Tow Professional - Volume: 6 Issue: 7

TOW PROFESSIONAL

Volume 6 • Issue 7 2017

CONTENTS

www.towprofessional.com

Feature: Towing Software I N D U S T RY NEWS

28| Beacon / Dispatch Anywhere

TOWING & RECOVERY

6| Jerr-Dan 8| 2017 Wall of the Fallen Ceremony 12 | United Coalition for Motor Club Safety 14 | DieselSite

Fuel 4 thought

Products: Towing Software 32 |

Omadi

36 | TomTom

16 | Who Has Their Hand in Your Pocket?

40 |Ranger SST

Insightful talk 20 | Motor Club Calls: Good or Bad for Your

44 |

VTS Systems

Business?

Feature: Electronic Logs

48 | TOPS/BudgetGPS

24| J.J. Keller and Associates

52 | AutoDataDirect 54 | Swoop

56 | towbook

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 | Publisher’s Letter 58 |Dealers Place 2

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

63 | Market Place 64 | Ad Index

PUBLISHER’S

LETTER

TM

Professional Your Resource for Towing & Recovery

Volume 6 • Issue 7 2017 www.towprofessional.com

Fall in Ohio Dang, it is hard to believe it is fall time again! Alabama football is in full swing down here, and we are just getting back from the Midwest Tow Show. The TRAO and Mrs. Donna Brock did a terrific job as usual and the weather was terrific. Normally when we go to the Ohio show, it’s a little cool, and we have even had some rain, but this year, Mother Nature cooperated and showed out a little.

It is always good to see the folks with TRAO and visit with our friends. The Beacon and Tow 411 parties were fun while Sandy’s and Worldwide did their usual events. It was a great time, and The Great Wolf Lodge did a good job entertaining the families in attendance. I even considered throwing on the bathing suit and hitting the indoor water park.

Thank God, the mirror talked me out of it.

In this issue, we are talking about GPS and software companies. We will cover the benefits each offer and speak with some of their clients to get their feedback. Dan and DJ are up to their old tricks, and we will cover the latest industry news.

We have now opened sales and reservations for next year’s Southern Tow Expo and Beach Bash in Orange Beach, Alabama. The show will be August 10th - 12th 2018 and will be a ton of fun. If you didn’t make it last year, you need to come this upcoming year.

We will have a Deep-Sea Fishing Tournament, Beach Bash, and a night at the worldfamous Flora-Bama--all this along with training from Wreckmaster, an exciting trade show, and terrific seminars that will help you and your business for years to come.

PUBLISHER Darian Weaver President & Publisher darian@towprofessional.com

Tim Smith V.P. Sales tim@towprofessional.com __________________________

PRODUCTION Dana Scott Creative Director dana@towprofessional.com

Gene Eudy Proof Editor gene@towprofessional.com __________________________

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tom Bray - JJ. Keller and Associates D.J. Harrington Dan Messina Nigel Pestell - VTS Systems Darian Weaver - Tow Professional

Stay safe and keep reading,

Timothy A. Smith Vice President Tow Professional Magazine

__________________________

Executive and Advertising Offices 2007 Old Montgomery Hwy, Suite B Birmingham, AL 35244 Toll free: 888-802-8544 Fax: 205-978-1550 www.towprofessional.com Tow Professional is published nine times a year by Over The Mountain Media, Inc., P.O. Box 26308, Birmingham, Alabama, 35260, USA. Tow Professional is distributed free to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates are $57.00 per year in the U.S. and Canada and $84.00 per year for foreign subscribers (surface mail). U.S. Postage paid at Birmingham, Alabama and additional mailing offices.

Tow Professional is distributed to qualified Towing & Recovery's Top Decision Makers. Publisher is not liable for all content (including editorial and illustrations provided by advertisers) of advertisements published and does not accept responsibility for any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertiser’s or agency’s responsibility to obtain appropriate releases on any item or individuals pictured in an advertisement. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher.

4

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

For a new free subscription, address changes or corrections, please visit www.towprofessional.com and click on the “subscribe” tab.

TOUGHNESS IN THE FIELD.

TomTom Telematics and Omad i Mobile Management have teamed up to combine WEBFLEET’s GPS tracking, job dispatching and fuel saving with a seamless integration to the Omadi mobile app, all on the toughest device: TomTom PRO 8275M Driver Terminal. A ruggedized 7” screen with built-in camera, rear camera support, traffic avoidance, truck routing and more. No switching platforms. No paperwork.

Contact us today to take your business to the next level with a TomTom WEBFLEET & Omadi integrated solution on the PRO 8275M!

Let’s drive business Call:

®

866-224-9451 email: sales.us@telematics.tomtom.com or visit: telematics.tomtom.com

© 2017 TomTom Telematics — All Rights Reserved — 09012017 All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

* Not actual size of device - actual size: 7.79” ( W ) x 4 . 84” ( H ) x 0.98” ( D)

I ND U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO

MIAMI-DADE RECEIVES CUSTOMIZED JERR-DAN 50-60 TON JFB ROTATOR This is the first-of-a-kind ‘rescue’ apparatus for Miami-Dade Fire

Jerr-Dan delivered a customized 50/60 Ton JFB Rotator specifically designed and built for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR). Jerr-Dan officially handed the rotator key to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue team on July 2017 and it became the newest addition to the Miami- Dade Fire Rescue fleet.

“This is the first time the company has created a custom-made fire rescue apparatus that will be used for emergency and rescue response of Miami-Dade County’s Fire and Rescue efforts,” said Jeff Irr, Senior Director of Sales for Jerr-Dan. “This custom-made 50/60 Ton JFB Rotator is an example of Jerr-Dan’s commitment to offering the latest in innovation and expanding its product offering into a new industry such as Fire and Rescue. We are proud of our partnership with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and we are confident this partnership will enable us 6

to help more fire rescue department across the country.”

The Jerr-Dan 50/60 Ton JFB Rotator has a combination of heavy-duty capabilities, superior stabilizing technology, 360 degree rotation, impressive power and pulling capacity. The Jerr-Dan Fire Body (JFB) Series is an extra-rugged, non-corrosive exterior made of weather-tight, impact-resistant polypropylene—making it

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

more durable and longer lasting. It features roll-up aluminum doors for swifter access to equipment, strategically placed LED lighting for improved visibility and specialty storage solutions to ensure every tool has its place. The JFB Body Series is available for standard and twin steer chassis.

Some of the customized features for Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue rotator include: many custom storage solutions such as pull out tilt down shelving, integrated chain organizer, snatch block/shackle racks and rescue tool mounts to efficiently organize the specialized rescue rigging package and assorted rescue tools and equipment.

