Owning a heavy-duty truck is a must for many general construction contractors. If you are like many, your truck is probably a little bit larger and a little bit customized to fit your business needs. This can make it a real hassle if you break down, though, since you may not be able to depend upon services aimed at the average passenger vehicle to get you back on the road. The following tips can help you prepare in advance so you know what to do if your truck does have issues:

#1: Have a backup

If you often have equipment or a trailer hooked to your truck, your first task will be getting these back to the job site or your shop. You likely won't want to leave these items on the side of the road or at a repair shop. If someone else on your crew has the ability to handle the hauling with their vehicle or another company vehicle, your problem is solved. Otherwise, you need to keep the number for a heavy duty truck rental company on your speed dial so you can get a temporary replacement vehicle as soon as possible.

#2: Know a tow company

Your next task will be getting the truck to a repair shop. Not every tow truck is equipped to tow larger vehicles. Call those that service the areas where you are most likely to be driving and working with your truck, and find out which ones are capable of towing your vehicle. Once you have this information, you can compare them on price and customer reviews to pick the top two or three tow companies in the area. Add these numbers to your emergency speed dial list.

#3: Find a repair shop

You may already have a preferred shop, or you may prefer to take your truck to the dealer. In that case, you can skip this information. If you don't have a preferred shop, though, take some time to research shops that work on heavy duty trucks like yours. It's important that the shop has experience with bigger rigs, as there are differences – especially when it comes to average wear – compared to them and smaller vehicles. Once you find the shop, you guessed it, add the number to your emergency contact list.

Planning ahead can help you handle a breakdown quickly and with as little frustration as possible no matter what vehicle you drive, but it is even more important when you are in a specialized work vehicle that you need back on the road as fast as possible.

Contact a company like Michael's Towing & Recovery for more information and assistance.