TORONTO, Ont. — Goodyear has officially rebranded its Truckwise program to fleetHQ, offering members consistent branding and service throughout Canada and the US while promising to expand and strengthen the network.

The transition has been underway in recent months, and was made official at a Truck World press conference in Toronto.

Rebranding the program will “create a consistent business solutions brand that offers products, services and information tools for trucking fleets and owner/operators throughout North America,” the company announced.

Truckwise, now fleetHQ, has provided customers – both big and small – with comprehensive support ranging from advice on proper tire selection to emergency roadside service. It’s an all-encompassing program that’s offered free of charge to Goodyear customers who elect to sign up.

“The decision to transition from Truckwise to fleetHQ will expand and strengthen the fleetHQ brand throughout North America,” announced Dwight McGill, general manager, commercial tire centres.

One of the more compelling reasons to join is fleetHQ’s emergency road service, available through its fleetHQ Solution Center. Built four years ago, the Solution Centre has a proven track record of getting trucks and trailers with roadside tire failures back on the road quickly, boasting an average “roll time” of two hours and 12 minutes in 2011, which the company says is the best in the industry. Last year, 195,000 trucks were serviced through fleetHQ’s Solution Center. The program also provides consistent pricing and assures the most appropriate tire for the vehicle is located and delivered.

Goodyear reps said all invoicing is handled through the fleetHQ Web site and local dealers, so drivers aren’t asked to dispense with their cash on the side of the road or overcharged for tires.

Another feature is TVTrack, an online program that allows fleet owners and managers to manage the cost of their tire program by collecting, documenting and then presenting important tire-related data in an easy-to-read dashboard format.

fleetHQ also includes Trailer-Readiness, a new service that allows fleets to develop custom trailer surveys and receive reports on essential vehicle systems. The new offering allows them to manage the yard checks of their trailers before they hit the road.

Gold Medallion retreads are offered through the program. And Tire Pix provides snapshots of any tire that was replaced roadside, so the fleet owner or maintenance manager can examine the replaced tire without requiring the driver to haul it back to the shop.

Fleets and owner/operators can sign up for the program, and then choose the options they wish to take advantage of. There are fees charged for certain services, but membership in the program is free. One of the greatest advantages, Goodyear officials said, was that small fleets and owner/operators can now receive the same level of support traditionally only enjoyed by large national fleets.

Bruce Woodruff, director, business solutions marketing with Goodyear, said the program was borne out of a desire from customers to be better educated on tire selection and maintenance, so they could get a better return on their tire investment.

“Saving time and saving money are two of the most important things to fleets,” Woodruff said. “Solving problems was the driving force behind creating Truckwise, and now fleetHQ. Customers were saying ‘I need you to make me smarter, help me make better business decisions and give me actual data that can help me reduce my overall operating costs’.”

To borrow a line from another corporation, membership seems to have its benefits. Brian Brandenburg of ThyssenKrupp, told Goodyear in a testimonial that fleetHQ helped it reduce its overall tire expenses by 40% or more over the past five years.

There are currently about 2,000 participating fleetHQ dealers through the US and Canada, about 120 of which are located north of the border. McGill said the company will be expanding its fleetHQ dealer network, but it doesn’t happen overnight as there participating dealers must meet stringent service standards and undergo an audit before being welcomed into the program.

“It’s not just a sign,” McGill said. “There’s a level of service that comes with that and an audit process before they can become a fleetHQ dealer.”