Jerr-Dan has also added custom fire department elements which include adherence to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) lighting and siren standards as well as fire department specific cab seating.

“The addition of this Jerr-Dan Rotator to our fire rescue fleet will allow us to provide a life-saving resource for the out of the ordinary technical rescues we encounter across our vast service area,” said Dave Downey, Fire Chief of MiamiDade Fire Rescue. www.jerrdan.com

I N D U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO

2017 “Wall of the Fallen” Ceremony

By Darian Weaver, President and Publisher of Tow Professional Magazine

This year, tower’s from across the nation gathered at the International Towing Hall of Fame Museum for the “Wall of the Fallen” ceremony. This was a special time to honor the brave towers that lost their lives in the line of duty. Regretfully this year, 26 names were added to the 404 that were already dedicated on the wall.

This is a beautiful ceremony that tugs at the heart strings reminding us all, of the danger these men and women face daily to provide help in the time of need to others. As seen from the family members who attend every year, these towers are not just men and women—they are fathers, sons, brothers, mothers, sisters and daughters-- people who are deeply loved and painfully missed when their names appear and are honored every year on the “Wall of the Fallen!”

The industry itself is very aware of the “Slow Down, Move 8

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Over,” and “Over One, Lose None” movements that are instrumental in educating the public and promoting safety within.

We, as a community, need to continue to work with our associations, legislators, and with local radio and news outlets to further carry the message to the masses. Our community understands the importance; however, it will take grass roots efforts by our tow owners and association leaders in every city through consistent advertisement and strategic networking through social media to send a strong message to the public on the very personal impact that obeying the laws can have for the safety of our family members on the road.

Let’s continue to work together to make sure that the message is heard and to ensure that no family should deal with the devastation of losing a loved to another careless motorist. www.internationaltowingmuseum.org

I N D U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO

The United Coalition for Motor Club Safety Seeking Board Members The United Coalition for Motor Club Safety will be holding its annual meeting and elections in early 2018 to start their 7th year as a membership organization. They are looking to fill some board positions with Towers outside the state of California thus fulfilling the desire to have more of a National presence. If you are interested and would like more information, you can email UCMCS at staff@motorclubcoalition.org The United Coalition for Motor Club Safety is a membership organization formed by towers in 2012 that focuses on safety, training, and advocacy in the Towing and Recovery industry. To learn more about UCMCS go to motorclubcoalition.org. www.motorclubcoalition.org

12

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

I N D U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO

Think There are no Issues with the 6.7L Fuel System?

Don’t Wait to Upgrade Yours!

The Ford 6.7L engine was outfitted with a completely new type of common rail system from the lift pump, high-pressure fuel pump, injectors, and fuel filters.

What Dieselsite has discovered (and so have many other at their expense) is that the fuel system components are very sensitive to water and debris, much more so than previous fuel system designs.

The Ultra-Low Sulfur Fuel available to users has always had a propensity to absorb water. While it has always been a good idea for the longevity of diesel injection parts to remove water in the fuel system, negligence can lead to catastrophic failure. The OEM filter simply doesn't remove water or particles in a sufficient enough quantity to completely protect the system. The other thing Dieselsite has discovered is once the "water in fuel" light (WIF) comes on, there is already water passing and damage has already 14

occurred. The way the Ford warranty system works is if there is ANY sign of surface rust on the flow control valve, the system is no longer under warranty.

There is no further inspection that will be done, and the dealers are told to not spend any more time on the truck, except to give the customer an estimate for a complete fuel system replacement. This is a cost of $12,000- $18,000, depending on whether you brought it to them when you could still drive it or the fuel pump went south and damaged even more components.

Dieselsite, Inc., from Homosassa, Florida has developed a special fuel filter, water separator that will help protect the Ford 6.7L fuel system from particles and water. Made in the USA, the system requires no cutting of lines and takes about 20 minutes to install.

The Dieselsite filter works by intercept-

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

ing the fuel before it gets to the factory filter and any of the Ford fuel system components. There is a separator cone in the bowl of the filter that removes water and all large particles. Then the fuel travels into the upper section through a 2 micron particle separator. At this point, you have very clean, water-free fuel traveling through your system. With a quick peek under the truck, you can view the bowl for water and dirt. The water is removed by opening the petcock. Dieselsite always uses the Dahl brand. Dahl perfected this concept, and it is still the best.

The Dieselsite system also comes with an optional fuel heater and LED filter minder. Don’t get stuck because of bad fuel and a repair not covered under warranty. www.dieselsite.com

Fuel 4 thought

By D .J. Harringt on, CSP

At a recent towing meeting, we heard about fraud and how creative and undermining it can be within business walls-specifically, employee fraud or theft-bytaking. What causes this? Is it sickness? greed? jealousy? addiction? To have an employee stoop that low, there must be a change of the heart. They’ve rationalized that their fraud is somehow justified because the business is making lots of money. They may feel underpaid, debtridden, not respected, mistreated, or deserve it because of longevity and faithfulness to the business.

No matter what they’re thinking, taking money or inventory off your shelves is stealing. As our conversation continued outside the meeting room, one tower after another had a personal story to tell, and the amounts of money and time it lasted seemed to grow with each story. It almost felt like we were comparing surgery wounds. Folks, your employees can do major surgery on your business right under your nose unless you implement some checks and balances. The following are ONLY 7 WAYS some employees have stolen: One tower revealed that a female employee wouldn’t take vacation. They had to insist. With cash going into the 16

bank on a daily basis, she would shorten the deposit $200-$300 each day. Since no one noticed, she kept doing it. She was “underpaid.” They had 2 RED FLAGS: One, she wouldn’t take vacation because if she did, then someone might see what she was doing. Two, she made all deposits. To avoid another person putting their hand in this guy’s pocket, he needed to adopt some checks and balances.

Another towing manager chimed in that her employee theft issue involved the distribution of keys. Only certain employees had her keys. Always distribute keys that say “DO NOT DUPLICATE.” Why? Anyone sent to make keys could duplicate keys that aren’t supposed to be duplicated--specifically master keys. Her trusted employee had a master key. Riding through the area one Sunday, she noticed that someone was inside her lot. Sneaking in from the back, she found this employee repairing his car using parts from her inventory. “He was going through a relationship breakup.” As she finished her story, another tower spoke up.

He had a long-time, faithful employee.

In fact, this employee was so trusted and appreciated that she attended his family Christmas celebrations and summers around the family pool. Since she paid all

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

bills, every time county taxes came due, this trusted employee would write the check for the business property taxes and include her property taxes too. No one paid attention because she wrote one check. No checks and balances!

