For some businesses, a breakdown could lose them one or two hours work, whilst others could end up losing 24 hours plus. Ultimately, it depends on how easy it is to have a vehicle recovered, transported and repaired. But when it comes down the logistics, it may be easier and much quicker than you think if you partner with the right business.
Here at Egertons, we completely understand that the worry of being off the road, falling behind schedule and having your drivers stranded is not something a fleet operator wants to think about during the Christmas period. That’s why we pride ourselves on taking 5 essential steps to getting your driver and your vehicle back on the road as quickly and safely as possible.
For us, it’s all about the triage. From the moment you contact us, our expert team start planning the most effective rescue and recovery, dispatching exact right equipment and technicians to the scene as soon as possible.
But we don’t stop there; we handle the entire process, from start to finish. We’re with you know matter what, 365 days a year, and here’s our 5 step promise to you:
Step 1: We’ll identify exactly which recovery vehicles we need to dispatch
From the moment you first call our team, we work towards completing crucial steps to find out exactly what’s happened, how we’ll get to you and which vehicles are going to get the job done. This means:
- Asking critical questions such as an exact description of location, load, intended destination and of course, what the breakdown issue is.
- Determining the most appropriate emergency response vehicle, confirm a plan of action if a vehicle can be repaired, or send a recovery vehicle to take the vehicle away if needed.
- Then deploying the exact right vehicles, the very first time, to ensure recovery takes place as safely and efficiently as possible.
This service delivery is further supported by our 24-hour control room, equipped with the latest industry technology, and our call centre team use this alongside our sophisticated online portal to efficiently manage our 300-strong fleet. In other words, if there’s one thing we guarantee; it’s that we’ll always get it right, first time.
Step 2: We’ll confirm the fleet operators’ needs
When it comes to safely rescuing a commercial vehicle, it’s important to recognise that the issue is rarely as simple as just recovering a vehicle. Often, there’s also the load and driver themselves, as well as any other potential vehicles to consider too.
Different businesses will have different priorities, such as transferring the HGV load to its original destination, recovering the vehicle to a repair centre or getting their driver back to base. However, another consideration when attending a HGV breakdown, is whether the vehicle should be recovered, or repaired.
We’ll identify your priorities, and stick to an end goal which works for you.
Step 3: We’ll get to the incident as soon as we possibly can
The time it takes to safely recover an LCV or HGV is crucial, not only for an operator considering costs or loss of productivity, but also to maintain complete control of the incident. This is because of the sheer size of the vehicles obstructing busy roads and the deterioration of any potentially dangerous load.
The latest Domestic Road Freight Statistics report highlights that out of the 485,900 registered HGVs in the UK in 2020, 4% of all goods lifted domestically were declared as dangerous goods. This accounts for 53 million tonnes of assets from flammable liquids such as alcohol (67%) gasses (16%) and corrosive substances (6%).
The report also states that 76% of all HGV recorded accidents involved navigating motorway standstills and a team to clear debris, with 11% needing recovery from remote locations where the vehicles had become stuck or fallen.
Not only do these types of accidents put road users at severe risk, but they also pose potential ramifications should the vehicles be left unattended.
Step 4: Wherever possible, we’ll aim to repair at the roadside
As soon as our roadside repair technician arrives on the scene, they’ll quickly evaluate the situation with the help of onboard diagnostic equipment and latest vehicle tooling to resolve the problem quickly and efficiently.
By working like this, we can aim to facilitate a roadside repair quickly and safely, rather than prolong the downtime of your vehicles or needing to tow them to a workshop. For our customers, this means that we’re able to use the exact right equipment, tools and technician expertise there and then, getting their vehicles back on the road as soon as possible.
What’s more, operators can also rest assured that any roadside repair is also carried out to the very highest industry standards, as we also hold PAS 43, ISO 9001 and NNHS Sector 17 accreditations and all of our technicians are fully qualified in commercial vehicle repairs.
Step 5: If a roadside repair isn’t an option, we’ll recover your driver, vehicle and load
We’ll ensure your load gets to its final destination safely. This means if we can’t repair your vehicle at the roadside, we’ll help deliver your load, your driver and your vehicle to the most appropriate locations to get your day back on track as quickly as possible.
In fact, our experts can even facilitate drop offs to separate locations too, whether it’s the original planned destination, company depot or preferred workshop.
That’s what makes us one of the UK’s leading vehicle rescue and recovery operators
With services stretching from breakdown recovery to specialist assistance, available 24/7/365 service across the country, Egertons are the preferred vehicle rescue and recovery operator for UK fleets to rely on, no matter what.
In other words, when you need us, we’ll be right here.