Out-of-hours fleet breakdown calls: who answers?
Out-of-hours breakdown guide by Kyle Davy, Sales Manager – Fleetmaxx Solutions Ipswich
Picture the scene. It is 2am, your driver is miles from the depot and the vehicle has stopped. The office is closed, the customer is expecting a delivery in the morning and the driver does not know which number to call.
Who takes control?
For many businesses, the honest answer is the fleet manager’s personal phone. That may work when the fleet is small, but it places a lot of pressure on one person and leaves room for missed calls, inconsistent decisions and incomplete information.
A breakdown does not check your opening hours
Commercial fleets often work early mornings, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Couriers, hauliers, taxis, coaches and service engineers may be travelling while the rest of the business is asleep.
An out-of-hours plan should not depend on the right colleague being awake, available and able to organise a recovery from memory.
Drivers need one clear route to support.
What should happen during the first call?
The call handler should establish whether anybody is in immediate danger, confirm the vehicle’s location and gather the details needed to arrange suitable assistance.
Driver safety must always come first. The Highway Code guidance for breakdowns and incidents explains how drivers should reach a place of relative safety, alert other road users and obtain assistance.
This may include:
- Driver name and contact number
- Vehicle registration and type
- Exact location and direction of travel
- Nature of the fault or incident
- Vehicle weight, trailer and load information
- Passenger numbers
- Whether the vehicle is obstructing traffic
- Any vulnerability or urgent welfare concern
The quality of this first conversation can make a significant difference to the response.
Calm communication helps the driver
A stranded driver may be tired, cold, worried about the load or concerned about missing a delivery. They need clear instructions and realistic updates.
A professional 24-hour call centre can arrange assistance and remain a consistent point of contact. National Breakdown’s service can also answer using the customer’s company name, helping the call feel like an extension of the business.
Calls can be recorded and the process managed and reported back to the customer. This creates a clearer record of what happened and how it was handled.
It is not only about breakdown recovery
Vehicles can also be involved in collisions, tyre incidents and other events requiring more than a basic roadside repair. National Breakdown’s services can include accident and incident management, road traffic collision support and First Notice of Loss.
Having a defined process helps prevent a driver from calling an unsuitable local provider, agreeing to an unclear charge or leaving the business unaware of an escalating incident.
Take pressure away from your managers
Fleet managers already carry a great deal of responsibility. Expecting them to be an informal, permanent night-time control room is neither reliable nor sustainable.
Out-of-hours call management can provide:
- A consistent number and process for drivers
- 24-hour handling of breakdown and incident calls
- Appropriate recovery coordination
- Recorded calls and management information
- Reduced interruption for internal managers
- A more professional driver experience
Make the plan visible
Once an arrangement is in place, make sure every driver knows about it. Put the number in the vehicle, driver handbook and company app. Explain when it should be used and what information the driver will need.
Test the internal process as well. Managers should know who will be notified, how customers will be updated and who makes decisions about replacement vehicles or loads.
Fleetmaxx Solutions works with National Breakdown to provide roadside assistance, recovery, accident management and out-of-hours call support for fleets of different sizes and vehicle types.
Your drivers may never need to make that 2am call. The important thing is knowing somebody will answer if they do.
Speak to Fleetmaxx Solutions about building a clearer 24-hour breakdown and incident response for your fleet.