Imagine how you would feel if you found out the person that shared holidays and summers with you had her hand in your pocket for 9 years.

Another owner spoke up. His office manager and the manager’s brother-inlaw were caught selling transmissions that weren’t yet inventoried. They would put transmissions outside the fence and retrieve them after hours. Another person would sell them. An audit of parts transactions and inventory surely would have revealed some discrepancies. Maybe a hidden camera would have helped.

Speaking of audits, one owner used gift and gasoline cards. Employees would use the gas cards to fill-up company vehicles at gas stations. Some employees would instruct family members to meet them at the gas station to fill-up. This owner said he also bought 100 gift cards at a time. Even the office lady would take several cards at a time for herself. He was easy prey because neither card was being monitored or audited.

Fuel 4 thought cont inued My turn! Phone Logic is a training company, and back in the day, I had a manager that I trusted explicitly. After being robbed of computers and equipment, the bank encouraged us to verify open checks. From the back of the checkbook, 3 checks were missing. Within 24 hours, a check cashing center called. Our “trust-worthy manager” was trying to cash the checks. To make matters even worse, we didn’t know him by his real name. I learned a valuable lesson. Know the person you’re hiring. Check ID and references and don’t apologize for it. A thorough background check should be standard protocol.

Before ending this article, I can’t miss sharing with you one story that happened last year. If you own a towing company, you know this happens. We put all the thirty-day and older vehicles in a different lot. For the good ones, we try to get titles or paperwork to sell them. If I tell CarPart.com that I have a great, late model

18

car and one pickup F-150, I can put them online. This is no cost to me on Car-part Salvage. I go back to take the pictures to send them. The mirrors are off the truck, and the new tires that are now gone were replaced with 4 next-to-bald tires, and the special deluxe steering wheel bought after market is also missing. Who in God’s name do you think had access to these two vehicles? This scenario happens all the time.

As the group commiserated, the most important thing I learned was we can’t be TOO careful. All of us are vulnerable because people are more creative today.

It’s hard to believe that people we trust could have their hands in our pockets. At the end of our conversation, the entire group decided the motto we heard that day was now ours, “It’s not that I don’t trust you--I just don’t trust you!” N

Until then, see you next time.

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

The Tow Doctor

Insightful talk

By D an Mes s ina

Motor Club Calls: Good or Bad for Your Business?

Our industry is going through a change of philosophy on how to do business. The words “digital dispatch” are being used by every software vendor in the industry, and they all have their own way to approach it.

Motor clubs seem to be a driving issue for digital dispatch because they have to find a better way to service the consumer. They are looking for solutions or developing their own solution. Now enters other solutions like Honk, Urgent.ly or Swoop; all claiming to have the answer.

New companies want to eliminate the motor clubs while others want to work with motor clubs and find them a solution. I am one of the founders of a company called “TowTrax,” and guess what; we found the solution for the motor clubs and other vendors.

The first thing I have to overcome is the reputation of what the motor club calls do for my business. Most tow companies I talk to talk about how bad motor clubs are. The motor club will find the cheapest tow company out there to perform the service, and they don’t worry about how bad their reputation might be.

20

This hurts the towing industry and does not provide a good service to the motor club customer.

I decided to take a look at motor club tows and find out why tow companies don’t like them. When I owned my business, all I did was private-property towing, so I have no experience with motor clubs.

This will allow me to be objective because I am not looking from either side.

I talked to no less than 20 tow companies and 3 motor clubs to get some history. Now before we get into towing, lets step back in time and see how motor clubs evolved. Many years ago, work

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

unions were formed to protect the employee from its employer. Unions were formed to make sure everything was fair and equal for the work force.

Also, many years ago, the consumers felt they were being taken advantage of by the towing industry by being over charged for a consumer tow. In Texas, legislators try to pass laws every session to protect the consumer from over charging, so I’m going to assume that some tow companies did over charge the consumer. Motor clubs were formed to find towers that would provide a service for the cheapest price possible. Like any business, more and more motor clubs evolved, and they became competitive with what they would pay the tow company. That’s the way business works; we can’t get mad about that. From a business stand point, motor clubs should allow you another source of revenue for your company. You just have to figure

Insightful talk cont inued out how to make it profitable.

Now let’s talk about how you should address motor club calls: 1. Don’t tow for every motor club.

2. Don’t take every call.

3. Only work areas that will allow you the highest rate of return.

4. Don’t accept their rates, try to negotiate.

5. When given a call, don’t take the route they suggest (sometimes a longer route is shortened in time).

6. Give motor club calls a low priority; run all other calls first.

7. Try and have another call in the same part of town as the motor club call allowing you to run two calls at once.

8. Use a vehicle that is the least expensive to run the call. If you are doing a lockout, flat tire or taking the customer gas, don’t use a rollback; use your personal vehicle.

9. If your trucks have GPS, use the driver closest to the call, not the next driver in rotation for a call.

10. Hire or assign one person to work with motor clubs. This is not a fulltime job, so they can perform other functions, and you have revenue to pay for this person.

11. Find out who is doing it right and talk to them.

12. Work with a friend who owns a tow company on the other side of town and share calls. You run the calls on your side of town, let them run the calls on their side of town, and then split the revenue.

13. Hire an hourly guy to run the nontow calls.

I talked to a friend of mine who loved motor club calls. He told me that every time he took a motor club call to a body shop that was not his customer, it gave him an opportunity to start a relationship.

He would drop a business card off or try and do a favor for the body shop while he was there. He went on to tell me how many customers he got from his competitor. Think about it, every time you don’t take that call, you are giving your competitor an opportunity to meet your customer.

With motor clubs today, first you must negotiate a rate for the service, then you try to collect your money from the motor club, and finally you spend weeks working a call you did a month ago. There is usually paperwork involved, and many times you are required to explain why you performed the call the way you did or went a different route than they suggested.

The towing company gets frustrated

22

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

when dealing with motor clubs, but remember: this is the way they do business. They are a business trying to make a profit just like you. I was talking to a tower from a little town in Wisconsin with a population of 2,000 people. There were 8 tow companies in this town, yet he ran 8 trucks and 70% of his business was motor clubs. He explained how he did it, and he was making a good profit for his company.

I talked to tow companies who love motor clubs. One owner told me when he goes into a new area to do business, he automatically has tows until he can build up other sources of revenue. This owner recently purchased a company in another city in Texas. I asked if he had enough revenue to make this move. He told me he was not concerned because he could immediately add motor clubs, and he would use that money to get started. Another said he uses motor-club rev-

enue to make his payroll every week. He told me that, yes, it was difficult dealing with motor clubs daily and arguing with them about getting paid, but he just assigned an office person to that job. So, once he learned what is required, it became a lucrative part of his business.

