What better place to offer services for trucks and transport companies than one of the logistic hotspots of the Benelux? That’s what the founders of AMR must have thought when the company was founded over thirty years ago. What started out as a mobile repair service for trucks on the outskirts of the Port of Antwerp is now a full-fledged truck parking, workshop and truckwash business. Given the broad range of road services covered by AMR, it’s no surprise that the company and TRAVIS work together so well. Until recently, AMR was only able to offer truckparking and truckwash on the TRAVIS platform. With the recent launch of TRAVIS’ repair network, AMR can now offer their repair services to carriers from all over Europe. The cherry on top? AMR put the very first repair transaction in the TRAVIS network to their name.
Fast fixes in the repair drive-through
‘As our company’s name suggests, AMR’s core business is repair’, Jeroen Michielsen, Workshop Manager at AMR explains. He continues: ‘Our primary focus is on small, quick repairs. That’s the main reason why we have a mobile repair service. However, we’ve also equipped our workshop in order to efficiently handle multiple minor repairs at once. Drivers should be able to simply drive in and out for repairs so they can be back on the road in no-time. To make this possible, we did not opt for multiple repair lanes next to each other, as you regularly see in repair shops. We’ve designated one half of our workshop for these quick repairs: there is enough room for multiple trucks to line up behind each other. It’s a repair drive-through as it were. The other half of the workshop is more like a traditional truck repair. This is where multiple vehicles are next to each other for larger, more time-consuming repairs. We also have our own truck paint booth here.’
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“It’s one of those typical situations where language barriers and administrative hassle make an easy job unnecessarily time-consuming.”
With the launch of the repair network, TRAVIS also primarily focuses on small repairs. As far as Michielsen is concerned, the proof is in the pudding. The very first repair transaction shows exactly why the booking platform is especially useful for fast, on the fly repairs. He explains: ‘A Romanian driver came in with a broken fuel tank. It’s one of those typical situations where language barriers and administrative hassle make an easy job unnecessarily time-consuming. Both for us, and for the driver. Drivers want to be back on the road as soon as possible. And the faster the driver is back on the road, the faster we can tend to another driver’s needs. By handling the repair via TRAVIS, everything went very smoothly.
Transactions via TRAVIS
I prefer to handle all transaction via TRAVIS, Jeroen explains: ‘Take for example the traditional fuel- and payment cards. It’s usually the first payment option that springs to mind when drivers need to pay. Unfortunately, I feel that these card companies have not been able to keep up with the rapidly evolving market. Transactions are still processed via traditional payment terminals and invoices are sent by post. TRAVIS on the other hand, enables you to process transactions with your own phone and you automatically receive invoices per e-mail. Quite the difference, wouldn’t you say? Not only is TRAVIS fully digital, I am guaranteed a fast payment and I have a lot less administrative work.’
Everyone benefits
‘As I mentioned, carriers and their drivers will benefit from a better, more efficient (repair)process. You can’t plan ahead for repairs. As a matter of fact, repairs are usually needed right when you expect it the least. You want to get things taken care off as soon a possible so you can get back on the road in no-time. By offering a more efficient repair process, more drivers will be able to use our services and they’ll be back on the road faster. The time drivers manage to save will ultimately translate to cost savings for the carrier. Better yet, TRAVIS can apply the reverse-charge VAT to international (EU) customers. Because reclaiming VAT is usually a painstakingly time-consuming process, many carriers don’t even bother with it. By applying the reverse-charge mechanism, repairs via TRAVIS are actually about 20% less expensive for these international customers.’
Continuous development
‘AMR has been a TRAVIS partner, almost since the launch of the platform. Over the course of the past year, we’ve seen how fast the platform develops and grows. It’s quite a short drive between Tilburg and Antwerp. Because of this short distance and our pleasant partnership, we see or at least speak to eachother regularly. It’s great to see that there’s always room to share from our personal experiences. Thanks to over 30 years of experience with mobile repairs, we often encounter things that could further improve the platform. Moreover, we really feel that this input is valued. As a matter of fact, I was told that some of our ideas will soon be implemented on the platform!
As your fleet traverses Europe’s highways, finding a safe and secure parking spot for your drivers to rest and your cargo to remain protected is a critical necessity. The demand for secure parking along routes.