Goodyear Helped More Than 15,000 Trucks Return To Service In August By Leveraging Mobile Technology

AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 22, 2015 – It’s been a hot summer for the Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service program

In August, Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service – which is offered through the Goodyear-Fleet HQ suite of business solutions – helped 15,375 trucks return to service, a record for the program.

That number eclipsed the program’s most recent monthly high of 15,026 completed service calls, achieved in July 2015.

"June through August, our industry-leading Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service program helped put more than 44,900 trucks back on the road," said Jose Martinez, business solutions manager, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems.

Year-to-date, Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service has helped more than 91,300 trucks return to service, with an average roll-time of two hours and 11 minutes, noted Martinez. (Since its creation in late-2007, the Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service program has helped put more than 1.1 million trucks back on the road.)

"We’re working very hard to reduce our average roll-time to less than two hours," said Martinez, "and we are leveraging mobile phone technology to do it."

Tech support

This technology includes the Goodyear Smart Tech App, which is available for both iPhones and Androids.

Introduced earlier this year, the Goodyear Smart Tech App simplifies the roadside service call process for Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Network technicians by streamlining and eliminating time-consuming steps.

"Prior to the introduction of the Goodyear Smart Tech App, tire technicians had to jot down details such as truck location, services needed, wheel position and tire size, driver information and more," said Martinez.

"Now, technicians communicate all of this information electronically and can keep all parties informed of their location, activities and progress – from the moment a service call request is accepted to the moment the technician returns home, after having completed a service call."

Technicians relay key information, including roll-time, with the push of a button.

"All necessary information is automatically sent," said Martinez. "This eliminates the need for writing, calling or working from memory, which saves time and cuts down on errors."

The Goodyear Smart Tech App also lets technicians take photos of the tires they replaced, plus unit numbers and truck license plates. Images are uploaded to a secure portal, where they can be viewed by customers.

"At any time during the process, the fleet and servicing dealer can check the status of the service call," said Martinez. "This gives both parties full transparency."

For truck drivers, Goodyear also offers its Goodyear Roadside Service App, which connects directly with the 24/7 Goodyear-Fleet HQ Solution Center.

After contact has been made, trained tire professionals at the 24/7 Goodyear-Fleet HQ Solution Center will locate the nearest Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Network technician and dispatch him or her to the downed truck’s location.

"The Goodyear-Fleet HQ Roadside Service App focuses exclusively on connecting truck drivers with the help they need to get back on the road quickly," said Martinez. "The Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Network offers more than 2,200 points of service from coast to coast, so a technician is never too far away."

The Goodyear Roadside Service App is available for both iPhones and Androids.

The case for connectivity

Today’s truck drivers are more electronically connected than ever, according to Martinez.

"We’ve seen reports that say up to 75% of owner-operators use smartphones to connect to the Internet," he said. "And that percentage will only increase as more drivers understand that mobile phone technology can be leveraged to keep their trucks up and running."

It’s all about minimizing expensive downtime, he added.

"The goal of Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service is to get trucks up and running as quickly as possible, so drivers and fleets can optimize their profitability."

More information about Goodyear-Fleet HQ 24/7 Emergency Roadside Service can be found here.

About Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems:

Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems offers The Total Package Solution of industry-leading tires, services and profitability tools to help commercial trucking fleets lower their total cost of ownership. To learn more, visit www.goodyeartrucktires.com.