With more than nine tons of freight goods being transported on trucks throughout the United States, running a freight transportation business can be very lucrative. But without a commercial fleet repair company by your side, you may find that inconvenient breakdowns and maintenance requirements cut into your profits overall. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a repair company to work with that should help ensure that you make the right decision for your needs:

Towing and Storage

An important consideration to make when consulting with prospective fleet repair companies is towing and storage after a breakdown. How does the process work when one of your drivers breaks down and needs to be towed in for repairs? Will you be responsible for transporting your driver to their own vehicle and getting the truck to the repair yard, or will the company do that for you?

If the company will take care of towing the truck, how long will it take for a service provider to reach the scene and where will the truck be taken? Make a list of questions and concerns you have about how your trucks will be handled after a breakdown and make copies of the list so you can use a different copy at each of your consultation meetings to write notes on.

Maintenance Scheduling

As the owner of a freight transportation company, the last thing you want to do is waste time worrying about maintenance for each of the trucks in your fleet. The repair company you decide to work with should be willing to plan, manage, and execute a maintenance schedule for your fleet to seamlessly work with your company's business processes.

You'll likely have to provide them with a road schedule for each truck in your fleet so that the company knows when to schedule maintenance sessions. It's also a good idea to make sure that the company you'll be working with is willing to come to your place of business for at least some maintenance tasks, so you don't have to worry about transporting them to another facility for things like tune-ups and inspections.

Warranties and Guarantees

When a new part is put into one of your trucks, will they be covered under warranty? If so, what type of a warranty? Will you have access to a variety of warranty options after a replacement is made and will you receive a copy of the policy on the spot? As for the actual labor, what kind of guarantees will be made that will protect your company from performance dysfunctions and improper repairs? These are all questions that should be asked when consulting with potential commercial fleet repair companies to ensure that you won't end up facing any unwanted financial surprises or having to pay for repairs that are a result of neglect.

Billing Cycle Options

Billing should be one of the top things on your mind when meeting with prospective repair companies, as they'll all likely offer their own unique financial options to choose from. Ask each company you consult with to provide you with a comprehensive list of billing options that will be available to you as a customer for every type of service they offer.

If companies offer net 30 or 90 billing options, make sure that they indicate processing fees and interest rates that you'll be subject to. You can take the lists back to your office and compare them apples-to-apples to determine which company is most likely to give you the most bang for your buck.

Making these considerations when choosing which commercial fleet repair company to work with should help ensure that your company's unique needs are met as time goes on.