An unanswered call in transportation is a donation to your competitor. Whether it is a $45 NEMT trip or a $400 airport run, if you do not answer, that caller dials the next number on Google. This guide skips the theory and gives you what to actually do.
Step 1: Pick Your Starting Point by Fleet Size
| Fleet Size | Best Starting Provider | Monthly Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 vehicles | Google Voice (Free) + Caravan | ~$49 | Basic forwarding + after-hours AI |
| 3-10 vehicles | OpenPhone or Grasshopper | $23-$51 | Ring groups, IVR, basic time routing |
| 10+ vehicles | RingCentral or 8x8 | $28-$35/user | Full IVR, conditional routing, failover |
Step 2: Activate Call Forwarding
Call forwarding sends unanswered calls to a backup number. Most operators set a 15-20 second delay (2-3 rings) before the forward kicks in.
Dial codes for traditional carriers:
| Carrier | Activate | Cancel |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T | *72 + number + Send | *73 |
| Verizon | *72 + number + Send | *73 |
| T-Mobile | **21* + number + # | ##21# |
| Sprint | *72 + number | *720 |
For VoIP providers: Go to your admin dashboard. The setting is under “Call Forwarding,” “Call Handling,” or “Answering Rules.” Enable “Forward when unanswered” , not “Always forward.”
Step 3: Split Reservations from Dispatch (Ring Groups)
Every transportation operation has two separate call needs: people booking new rides, and people managing active trips. Do not send both to the same phone.
Setup in any VoIP dashboard:
- Create Ring Group A , name it “Reservations.” Add your front desk and lead booking agent.
- Create Ring Group B , name it “Dispatch.” Add on-duty drivers or field coordinators.
- Set Group A to ring simultaneously for 25 seconds before overflowing.
- Set Group B to sequential (ring most available person first).
Where to find this setting: “Ring Groups” / “Call Groups” / “Teams” , all the same feature with different names depending on your provider.
Step 4: Set Up a Phone Menu (IVR)
A phone menu routes callers before anyone picks up. Keep it to three options maximum.
Ready-to-use scripts:
Limo / Shuttle:
“Thank you for calling [Company]. For new reservations, press 1. For an existing booking, press 2. To speak with someone directly, press 0.”
NEMT:
“Thank you for calling [Company]. To schedule a ride, press 1. For an upcoming trip, press 2. For billing, press 3.”
Where to find this: “Auto-Attendant” / “Virtual Receptionist” / “IVR” in your VoIP dashboard.
NEMT Compliance: Any system that records calls or stores patient voicemails must be HIPAA-compliant. Require a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from your provider. RingCentral, Vonage, and 8x8 offer BAAs on standard plans. Google Voice does not.
Step 5: Set Time-Based Rules and an Overflow Fallback
This single table replaces the most complicated part of most phone system setups:
| IF the time is… | AND the caller presses… | THEN route to… |
|---|---|---|
| 8 AM - 6 PM (Weekdays) | “1” Reservations | Reservations Ring Group (25s) then Manager Cell |
| 8 AM - 6 PM (Weekdays) | “2” Dispatch | Dispatch Ring Group (immediate) |
| 6 PM - 10 PM | Any / No input | On-duty Dispatcher Cell (direct) |
| After 10 PM / Weekends | Any / No input | Caravan (AI voice, captures full trip details) |
Where to find this: “Business Hours” / “Time Conditions” / “Call Handling Rules.”
Failover for internet outages: Set your VoIP system to route to your cell automatically if connectivity drops. In RingCentral: Admin Portal > Phone System > Call Handling > Failover. In 8x8: Auto Attendant > Call Routing > Failover Number. If your provider does not offer this, your phones go silent every time Comcast has a bad morning.
Quick Provider Comparison
| Feature | Google Voice | Grasshopper | OpenPhone | RingCentral | 8x8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic forwarding | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ring groups | No | Limited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IVR / Auto-attendant | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time-based routing | No | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overflow rules | No | Basic | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA BAA available | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Failover routing | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Reference Numbers Airport Shuttle Operators Actually Need
When a passenger calls about a delayed flight, you need to confirm status fast. Bookmark these:
| Airline | Flight Info / Ops Line |
|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1-800-433-7300 |
| Delta Air Lines | 1-800-221-1212 |
| United Airlines | 1-800-864-8331 |
| Southwest Airlines | 1-800-435-9792 |
| JetBlue | 1-800-538-2583 |
| Alaska Airlines | 1-800-252-7522 |
| Spirit Airlines | 1-855-728-3555 |
| Frontier Airlines | 1-801-401-9000 |
Real-time flight tracking: FlightAware.com or FlightRadar24.com , faster than calling.
The One Gap This Whole Setup Still Has
After all five steps above, your system still cannot answer a call when everyone is busy or it is 2 AM.
That is where Caravan fits. It sits at the end of your routing chain as the final overflow layer. It picks up anything that falls through, asks the caller for pickup time, location, flight number, and passenger count, then texts the structured booking request to your dispatch team before the caller hangs up.
Point your overflow or after-hours forwarding rule to Caravan’s number. Most operators are live in under 30 minutes.