Motor clubs are a good fill-in and can be used for special needs like buying a new truck or making payroll or putting up a fence or painting your trucks. Don’t try to get rich off motor clubs. Use them to build your business. Some motor clubs offer free training and will lend you trucks when yours are down. Remember, if your trucks are on the road running calls, people are seeing your name.

Think about it: you have a source of revenue you can turn on and off at any time and not hurt your core business.

You may have had a bad experience in the past, but motor clubs know they have to change to improve their service to the

consumer. The product my company developed is a win/ win for the tow company and the motor club. We are getting tow companies higher rates for tows they never had before while providing the motor club with a quality service to their customer.

Once you break the code and learn how to effectively run motor club calls, you’ll learn that motor clubs can be a good piece of your business. N

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

23

Will I Need an e-Log? If I do, What’s Involved?

By Tom Bray, JJ. Keller and Associates The first question is one that has been on the mind of many tow operators lately.

Unfortunately, the answer is not as simple as it seems.

The Basic Premise The basic premise to the mandate is that a driver that uses a paper log to track compliance with the hours-of-service limits will need to switch to using an electronic log (e-log), either an automatic onboard recording device (AOBRD) or an electronic logging device (ELD), by December 18, 2017. However, there are several ELD-specific exceptions that might apply to a tow truck driver, including the following: • Drivers that are currently not required to use paper logs will not have to use e-logs.

• Drivers that only log occasionally (8 days or fewer in any 30-day period) will be allowed to continue to use paper logs on the days they must log.

24

• Drivers that are operating a vehicle that is part of a drive-away/tow-away shipment will be allowed to continue to use paper logs.

• Drivers operating a vehicle older than model year 2000 will be allowed to continue using paper logs.

In short, if you are required to do paper logs now and one of these exceptions does not apply, you will need to be using an e-log by December 18, 2017.

When is a Log Required?

To better understand the mandate, you need to know some of the basics of the hours-of-service regulations. Any driver that operates a “commercial motor vehicle” as defined in the federal regulations when it comes to interstate drivers and as defined in the intrastate safety regulations when it comes to intrastate drivers is subject to the hours-of-service regulations and must not drive when certain limits are reached. To prove that the driv-

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

er is complying with the limits, the driver must keep track of the hours worked. This is done using time records or logs (paper or electronic).

There are several exceptions that exempt certain drivers from all the hoursof-service regulations or that allow certain drivers to use time records in place of logs. The intrastate regulations normally have similar exceptions. Here are some of the hours-of-service exceptions that would be applicable to tow truck drivers: • A tow truck that has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,001 pounds and is never loaded to a combination weight of 10,001 pounds or more (§390.5, the definition of a commercial vehicle) or 26,001 pounds for intrastate tow trucks in some states is not considered a commercial vehicle. Therefore, the driver is not covered by the hours-of-service limits and logging regulations.

• A tow truck driver responding to a

request from law enforcement to remove a vehicle that was involved in an accident or that is disabled is exempt from the limits and logging requirements in Part 395 (§390.23, exemptions for tow-truck drivers).

• A tow truck driver assisting at a declared emergency or disaster is exempt from the limits and logging requirements in Part 395 (§390.23).

• A tow truck driver that operates entirely within 100 air-miles of the work reporting location and returns to the work reporting location within 12 hours is exempt from having to keep a log, as long as there is a time record created for the day showing starting and ending times and the total hours on duty for the day (§395.1(e)(1)).

• A tow truck driver that: (1) operates a tow truck that is not subject to the CDL requirements, (2) operates entirely within 150 air-miles of the work reporting location, and (3)

returns to the work-reporting location within 14 hours on five of the last seven days and within 16 hours on 2 of the last 7 days is exempt from having to keep a log, as long as there is a time record created for the day showing starting and ending times and the total hours on duty for the day (§395.1(e)(2)).

What About ‘Sometimes’ Exceptions?

One scenario that tow operators deal with is working to a limit during the normal workday and then being called out that night (during the driver’s required break time) to do an “emergency” tow for law enforcement. While this situation sounds confusing, it actually is not.

During the day, when the driver was doing the dealership, repair, and other “non-emergency” tows, the driver is subject to the hours-of-service limits and must record/log the time accordingly.

When the driver is called out later that night by law enforcement to deal with an

emergency, the driver is not covered by the regulations due to the “law enforcement exception,” so the driver does not have to worry about the limits or time recording/logging. However, the driver is not to operate the vehicle (either the night of the call of the next morning) if the driver is too fatigued to operate the vehicle safely.

What’s Involved?

The Basics of the System As the end user, it is important that you understand the basics of an e-log system. An e-log system typically consists of three components: • The “black box,” which is connected to the engine, (specifically the engine control module or ECM) to collect data (speed, mileage, engine hours, etc.). This data is used to automatically determine when the driver is driving and to “validate” the record. If the device is an ELD, once the vehicle reaches five miles per hour the device will consider the driver as driving.

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

25

• The display, which is where the driver makes his/her entries (non-driving duty changes, edits and corrections, notes, and comments, etc.) and where the driver is provided with the information he/she needs (such as the available hours remaining and being able to display the current day and previous seven days to officers).

The display can be combined with the box or it can be a separate component. Many systems (such as J. J. Keller’s) can use any compatible smart device (tablet, smart phone, laptop) as the display.

• The back office, which is where the records are managed, backed up, and retained for the required six months.

Managing the system includes making sure that everyone that works in the system has a unique user account, that driver accounts include the drivers’ license information, and that any “unassigned driving time” the system is reporting is either assigned to the correct driver or an explanation is attached clarifying why it could not be assigned to a driver.

There are many additional technical requirements, but it is the responsibility of the ELD provider to make sure the overall system is compliant. As the user, you are responsible for verifying that the vendor’s system is compliant. How do you do that?

If the system is an AOBRD, this involves getting a letter from the vendor stating that the devices and system comply with the regulations at §395.15. If the system uses devices that are ELDs, the ELDs need to be listed on the ELD registry, which can be found on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website.

Installing the devices into the vehicles is straightforward. The “black box” will need to be mounted and connected to the vehicle (this is normally done through the diagnostic port). The display will need to be mounted within view of the driver in a location that does not interfere with gauges, controls, and airbags.

Some systems (such as the J. J. Keller 26

system) use Bluetooth to connect the box and the display meaning that there is no harness connecting them and nothing more to install. In other cases, the device and the display will need to have the wiring harness connecting them routed through the vehicle.

