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Things Customers can do to Help the Truck Repair Process go More Smoothly

Aug. 3 2022 Miscellaneous By Mike Johnson, Service Manager

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1. As the customer, or fleet manager, one of the first things to do when a repair is needed on a truck is to research the area where the truck is currently located and find out what nearby service centers are certified to work on your commercial truck. Choosing the correct service center helps increase the chances of having a great service experience. The repairs may be under warranty and if you are not at the proper dealership or service provider the repairs could cost you a lot more than needed and/or take much longer than they should. So choosing a qualified repair center is
the start of a wonderful experience for a bad problem.

2. Contact our service team prior to the driver’s arrival if possible. By speaking with a service staff member, you, as the customer, can help with setting up the repair process even before the truck ever arrives at the shop. It is always a good idea to write down the issues or symptoms the vehicle is having prior to your phone call or the truck showing up at the service center. Obtaining the right information is critical to the efficiency of a repair. Here are some valuable pieces of information that a fleet owner and/or driver can provide.

  • The name, phone number and email of the company decision maker.
  • The year, make, model, mileage and last 8 of the truck’s VIN number.
  • What is the concern or issue you are experiencing (noise, smell, vibration, starting troubles, etc)?
  • How long have you had this problem?
  • Was your truck in another service center recently and if it was- list the repairs that were done.
  • Any other information about the problem that you can provide.
  • Drivers should turn Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) to off-duty or in repair status, if the truck is equipped with this device.

Information like this helps our service team get the repair process started faster and allows us to provide you with a more realistic expectation of how long the repair may take.

3. We understand that you have been out on the road or on the job sight working long days. But please tidy up prior to bringing the truck in for service and be sure to clear out the bunk if there are repairs needed in that area. This also prevents the need for a technician to touch or move any items in order to access a part or perform a specific repair.

4. Once the appointment is made, plan for the truck to be at the dealership or service center for 1 to 2 days. Most dealerships have a triage process that all trucks go through upon arrival. This process allows the technician to evaluate all the information gathered from the fleet owner or driver. They also visually inspect the vehicle and may need to hook a diagnostic computer up to pull information from the engine computers or chassis engine control units (ECU). This part of the repair process is what drives the estimated time of repair completion in most cases. A Rihm service team member will put together a repair plan that may include information such as what parts will be needed and if they are in stock or will they need to be ordered. How long will the repair take and when is a qualified technician available to do this repair? At this point a good estimate of the cost of the repair is made and presented to the customer. If you are utilizing our service management system, PACCAR Solutions – Service Management, you will be informed through this program that a new estimate is available for approval. Find out more about PACCAR Solutions – Service Management in the next article to the right.

5. Please be available to be contacted while your truck is being serviced. Our service team members will need to contact you regularly to update you on the progress of the repair or any changes that need to be made to the original estimate. For these reasons, please make sure to leave us with an accurate phone number, email and name of the person that makes repair decisions. A newer option that we highly recommend utilizing, especially if you are managing the service needs of a fleet of trucks, is to take advantage of our new system for PACCAR Solutions – Service Management. For more information on this new tool, please read “The Insider” article (to the right) written by our Director of Service, Cal Lamke. The longer the service center needs to wait for the okay to proceed with the repair, the longer the truck might be off the road.

6. We understand that time is money, especially in the trucking industry, so please be patient. If you, or the driver, will be staying with the truck during the repair, we recommend taking a seat in our customer lounge, watching videos on YouTube, grabbing a coffee or even taking a short walk. We will contact, or come find, you if any questions arise while servicing your truck.