Owner guide
How to reduce "where is my truck?" calls
Last updated
The short answer
Customers call for the truck because they have no other way to know what is happening. Give an honest ETA on the first call, update them when it changes, and send a tracking link or texts at each step, and most of those calls stop.
Why do customers keep calling for an ETA?
Customers keep calling because waiting on a roadside is stressful and silence feels like being forgotten. Every "where is my truck?" call is really a request for reassurance, and a repeated call usually means nobody told them anything since the first one.
Once you see it that way, the fix is not to discourage calls. It is to give people the information before they have to ask.
How do you set expectations on the first call?
Give an honest arrival window on the first call, say what happens next, and tell them how you will keep them posted. A realistic estimate that you beat is better than a hopeful one you miss.
Ask for a mobile number they can use, and ask whether they agree to text updates about the job. Record the answer, then tell them a message is coming. If they say no, agree the times you will call instead. A customer who has agreed and knows an update is on the way is far less likely to call again in ten minutes.
What updates should you send while they wait?
Update at the moments that change what the customer is waiting for, not on a timer: when the truck is assigned, when it leaves, and when the time slips. If the ETA slips, say so early, with a new time and a short reason. The full list of moments you can send is on the automatic text updates page, and wording you can copy is in the guide on texting the ETA.
Doing that by hand means dispatch stops what it is doing every few minutes. That is the case for automating it, or at least writing a routine that never depends on someone remembering.
- Tell them which truck is coming the moment it is assigned, before they think to ask.
- Give a new time as soon as you know the old one will slip.
- Say what you know and what you do not: an honest "about" beats a confident guess.
- Give a number that a person answers, for the customer who needs a human.
Can a tracking link really replace the phone call?
A tracking link answers the question the customer would have asked. When the customer can open a page and see the truck on a map and the arrival time you gave, they do not need to call to find out.
TowSitePros sends a private tracking page by text, with the arrival time you set, the truck on a map, a way to message the driver and a button to reach your office. When the customer shares their location the page adds a distance-based estimate, labeled as an estimate rather than a promise. Texts need a texting provider and the customer's consent.
Step by step
Give an honest arrival window
On the first call, quote a realistic window you can meet, and say what is next.
Ask before you text
Ask for the best mobile number and whether the customer agrees to text updates. Record the answer, then tell them a message is coming. If they say no, agree a time you will call instead.
Pick your update moments
Decide the few points that change what the customer is waiting for, and write them on a card next to the phone.
Send the first update quickly
Tell them which truck is coming as soon as it is assigned, before they think to ask.
Update early when things slip
If a job runs long, send the new time and a short reason before the customer has to call.
Give them a page or a link
A tracking link that shows the truck lets customers check for themselves instead of calling.
Review the calls you still get
Note why people still call. If it is the same reason each time, fix that message.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reasonable way to give an ETA?
Give a window rather than a single minute, based on where the truck really is and the traffic that day. If you are unsure, say so and promise a call back once the driver is en route.
Do I need software to do this?
No. You can start with a simple text template and a routine. Software helps once the volume is high enough that someone forgets or dispatch cannot keep up with sending them.
Will customers still want to talk to a person?
Some will, and that is fine. The goal is to remove the routine calls so your team has time for the customers who really need a human, such as someone worried about safety.
What if the customer does not have a smartphone?
Then a phone call still works. Keep a simple call-back routine for those customers, and use links and texts for everyone who can use them.
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