The Driver Experience Using the device is easy for the driver.

The driver starts by logging into the device and going “on duty” when he/she starts working. If there is “unassigned driving time” on the device, it will be offered to the driver. The driver simply needs to accept or reject the unassigned driving time (whichever is appropriate).

When the driver drives, the device detects the movement using the data from the vehicle and automatically switches the driver’s log to “driving.”

When the driver stops, the device will put the driver back into the on-duty status, unless the driver tells it otherwise. If the driver wants to log “off duty” or “sleeper” time, the driver simply makes that selection on the display (such changes can only be made when the vehicle is stopped).

ELDs can have two “special driving categories” if the company chooses to allow the drivers to use. These are: • Personal Conveyance: This is to be used when the driver is using an empty commercial vehicle to “commute” to a purely personal destination. In this case, the driver’s log will

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

be placed into the off-duty status for the duration of the trip.

• Yard Movement: This is to be used when the driver is operating the vehicle in a “yard.” A yard is someplace that the public cannot access due to gates or signs. When this is selected, the driver’s log will be placed in the on-duty status (rather than driving) during the movement.

If anything out of the ordinary occurs (such as the driver had to go over hours for some reason), the driver needs to add a comment to the device. If the driver made an error (selected the wrong duty status, forgot to change duty when it occurred, etc.) the driver can “edit” the log and correct the error. The process for making edits will depend on the specific system.

In most cases, if the driver is getting close to one of the limits the driver will receive a warning. If the driver operates past the limit, most systems will also notify the driver that he/she has exceeded the limit.

At the end of the work cycle, before going home, the driver simply certifies and submits the log and then logs out.

The Back Office When the record arrives in the back office, it must be retained for six months.

The back office is also responsible for: • Making sure that all users have a unique user account.

• Assigning unassigned driving time or

explaining why it couldn’t be assigned (e.g., the vehicle was moved by a non-driver within the facility).

• Verifying that edits did not lead to “false” records.

• Verifying that drivers are not misusing the special driving categories.

• Deleting records that are older than six months. (Most vendors will not delete records for you or set the system up to “auto-delete” because they do not know what records you might want to retain longer than the required six months.)

Don’t Wait Many carriers (including some tow operators) are “dragging their feet” when it comes to e-logs because the deadline still seems far off. However, making the transition from paper logs to e-logs takes time. You need to decide what you want in a system, which involves contacting vendors to see what options are available.

You then need to come up with your “wants and needs list.” Once that is done, you need to go shopping. When a system has been selected, you will need to train the drivers and supervisors on how to use the system. Once this is done, you will want to roll out the devices in “phases” so you can deal with small problems rather than large ones.

Finally, you will need to address any operational problems that the system points out to you during the rollout. By the way, this will happen in most cases since drivers using paper logs are good at “hiding” operational problems. When the drivers move to e-logs they can no longer hide the problems.

As you can see from above, there are many specific requirements and qualifying exceptions to track compliance with “hours-of-service” limits. So, if you do decide you do need an e-log and because this process will take some time, don’t wait to switch and be caught by the deadline, December 18, 2017! Act now!

Copyright 2017 J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. All Rights Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

27

When I was a kid, I had an opinion of what I thought I was really all about. I envisioned myself as a decent-looking guy, athletically built with a great sense of humor. One day, my best friend was trying to describe me to a girl on the phone to set up a blind date. He went on about what I looked like and what I acted like, and I will just say--it was quite a different picture than how I would have described myself.

Honestly, it was probably much more accurate because he was closest to me. Sometimes we see things differently through our own eyes because we know our intentions.

28

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

With Tow Professional doing an issue d dedicated to the different software o options available on the market now, we th thought it would mean more if we just as asked our oldest client, Henry’s Wrecker S Service (one of our best friends), to tell you what they think about Beacon yo Software.

S I called and made an appointment to speak with Fred Shuler, owner and presisp dent of Henry’s Wrecker Service. He was d

TOWING SOFTWARE

kind enough to call me back while he was on vacation in Miami celebrating 23 years of marriage to his wonderful wife, Debbi. He was quick to point out that he was with Beacon from the very beginning and was their first paying customer in the year 2000.

Henry’s Wrecker is your average, everyday 170-or-so truck outfit and does about 4,500 calls per month. Back in 2012, they were doing almost 13,000

calls per month, and the reason for the reduction in tows had to do with Beacon-a good thing for his business. “See,” I asked Fred, “what is the benefit that you get out of using the software?” He gave me a one-word answer, “Control.” He also said, “It’s seeing the whole picture of what is going on and not getting lost in the forest. It helped me see what I was doing right and where I needed to improve. It showed me the volume I was

running per truck and how much money I was making and/or not making with each run. After seeing it all in front of me, it was an easy decision to adjust what I was doing with some of my motor clubs and other calls to make more money per run and per truck. My number of tows has gone way down, and my profits have gone way up.”

Fred also said, “Beacon is how I can take a 10-day vacation with Debbi, and

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

29

TOWING SOFTWARE

help my managers and dispatchers have a better lifestyle too. Every manager has “Dispatch Anywhere” on their phones; I even put the software in the office of my biggest client so they can track their own calls. This allows the managers to see the GPS screen, camera’s, and invoices, and check inventory while managing everything from where they are easily. This product would be a musthave if I was a smaller company because then you are even more tied into day-today operations.”

As we continued to talk, I asked him what made him stay with Beacon so long with all the changes that go on in our industry. Fred said, “That is exactly why I have stayed with them--this was designed by a tower with towers in

mind. Inventory, dispatch, tracking, maintenance, revenue, expenses, and photos for insurance. Everything you need is in there, easy to access anytime, and nothing gets lost. It saves us a bunch of time filing things away and filling out forms, and for me, time is money.

These guys have been great for me because they know the business; they understand and work with me on things because they know how quickly things change in this business.”

Fred goes on to say, “Speaking of changes in the business, two of the biggest challenges now days is insurance and getting your employees to use the software correctly--and those guys help me with both. First on insurance, all my drivers take photos of the vehicle, the

hook up, and delivery and then load those up directly into Beacon which holds them as well as the invoice. This way I can easily pull that information out when I need it.

Also, by helping me reduce the number of calls I was taking, it reduced my exposure and the time we were out on the road.

This not only saved me on fuel, tires, and equipment, but it also decreased my insurance cost and helps me easily address claims against me when that problem comes up. As far as drivers getting up to speed, Beacon has been great.

