How to avoid the stress of a breakdown?

Published on 1 February 2023 - 4 reading minute(s)

1 – Regularly maintain and inspect your truck and tyres

A daily maintenance schedule can prevent certain breakdowns. “Check your truck before each trip,” says Socheatra Chan, Michelin’s Technical and Commercial Trucks Customer Trainer.
“Tyres require special attention. Remember to check your tyre pressure regularly, ideally every month. Correct tyre pressure improves safety by offering better grip and reducing the risk of blowouts”.
“Thanks to the training we provide to drivers and workshop technicians, professionals are acquiring tyre maintenance skills. And we know that prevention is better than cure.”

“A breakdown on the motorway can quickly become expensive”

Fabrice Laroche manages Auvergne Méditerranée, a family-owned transport company located north of Clermont-Ferrand. His fleet comprises 50 or so semi-trailers, mostly refrigerated. He explains why he chose Michelin services and solutions to simplify his organisation and avoid extra costs when breakdowns occur.

“My trucks cover 4 million kilometers a year, 95% of them in France. I have an average of four blowouts a year, two of which are caused by foreign objects, such as a piece of scrap metal on the road or motorway.

A tyre breakdown always causes problems. Thanks to Michelin’s e-mail or SMS alerts, I can anticipate certain problems and sometimes even prevent a breakdown, in the case of low tyre pressure. I then notify the driver, who checks the tyre and changes it if there is a spare.

Every transport company worries about tyre blow-outs since they can’t be predicted. But we can try to prevent them! If they do happen, a breakdown service on the motorway quickly becomes expensive: in France, it costs around €2,000. Preventative maintenance of my fleet is my key strategy for avoiding breakdowns. I subcontract this task to a Michelin-approved service provider who checks my truck tyres every week on site.”

https://www.auvergne-mediterranee.com/

2 - Register for a breakdown service

When you do have a tyre puncture or blowout, you can’t avoid calling roadside assistance. However, you can keep costs down by using an efficient breakdown service with upfront pricing.
Karim Essaadi, Service Designer, and Franck-Olivier Delannel, Michelin Services and Solutions Customer Experience Manager, explain the four key advantages of the MICHELIN ONCall breakdown service :

- The MICHELIN ONCall service has a 2.5-hour⁽¹⁾average response time in Europe: day or night, all week and on weekends, 24/7. This average response time is proven, consistent, and verified.
- The service covers 34 countries across Europe in 24 languages, with a single point of contact.
- Transparent rates with no nasty surprises.
- A network of 3,300 European partners to guarantee a rapid response everywhere: a simple call or click sets everything in motion”