Keeping customers on the move with ProCare

Many of Hiab’s customers work in a tough business environment. Nowadays, transport companies must deal with fierce competition, small profit margins, and rising fuel prices. During vital operations, if load-handling equipment falters, it could easily cost a hard-won deal worth many times the cost of a service contract. The last thing a fleet owner wants is running the risk of your equipment failing. 

All machines need periodic service and care, and properly executed maintenance can ensure that they function smoothly without any problems. The result is called ProCare_TM, where ‘Pro’ is short for proactive and professional, reflecting a more forward approach. There are four levels of ProCareTM service agreements to choose from, so clients can opt for a custom solution which fits their business best.

One fleet owner in the Netherlands who never thinks twice about having service contracts on Hiab equipment is Suez, a large operator in the field of waste disposal, collection and recycling. Suez has been active in the Netherlands since 2002, and has 800 heavy trucks on the road, around one-third of which have been fitted out with Hiab equipment. Service contracts have always been part of their business deal with Hiab, says fleet manager Richard Bierhuizen.

“A service contract really is a no-brainer for us. The quiet smoothness and convenience of a contract saves you heaps of hassle. One invoice a month is all we ever see on our desk. The fixed costs save you nasty surprises and we never need to worry about inspections and regular maintenance. I can’t recall any serious breakdowns, and I’m quite sure that the maintenance schedule has played its part here.”

The experience has been similar for Witzand Bouwmaterialen, a supplier of building materials located in the far east of the country. A Hiab client since 2006, the company operates three MOFFETTs and one roller crane and has opted for the Total R&M (Repair & Maintenance) package of ProCareTM. A protective feature that has been very useful, says Casper Van Vels, the fleet manager at Witzand. “One of our MOFFETTs was away for maintenance and we were using a replacement MOFFETT from Hiab. Unfortunately, it faced problems. But as soon as we notified Hiab, they sped up the maintenance on our own MOFFETT, working overtime, and returned it much earlier than planned. As a result, our downtime was negligible.”

Impressed, Van Vels advised a transportation company working under contract for Witzand to go for a MOFFETT and to include a ProCareTM service agreement in the deal, which they did. All of which just feeds into Hiab’s goal of keeping its customers on the move always, so that they can deliver as promised, every time.