After a worldwide pandemic and a current shortage of diesel mechanics, it’s safe to say trucking companies need to find ways to be more self-sufficient. Our truck shop opened in 2016, and I can’t imagine going back to a time when we were without it.
Save money
Discounts and priority are typically offered to drivers who belong to that specific trucking company’s truck shop. This system provides some additional incentive for drivers to join that company as well. The quotes offered are more easily understood and the work can be completed at one location.
Some repair shops may not be able to perform all repairs by themselves. This means the fees incurred will involve transportation, different shops, a fee for shipping the products and a premium price for labor. When you have stock in the driver, the truck and the revenue generated from the repair, it establishes a value adding business relationship.
Save time
“Time is what we want most but what we use worst.” – William Penn
In trucking, if you aren’t moving you aren’t making money. The time it takes to bring in a third-party shop is totally alleviated by having an on-site repair shop. There is no need to take a truck to another location, pay for travel to and from, wait for them to familiarize themselves with the issue and history of the truck, all while sitting still and not making money. It benefits the company and it benefits the driver. It truly is a win-win.
Less downtime means greater access and adaptability for scheduling purposes. Instead of waiting days or even weeks for a call from the repair shop – or in some cases multiple shops – repairs can be done efficiently in-house.
More reliability
We use an app (Fullbay and Samsara) to schedule repairs and perform inspections. Every time a driver performs an inspection, our fleet and safety departments receive the information instantly. This means our mechanics and shop managers understand the complete history of the truck, trailer and driver.
If a driver makes note of an issue, the necessary people know about it instantly. The same people are always dealing with the same trucks and drivers. This knowledge and experience bring obvious advantages.
The shop will be able to diagnose the problem and prevent future issues with greater clarity in a timely fashion. An outsourced shop would need to collect an entirely new set of details for the repair and wouldn’t have any knowledge of prior work performed unless it was documented.
In emergency situations, it’s a life saver to have a go-to resource to call. An on-site repair shop will have a vested interest in getting drivers back on the road as soon as possible, so they will work harder than an outsourced shop would to help the driver.
More options
When a driver schedules a visit to your shop, they have the added perks of being at your lot. In some cases, if the repair will take some time, you can even offer a different truck for the driver so they can stay on the road. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Trucking companies that have their own repair shops have the flexibility to offer everything a truck driver might need. This may entail complete truck and trailer repair; collision and damage repair; electrical service and computer diagnostics; brake services; welding; tire service; oil changes and preventative maintenance; engine service; emergency roadside assistance; laser HD alignment and more.
If there’s a need, having an on-site truck center can fulfill it. The repair time is decreased, the scheduling is easier, the cost is less for the company and the driver and it’s a good way to make passive income for a trucking company. If, hypothetically, a worldwide pandemic shuts all warehouses and transportation down for a few months, a repair shop can keep trucks in prime shape.
The guys at our truck repair shop do so much to maintain our performance as a trucking company and we can’t thank them enough. Their work is vital to our operations running efficiently and smoothly. Plus, our shop develops meaningful working relationships with drivers, so they both can continue to thrive together.
