Collision Centers: Choosing The Best Center For Your Truck Fleet

Automotive Blog

A collision center is a location that provides auto repair services after an accident /collision. Unlike regular body shops, collision centers offer mechanical repairs and refurbishing the vehicle's bodywork after a crash.

For hauling businesses, it is essential to get their truck(s) comprehensively repaired as quickly as possible without compromising on the quality of repairs. As a result, choosing the best collision center to handle the repairs is a vital task. Here are four tips on how to vet and pick a collision center.

1. Word Of Mouth

The best collision centers in terms of quality service tend to develop a reputation among truckers. As a result, you can ask around for recommended collision centers from other trucking businesses or truck drivers. It is advisable to take as many recommendations as possible to have various collision centers to vet by comparing and contrasting different aspects of each center.

2. Making Preliminary Visits To The Centers

A preliminary visit enables you to see for yourself the kind of operation that each collision center runs. During the visit, it is essential to ask about:

  • Services they provide
  • Onsite equipment
  • Training provided to the technicians
  • Inventory of parts they have at the center
  • Warranty for the work provided

It is also advisable to ask each collision center for an estimate for the repairs you need to be done during the visits. Ensure the technicians at the collision center examine your truck(s) before they provide the estimates. It means the technicians know what they are talking about when they give the repairs estimate cost.

3. Compare and Contrast Different Collision Centers

Once you have conducted preliminary visits and collected the information from the different collision centers on your list of recommendations, it is time to compare and contrast. The first comparison should be on which center has the most truck repair services on offer. 

Remember, there are different types of truck repair services you might require in the future. As a result, the more comprehensive the list of repair services a collision center has, the better suited it is for different mechanical and bodywork repairs. Additionally, they can guarantee a full repair service under one roof instead of using multiple centers for various repairs on the same truck.

The second comparison is the type of equipment they have and the availability of repair parts in inventory. This consideration ensures you pick a collision center that will handle the repairs promptly. Having the latest equipment means most of the work is automated, and hence, it will take less time to conduct repairs. Additionally, having spare parts in inventory means that the collision center is well prepared to handle any repairs at a moment's notice.  

The third comparison is the cost of the repairs. Different collision centers will provide varying priced estimates for the repairs you need. Some collision centers may offer higher estimates than others.

4. Choosing A Winner

Choosing a suitable collision center comes down to which center has the best services, equipment, and reasonable pricing.

As far as repair services are concerned, ensure they provide the full spectrum of mechanical and bodywork service. Additionally, they should have the latest equipment, e.g., a heated paint booth, to minimize the time taken to conduct the repairs. Finally, ensure that the collision center has reasonable prices that are not significantly above or below the average cost of the repair work in the area.

Remember, when you select a reliable collision center, you can rely on them in the future for quality repair service. 

Share

6 April 2021