What to tell a roadside repair dispatcher

A provider heading out from Marion or Mount Vernon decides which truck to send and what to load based on your first call. Getting the details right up front can save a second trip.

Where the truck is

• Which road: I-57, I-24 or I-64, and which way you are headed
• The mile post or exit you just passed
• If parked: the lot name and your row, or which rest area (Trail of Tears, Rend Lake)
• Between exits: an overpass, bridge or crossroad you can see

The equipment

• Tractor brand, model and year
• Who built the engine
• Van, reefer, flatbed or tank, and loaded or empty
• Unit or VIN number when the provider asks

The trouble

• The moment it started and what you noticed
• Dash lamps, messages, fault codes
• Any smoke, leak, smell or new noise
• Can it drive itself off the road or not

Approval and payment

• Carrier and the person who can say yes to the work
• Purchase order, fuel card or card on file
• A cap on spending, if the carrier set one