would this type of service save your business? Have you ever had a driver get lost when trying to make a delivery? One call to the representative can find their location and get them back on the right track in no time at all.
Keeping your vehicles mobile is a major part of running a successful business. While regular maintenance will keep your vehicles in tiptop shape, anything can happen when you travel. Even the most diligent drivers can get lost, have a flat tire or run out of gas, which is why commercial roadside assistance is a necessity for all types of companies.