It's a Team's Life
RoadSquad Connect
Get the app or write down this number - both are free
1-800-824-7467 - Road Squad Connect or
Truck Smart - TA/Petro App
We can use the app to call Road Squad or we can call the 800 number if broke down and we do not need to worry where the closest TA or Petro is located. When the call is made the tech will pin point our location and find the closest shop. In this scenario the closest shop is not always a TA or Petro but could be an outside vendor. The emphasis is getting the truck back on the road and making money.
While we attended the 2013 TA/Petro Service Expo held in Sandusky, OH I was able to sit in on live calls and watch the dispatchers. The dispatchers use two monitors and they looked like the typical screens I have seen when sitting with truck dispatchers. There was a LOT going on with the dispatcher quickly and effortlessly dealing with the Road Squad truck, the local repair shop, the driver, and also in a couple situations the drivers company.
Rich Armstrong, Manager RoadSquad Connect Center discussed what was happening at each workstation. When a truck is broke down beside the road the driver places the call using the app or 800-824-SHOP and the agent gets the details of the problem, discusses the price, and then either calls the closest TA/Petro or an outside shop to get the truck back on the road quickly. The dispatcher would often call the driver back to let them know the truck was on the way so they could be watching.
I was so impressed I went back twice to listen in on a head set to the actual calls from drivers, the dispatchers calls to the company, and the calls from the dispatcher to the shop to let them know of the problem. In one instance when the dispatcher told the O/O of the cost he asked where the nearest shop was as he thought he could limp in. The dispatcher by this time knew his location and asked him which way he was heading, and then told him of the closest TA/Petro shop. The driver liked that idea so the dispatcher called the shop for him and patched them together so the driver could explain his problem and a bay would be waiting for him when he arrived. The dispatcher’s help was at no cost to the driver and the driver was able to make a sound business decision.
While attending the Expo we also stopped by the Technical Support Center that is a support center for the shop techs. They are able to call this number when in doubt on how to handle a repair, the Technical Support Center can email the tech wiring diagrams, or give the tech ideas of what tools or parts they need to take with them.
I was so impressed and overwhelmed I went in the booth a
second time to watch the screens and listen in on calls.
As with any roadside assistance the service
is not cheap and if possible we would try to get into a shop and not make this
call.
The app on our phone we consider
insurance for the emergency situation and knowing they are only a call away.
To learn more about the program visit the web site:
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 8 years been out here on the road 13 years
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle; 

Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;

Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;

Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.
This is another reason why we use TA/Petro as our truck stop of choice.