LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Goodyear used its presence at the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show to promote the availability of its “Smart Fleet” benefits program for owner-operators and mid-size fleets and to name its Highway Hero.
Last fall Goodyear broadened the eligibility window for the program, which offers benefits previously reserved for national account fleets, to these smaller customers.
“These customers are very important to Goodyear, and they will be able to enroll in the new Goodyear Smart Fleet program during MATS,” said Jose Martinez, business solutions manager, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems.
There are roughly 1.3 million trucking fleets registered with the U.S. government, Mr. Martinez said, of which about 150,000 have seven or more tractors. This means the program's target audience of small fleets and owner-operators with one to 10 trucks is vast, he added.
Features of the Goodyear Smart Fleet program include:
c Access to premium Goodyear branded truck tires and technologies, including Fuel Max Technology and DuraSeal Technology;
c Online, published pricing on new tires, retreads and services, which will be honored by participating, authorized Goodyear commercial tire dealerships;
c 24/7 roadside service program, offered through the Goodyear-FleetHQ suite of business solutions, which cuts downtime;
c Customized tire performance and service activity reporting;
c Tools to help owner-operators and fleets lower their operating costs and improve results, including a mobile device road service app;
c Availability of consistent pricing at any participating Goodyear commercial tire dealership nationwide; and
c The ability to streamline the scheduling of tire and service work by providing relevant information on line, ahead of time.
Mr. Martinez stressed that there are more than 2,200 Smart Fleet points of coverage, including 1,600 that offer 24/7 coverage. The goal of Smart Fleet coverage is to get the trucker rolling within two hours of a service call being received, he said.
Eligible MATS attendees were able to enroll at no cost in Smart Fleet. Interested parties also can enroll online at www.good-yeartrucktires.com.
Once approved, Smart Fleet members will receive a welcome package that includes detailed program and contact information; a Goodyear Smart Fleet identification card with a unique membership number: tire and retread specs, plus pricing; a list of the top three, recommended Goodyear com-mercial tire dealerships in their area; and more.
The program is intended for U.S. fleets for now, Goodyear said. A roll-out in Canada is expected for later this year, with all prevalent material available in both English and French. The company also is working on having the material available in Spanish by 2015, Mr. Martinez said.
The 2014 Highway Hero is Ivan Vasovic, an independent truck driver from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., chosen for his actions October 2013 in saving the life of a fellow trucker whose rig had careened off a highway overpass and was engulfed in flames.
As the 31st Goodyear Highway Hero Award winner, Mr. Vasovic received a special Highway Hero ring, a $5,000 prize and other items.