They offer free life-time training for their clients so they help me get new drivers ready quickly, and it’s very easy for the drivers to understand and use. All the rules and contract information for each client is already uploaded in their system so the drivers can see what they need to do or not do without having to carry

around and decipher a big binder of information. Making this easier for the driver helps me eliminate mistakes and be more profitable. Beacon has helped me run my business, improve my business, give me peace of mind, and become a more profitable business. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to do the same,” concludes Fred.

I feel like I know myself well, but I don’t know myself nearly as well as those closest to me. So, now days, when it is time to tell my story, I want those who know me the best to tell it the most.

This is exactly what our long-term, successful friends and customers do. I want to thank Henry’s Wrecker service for doing that very thing with Beacon Software through their exemplary business and their loyalty. N www.dispatchanywhere.com

30

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

31

Are You Living The Tow Life You’ve Always Wanted?

You’ve been towing for decades; you’re busy running your towing business, and you’ve gotten it down to an art.

You’re successful; you're making a profit, 32

and you’re providing an excellent service for your customers. You’ve grown your business step-by-step, but now it often feels like your business is running you.

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

You’re tired and exhausted. It’s true what they say “Hookin’ ain’t easy,” and there never seems to be enough time. You love the tow life, but sometimes you wish

TOWING SOFTWARE there was a better way to manage the 24/7/365 grind of it all.

As your operation has continued to grow, the stress, the grind, and the paper trail have as well. There are many steps required to get each job done right, and it’s not easy to manage it all. The paper overload can be overwhelming to say the least. There are issues with lost tow tickets, and it’s been causing problems with getting paid.

If you’ve struggled with the stress of managing your operation, you’re not alone. Towing is a lifestyle, it’s a calling, and we all need help managing its hectic pace. The good news is there is help: with the advancement of technologies, you can finally “have your cake and eat it too.”

You can have the tow life that you’ve always wanted while having more time for your personal life as well.

If you’re like most towing owners, you want to make more profit and be more efficient without changing your processes. You want to have full control of your business while continuing to grow it.

Imagine knowing where all your trucks are and knowing the status of each job anytime you wanted to. You would be able to give better ETA’s to motor clubs and customers. You could save on fuel, time, and insurance.

Imagine your dispatchers looking at a screen and instantly knowing what driver is the closest to the next call and what their current job status is. Imagine being able to be anywhere and still be in the loop of your day-to-day business. Imagine

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

33

TOWING SOFTWARE one to introduce technology into the towing business, and they finally did it.” It’s never too late to start living the tow life you’ve always wanted, so act now and start living your towing dream today! N www.omadi.com

STAND ALONE QUOTES

creating invoices instantly in the field and having access to all your records at your fingertips and being able to adapt to everchanging laws and regulations on the fly.

The towing companies that dominate their regions know exactly how much each past job has cost, and they use that info to their advantage. Imagine having the info you need to make educated decisions about whether you should take a job or not. You could use data for job costs by breaking down revenue, maintenance, fuel usage, and payroll costs. You could see what revenue a truck is making per day and per hour. The good news is you don’t have to just imagine it or dream about it anymore, you can now do all those things and more.

The combined Omadi/TomTom Telematics fleet management solution allows tow owners/operators to do these very things. You can have access to the data you need to make smart business decisions and to be more efficient in realtime. “We are extremely happy with both Omadi and TomTom. We love the realtime access to everything and being able to make dispatching decisions in seconds. Knowing what steps our drivers are on at any moment helps us to eliminate mistakes and audit tows as they are being done,” said Tim Beaty, Operations Manager at Western Towing. “It’s been hugely efficient for us as a large compa34

ny. In California, we have a lot of laws and regulations, and we have been able to automate them with Omadi. It automates things to the point to where it makes it difficult to make a mistake.”

For decades, tow operators have had to deal with data being unattainable. Now, you can have what you need at your fingertips. Between the Omadi Towing Management platform and TomTom’s GPS tracking capabilities, you have the information you need to make informed decisions about your business. With TomTom, tow companies gain access to a variety of powerful features including PTO and ignition tracking, location, patrol history, and driver behavior metrics. By leveraging real-time vehicle location from WEBFLEET, Omadi allows tow companies to see where their drivers are to respond to a call the most efficiently.

Omadi and TomTom are helping towing companies to take full control of their business and giving tow owners/operators their lives back. “It’s helped to increase the value of my business and life. For the first time in 20 years, I see the whole picture of my company in one place,” said Michael Deloach, CEO at Bexar Towing. “The software has helped me streamline most everything in my business. My costs have gone down substantially and efficiency has increased. I had been waiting a long time for some-

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

“I like using Omadi and TomTom because it cuts down on our fuel expense; we save when we use it.

We can see who's closest to the calls to see who should take the call and tell when the PTO is engaged--it eliminates the chance of guys doing side work. It's easier than using paper, and we don't have the paper mess anymore. Keeping track of contracts and everything is at my fingertips.”

William Arndt, Owner Arndt’s Recovery Solutions LLC “NO MORE TOW TICKETS--this is the greatest feeling ever to be able to climb in any truck at any time, and you are 100% prepared. Not only do you have your tow ticket and camera with you always, you also have the entire filing cabinet with any piece of info you may need at your fingertips.”

Brad Fleming, Owner Parking Control "We have been on Omadi for nearly one year now. We went paperless, and it has made our dispatching so much more efficient.

Wish we would have done this years ago."

Rick Ruback, Owner Ricks Wrecker Service

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

35

towers can practice proactive maintenance and protect those expensive capital assets while driving down fuel and other operating costs.

6

Reasons You Should Consider Upgrading Your GPS System

Most towers understand that GPS technology can help their business run better. It allows you to get a truck and driver quickly on the scene which, in turn, helps people in need. But are all GPS systems basically the same? The answer is a definite ‘no!’

Modern advances in technology have allowed these systems to evolve far beyond “find my vehicle,” into powerful fleet management systems that include new features to help you run your business with greater efficiency, manage your drivers better, boost your overall productivity, drive more jobs and revenue, and provide better customer services. Let’s explore just a few reasons why it might be time to consider an upgrade.

More Jobs, More Money In plain talk, getting your guy to the scene in the most efficient, fastest way is good for business. The customer who is on the side of the road is likely going to be happier with your service, and your driver is likely going to be less stressed out and have a cooler head.

36

Getting to a job quickly also means drivers can fit in more calls during the average day, which can mean more revenue for the business and money in your pocket. By using TomTom WEBFLEET’s real-time routing, GPS location capabilities, and two-way communication with drivers, Adkison Towing out Jacksonville, FLA was able to increase average number of calls per day from 60 to 100 without any increase in office personnel!

