How One WhatsApp Call Saved an International Truck Deal

By Caleb Markovich

Kay Byrd, the manager of Markays Trucking, was at her desk, deciding whether or not to push a button to make the biggest international truck deal of her life. She had seconds left to decide.

She had been eyeing this truck for weeks. A notification alerted her that the auction was about to close in an hour. 

One split-second decision later, she decided to take her chances. "You know what? Let's just go for it," Kay recalls.

Those few final seconds later, Kay’s bid won the auction. She was now the proud owner of a shiny new commercial truck, and one of the best recent investments she’d made for her business.

It was only after that when a thought fluttered through her mind:

“How the hell am I going to get this thing inspected?”

TL;DR: One phone call turned five rejections into a lifetime partnership.

• UK fleet manager needed a pre-purchase inspection in Kansas City on a tight deadline
• 5 companies hung up on her — £100 in international phone bills wasted
• Truckup's dispatcher George answered, offered WhatsApp to save her money
• Dead battery during inspection? Team came back next day, waived the fee
• She's now made Truckup her first call for every US truck deal

Five Rejections and a Growing Phone Bill

“We don’t do trucks,” click.

“Sorry, can’t help you,” click.

Calls 3, 4, 5 went by with different variations of “No.” abruptly cutting her off without even waiting for an “ok, thank you.” 

Kay Byrd, was now tasked with arranging a pre-purchase inspection with a tight deadline, and she had no idea how the system in the U.S. works. Even as doors were closing and her options were dwindling, Kay saw her international phone bill go up by £20, £40, £60, £700, £1,000. Her new truck needed a pre-purchase inspection ASAP before it could find its way to its final destination in Jamaica. If she couldn’t make it happen, she would lose the truck.

Kay was running out of time and options, and the brusque, impersonal unfriendliness of the companies she called was in no way helping.

“Most of them were just saying, No, they can't do it,” says Kay. “Literally, the calls are just being cut.”

One More Search

If it's one thing Kay isn't, it's a quitter. Never one to be outdone, the pressure and mounting phone bill prompted Kay to try just one more thing. 

"I've got that personality,” Kay remarks. “Once I start something, I want to see it through.”

After doing a Google search and trying a few keywords, she entered "Mobile truck mechanics Kansas City". Truckup was one of the very first results at the top.

A quick scan of the reviews showed promise. Kay held her breath, crossed her fingers, and made one final attempt to find someone who could help her through her situation.

"No matter how many obstacles were in my way," Kay says, "I was like No, I gotta get it. I'm gonna keep calling until I get through to someone that can help me."

And get through she did.

George Answers, Help Arrives

When George picked up the phone and talked to Kay, he was bright, welcoming, helpful. He acted like someone who actually enjoys their job. It was a complete 180 from the flat, monotone rejections Kay had been getting all day.

George told her straight away, "Yes, we can do pre-purchase inspections.”

As soon as Kay heard those words, a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Then, to top that, George followed up with:

“Would WhatsApp work better to save you money?"

That one line completely turned Kay's day around. After racking up her phone bill with a string of failed, international phone calls, George offered an easy, convenient, free way for her to save money.

“When George answered the phone, he sounded happy to be working,” says Kay. “He sounded happy to help me. And you can tell that he really enjoys what he does.”

With a little tiny bit of added effort on his part, and Kay felt respected and human again during one of the most stressful days of her life.

The Solution Set in Motion

The inspection was arranged at short notice. George sent down Jarel, who did a thorough examination of the truck while walking Kay through every step of the process.

As he did the rounds, Jarel found the truck had a dead battery, which kept him from proceeding with the inspection. For most truck repair companies in Kansas City, that would be the point where they'd shrug and go "well, we tried," and the purchase would have fallen through right there.

Not Truckup. Not Jarel. Not this time.

George and Jarel arranged a next-day return visit almost immediately, despite the already short notice. No hassle, no arguing, no “we’ll get back to when we can, maybe,” just a seamless flow from need to action. Truckup even waived the second visit fee entirely. Kay was shocked.

"The fact that they were able and willing to go back, like I think it was pretty much the next day," says Kay. "It was just brilliant. It surpassed my expectations."

Jarel’s report was thorough, detailed, and gave Kay the confidence she needed to proceed with the purchase. He was shocked at the price, too. Kay had gotten a stellar deal.

From Crisis to Lifetime Customer

The day was saved. Money was well spent. Fears were quelled. Kay became a Truckup customer for life.

By the time Kay got the pre-purchase inspection done and secured her truck, she had wracked up a phone bill of nearly £100. It was hard going, but worth every penny.

This incident marked her company's first successful US vehicle purchase and the first of many more to come with Truckup's help. One purchase turned Kay's situation around from one of panic to one of partnership.

“Truckup will be the first company I will contact," in Kay’s own words.

George's helpfulness and communication, together with Jarel's professionalism, set a new standard in international truck buying. Expensive digital transactions are often dehumanizing. They made Kay feel human. 

As Kay puts it: “If you want to reach a goal as quickly as possible and have the best customer service provided to you, use TRUCKUP."

Having a purchase lined up and need to line up an inspection in a hurry? We've got your back. Call Truckup at 1-877-TRUCKUP, and you’ll be set in the best of hands.