Goodyear's fleetHQ Helps Record Number of Trucks

July 19, 2011
Program Gets More Than 22,000 Units Up and Running Again in June AKRON, Ohio, July 18, 2011 – It's been a hot summer for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's fleetHQ program, which provides 24/7 emergency road service and other solutions for the ...
Program Gets More Than 22,000 Units Up and Running Again in June

AKRON, Ohio, July 18, 2011 – It's been a hot summer for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's fleetHQ program, which provides 24/7 emergency road service and other solutions for the commercial fleet industry.

During the month of June, when temperatures in many parts of North America soared into the high-90s, fleetHQ's Solution Center in Fort Smith, Ark., got more than 22,000 trucks that had been immobilized by tire punctures or other tire conditions up and running again. The number represents a record for the fleetHQ program.

"There were several days in June when fleetHQ's Solution Center helped put more than 900 downed trucks back on the road," said Roy Sutfin, vice president of fleetHQ.

The fleetHQ Solution Center typically assists around 700 trucks a day, according to Sutfin. "Last month's hot weather contributed to several spikes in the number of calls we received.”

Goodyear's fleetHQ program measures its efficiency by "roll time, which begins when a truck driver calls us, and ends when his or her truck is rolling again," he said. fleetHQ currently is achieving roll times of two-hours-and-10-minutes, on average. "We're making a concentrated effort to shorten that span. Downtime can mean lost revenue, and we want to help our customers maximize their profits."

How fleetHQ Road Service Works

When they need assistance, truckers can call a toll-free number that connects them to trained tire professionals at the program's Fort Smith-based Solution Center. These tire professionals then dispatch the nearest participating servicing dealers to disabled vehicles' locations.

fleetHQ also offers a smartphone mobile Web application that puts drivers in touch with the program's tire professionals. The application is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms.

Emergency road service is one of many solutions that fleetHQ offers, according to Dave Beasley, senior director, business solutions, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems. Other features include:

•Nationwide pricing with consolidated billing through your hometown dealer. "Once you establish your tire and service program with your local fleetHQ dealer, your negotiated price will be honored across the entire fleetHQ network, which encompasses 2,000 service locations," said Beasley.

•TVTrack, a powerful online management tool that helps fleets monitor their tires' condition and performance, and reduces fleets' operating costs. TVTrack also provides unit information, scrap analysis, wear conditions and more, all at the click of a mouse.

•Gold Medallion retreaded tires, a stock retread available throughout the country that meets premium casing specifications. Available in six of the most popular medium truck tire sizes, Gold Medallion retreaded tires also come with a Goodyear Limited Warranty.

•TirePix, a service that provides photos of tires that were replaced during a road service call.

•The fleetHQ Truck Stop Network, a 300-plus-location network providing Goodyear, Dunlop and/or Kelly tires. Participants include Wingfoot Truck Care Centers, Travel Centers of America, Petro Truck Stops, PTP Truckstop Network, and Boss Truck Shops.

"fleetHQ offers a comprehensive array of premium benefits designed to help fleets and owner-operators reduce their costs," said Beasley. "These benefits go beyond tires and extend to the services and information that make it easier for transportation professionals to do business."

The benefits of fleetHQ are available to trucking operations of every size, he added. "Many of these premium benefits, like the fleetHQ Solution Center, are offered at no cost to the fleet."

Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems offers a broad portfolio of products and services to the commercial fleet industry, 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, and business problem-solving tools for tomorrow's commercial fleets. For more information on the fleetHQ program, go to www.fleetHQ.com.

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