“In our business, time is money,” says owner, Marshall Adkison. “We literally may have 20 seconds to take a phone call. So, any extra steps we can avoid, helps to keep the business efficient and productive.”

Most fleet management solutions today incorporate advanced telematics features including engine diagnostics and advanced solutions such as TomTom WEBFLEET which can literally manage anything that happens in the cab. With your vehicle literally telling you what it needs and when while monitoring driving behaviors (harsh braking, steering, idling) that can create vehicle wear and tear,

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Real PTO Tracking PTO engagements are the “bread and butter” metric of the towing industry, but tracking those engagements accurately is not easy.

“If you are not tracking your truck location and PTO engagement every ten seconds, you are not getting full value out of your GPS solution,” says Ty Lambert, towing industry sales manager for TomTom Telematics. “For a tower to be able to manage more jobs, he needs to know exactly what jobs his guys are on. Everyone in the industry has a story like this. They look at their GPS, and one of their trucks is stuck or showing up on some random Atlantic coastline. How can you dispatch a vehicle to a job if you don’t know if the guy is available or where he is?”

Real-time tracking of PTO engagement helps keep drivers honest and the business on track. Ty relates one story of a family-owned towing business that began allowing their employees to take trucks home at night. The decision saved on fuel and time, and it was more convenient for the driver. However, when they started using TomTom WEBFLEET and began tracking PTO engagement metrics, they observed a few phantom tows where the PTO was running at night with no job assigned to it. As a result, they could quickly address an issue with a driver who was using the owner’s equipment to moonlight and then pocketing the cash.

Without the ability to track those PTOs, the situation was putting the company at risk, the owner in liability and at risk, and the business was losing money.

Better Customer Service There is one constant in the towing business: your customers are in emergency situations. They’ve been in an accident or they have broken down and are stranded on the roadside. They need assistance as quickly as possible.

A fleet management solution can improve your fleet’s response time, and

TOWING SOFTWARE that benefits both drivers and dispatch. If the drivers are now armed with equipment to help get to jobs quicker and safer, they are spending less time worrying about navigating traffic, construction, and routes. This increases the chances of them arriving calm, collected, and focused on taking care of the customer, who, as we all know, is going to be stressed and not likely to be in the happiest mood. As dispatchers can see a vehicle and driver’s exact position and have the ability for two-way communication, they are no longer constantly calling drivers to find out where they are and whether they are 97 or 98. They’ll know a driver is on the job. They’ll see that a PTO has just engaged. They are no longer constantly bugging the driver, and, as a result, the driver is likely to be happier, and the entire workplace environment is likely to improve.

Real-time vehicle location knowledge can also help save lives, as Ken Bach from Kingsway Towing learned. It was winter

in Edmonton, Alberta Canada and the nighttime temperature was heading toward -40F. A call came into dispatch from a man stranded on the side of the road. He had two kids in the car and was out of gas, but didn’t have his wallet and couldn’t pay the driver. Would someone still come help? The kids were getting very cold. Dispatch was leery and suspicious - this wasn’t the first charity call it had received. But Ken looked at the driver’s location on this TomTom. It was on his way home, and he thought he better just roll by to make sure. Sure enough, the motorist was on the side of the road and was thankful to see help. Ken gave him a couple of gallons of gas. While fueling up, he surveyed the inside of the car, but couldn’t see any kids. He figured his dispatch team was probably right; the guy was out for a freebie. Just as he was getting ready to leave, the man asked for Ken’s card and offered to stop by and repay him. And lo and behold, two little heads popped up from beneath a blanket

in the back seat.

The man had been telling the truth.

Had Ken not had a fleet management solution, had he not known the stranded family was located on his way home, and had he not been there to give him service, those kids would have been at risk during extreme temperatures. Two weeks later, the guy came in to Ken’s office and made good on his promise to pay Kingsway in full. Ken learned that by using the information provided by a fleet management solution and by being a good guy, you could save lives.

Steve Barnes of Bill’s Towing in Novato, California, learned that a fleet management solution is a critical element in delivering over-the-top customer service and putting more money in a driver’s pocket. Recently, Steve’s dispatch team received a call from a local motor club seeking assistance for a stranded driver.

The trouble was the call was more than 30 miles away. Without a GPS system on hand, Steve dispatched a driver to take

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

37

TOWING SOFTWARE the call, only to find out his son – also a tower -- was having lunch in the very same shopping mall -- literally 50 feet away -- from the stranded driver. This experience helped Steve quickly understand the value a fleet tracking system could provide and prompted him to invest in TomTom WEBFLEET. Reduced Administration and Business Risk A fleet management solution also enables a tow operator to capture all kinds of data about their business to help them make better, more informed business decisions. In addition to gathering historical tracking of jobs, driver locations, and PTOs, onboard cameras provide solid business data that can verify activity in the field, allowing tow operators to protect themselves and their drivers. Tow operators are often the ones who shoulder the blame for accidents in intersections. However, an onboard camera can reveal if the truck driver had the green light and right of way when entering an intersection. A camera in the cab can also gather evidence to show if a customer was behaving erratically while the driver kept their cool. With data flowing from the vehicle back to the office, there’s less administration because everything is tied together. So, when issues come up, video footage can provide valuable data to clarify the situation at hand.

Modern fleet management systems are also very cost-efficient. Because many, like TomTom WEBFLEET are now available in the Cloud, there is no software to install, and there’s nothing to maintain. This means you aren’t hiring an expensive IT consultant to manage the system. Fleet management solutions like WEBFLEET also integrates with leading tow business software such as Omadi, Beacon, and Towbook, so information seamlessly flows from the cab back to dispatch and visa-versa.

Better Managed Drivers Supervising drivers on the road is difficult. You can’t be in the passenger seat to determine if they are doing the right or wrong things. However, telematics 38

data can gather the information you need from the vehicle to know if it is being driven hard. In addition, driver coaching software such as TomTom Telematics OptiDrive 360 can alert drivers with sloppy habits and encourage them to be better drivers. Because the driver is alerted right away, they can take responsibility and won’t feel as if you are breathing down their neck. They’ll simply know you know and are likely to be motivated to do the best thing for the business as a result.

“With TomTom WEBFLEET and OptiDrive 360, I can track key information from fuel consumption to detailed driving behavior that goes beyond location, including harsh braking, harsh steering, idling, and a driver's gear shifting to see if he's maintaining a constant speed.

I can also receive engine diagnostic alerts, and separate idling from standstill activity,” says Marshall Adkison. “These factors all impact vehicle maintenance and can contribute to fuel consumption or represent savings.”

