Work truck down? Here's what to do first.
A truck that won't run costs you every hour it sits. A few minutes of the right steps makes the call to the shop go a lot easier.
Stay safe first.
If anyone is hurt, you're somewhere unsafe, or you see smoke or flames, call 911 before anything else. If you can get the vehicle off the road safely, do that, and turn on the hazard lights.
What to check.
Once everyone is safe, take a minute to see what the truck is telling you. What you notice now helps the mechanic find the problem.
Only look at what's safe to see from the driver's seat, or from beside the vehicle if it's well away from traffic. Don't crawl under it.
- Any warning lights on the dash.
- Noises, smells, or smoke.
- Fluid on the ground under the vehicle.
- Whether it slips, won't go into gear, or is running hot.
Don't keep driving a vehicle with a slipping transmission or an overheating engine. Shut it off and call.
What to tell the shop.
Have these ready when you call. It lets us tell you straight what we're looking at, and what to do next, without a lot of back and forth.
- The vehicle: year, make, and model.
- What it's doing: the symptoms and any warning lights.
- Where it is.
- Whether it's driveable.
Getting it in.
Call the shop and we'll work out how to get it in. If it isn't driveable, a tow is available. We answer during shop hours. Calls outside business hours are returned the next business morning.
Shop hours: Mon – Thu 8 AM – 5 PM; Fri 8 AM – 3 PM; Sat – Sun Closed.
The best breakdown is the one that never happens. Want to catch problems before a truck goes down? See our fleet services, or ask about a free fleet audit.