One of the advantages an advanced fleet management solution has over standard GPS is its ability to go beyond monitoring the standard stuff such as harsh braking and steering. "With a solution such as TomTom WEBFLEET, you can literally capture data on almost anything the vehicle does, any driving behavior -idling, coasting, shifting, and a driver’s every action from turning on the beacon lights to opening the door. This detailed data allows an operator to truly understand everything drivers are doing and everything that is happening in the cab," says Ty Lambert. “You’ll know if they are doing their job. You can see who your best workers are and how they compare against each other. This allows you to give the hardest working and most productive guy a bonus at the end of the month." Lambert also points out that TomTom takes the extra step of personally going out into the field to set up the system’s metrics. This way, towers are tracking exactly the information that is most important to them. “That is where our customers really start to see the full value of WEBFLEET.”

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Better Business Information By gathering better data on the number of jobs dispatched and performed by monitoring individual or collective driver activity and by tracking PTOs, tow operators can better manage the business at hand. This means bringing on more drivers and vehicles at the right time, and planning with greater confidence for business expansion into new territories.

Towers each use the data in different ways. One TomTom customer uses his WEBFLEET data to track mileage. He knows the minute a vehicle hits 400,000, his maintenance numbers start to rise, and it is time to consider a replacement.

Another tower knows exactly how much business he needs to have to expand. If he brings on a contract that averages 300 new calls a month, he knows it is time to purchase a new truck.

“When it comes to business information, TomTom goes above and beyond in that regard,” says Marshall Adkison. “I know how trucks are operating, whether they are on time, and if they are meeting objectives for the day. We can see when the PTO has been placed in operation showing a vehicle is being loaded or unloaded, which keeps our drivers honest at all times.” He also points out that he can readily access this information from his iPhone. “I can be anywhere in the world and know where my drivers are and what’s going on with my business.

Every day is different for us. But having more complete visibility allows my office, and I to adapt more easily in order to hit our efficiency goals.” N About the author: Torsten Grunzig, Director Sales TomTom Telematics North America rejoined TomTom in 2016 after managing the startup phase of LoJack’s Fleet Management Division for 2 years. In various roles at TomTom, he has over 17 years of fleet telematics experience worldwide in developing and implementing fleet solutions to all sizes of organizations. As a TomTom Vice-President, he helped to bring innovative solutions to commercial customers and international markets.

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

39

TIME TO GET THE JOHN DEERE? Do you remember your first lawnmower? If your experience is like mine, you got your first house situated on a postagestamp sized lot--but it did have grass to mow. So I got an inexpensive walkbehind (power) lawnmower, which was actually a big step forward from the reel mower I used at my parent's house.

Then the family grows, and we move to a bigger home--with more grass. My aunt described my uncle this way: "He's not cheap, but he is careful." Being from the same gene pool, I figured the old mower was "good enough," and I made it work, even though my neighbors had already figured out that a John Deere riding mower was a much better choice. I did get a somewhat larger, self-propelled walk-behind as a Father's Day gift, but this was just another "not quite good enough" option.

The next move came with even more grass. It was clearly time to go to the John Deere dealer, but I had a lot of experience and familiarity with that old mower, and so, even though I knew it was unsustainable, I continued to hold out--until the pain became unbearable.

So, what does this have to do with a tow management solution? Some of you may be like me and my lawnmowers: you got started with software which was "good enough." However, as your business has grown and your team has become more capable, you realize that your tow management solution (that was such a big step forward in the beginning) is now actually preventing you from reaching your full performance potential.

That's where Ranger can help.

Ranger provides a solution that you can grow into and never grow out of. From "lift-off" in 2004, Ranger has focused on helping customers to achieve and sustain a higher trajectory in Operational Productivity -- more calls per driver while using less fuel! These benefits flow straight to the bottom line of your com40

pany - increasing profitability.

Ranger also provides advanced tools for improvements in administrative efficiency such as multiple options for linking to QuickBooks, invoices, statements, commissions, performance reporting, and going paperless, including the printing of invoices in the truck if needed. These administrative efficiencies help streamline processes, even though financial savings may be elusive without reductions in staffing.

The following examples highlight a few of the opportunities for improvements in Operational Productivity with the Ranger Tow Management Solution.

Performance Improvement Opportunity #1 - Dispatching From the Map Ranger has built proprietary capabilities for GPS tracking/mapping of trucks on top of Google maps --expensive, but much better than alternatives. Of greater relevance, Ranger's mapping solution is fully integrated with the Dispatch Board--NOT a "bolt-on" from a separate provider. This provides the foundation for Ranger to provide what we call SmartDispatchTM which enables visual, drag & drop dispatch from the map.

Dispatchers can see truck location and type--icons that actually look like your trucks.

More importantly, they can review all open jobs and all available trucks to make better deployment decisions -- shortening ETA's, and lowering fuel costs.

Performance Improvement Opportunity #2 - Robust Mobile Solution for Drivers Ranger's CommLinkTM has long been the leading, highest reliability driver-centric mobile solution in the industry, and best of all--it actually works! As you would expect,

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

TOWING SOFTWARE drivers get all call information and "Garmin-like" navigation to incident and destination locations. They can take pictures which are automatically linked to the job record.

Just as important, drivers receive account-specific pricing sent by Dispatch and have the option to add on-site with “Extras” (entering quantities) to the charges. The device does all of the pricing calculations: drivers don't need to know the rate book or do math. Drivers can preauthorize credit cards at “Arrived” and take payments at “Clear” directly with CommLinkTM so no separate credit card app or device (or airtime) is required. Here are several other solution-drive features:

High reliability messaging (NOT text or email)

All job details and pricing sent to the driver

Multiple options for driver pricing flexibility

Turn-by-turn directions and navigation

One click to call customer from smart phone

Picture-taking: vehicle, driver information

Pictures: over the network or Wi-Fi (save $)

Make/model/VIN from license plate entry

Signature capture - consent to tow

Signature + pictures for pre-existing damage

Signature capture - payment responsibility

SmartOdometer - device "enters" rolling miles

Verbal entry of notes by driver

Entry of vehicle and customer information

VIN barcode scanning

Differentiated ring-tones by message type

On-site entry of all extras

Entry of Advance Payouts as required

Manual CC entry or use of CC reader/swipe

Pre-authorization of credit cards on-site

Update of Dropped location as needed

Mobile Device Management - "lockdown"

Customer entry of e-mail address for invoice

Routing to avoid restricted roads

Reminders to driver for VIN, BOL, etc.

View/print (BOL) documents in the truck

Pre- and post-trip inspections Most customers get started with drivers simply entering statuses (e.g., "Arrived"), but soon discover that drivers find the tablet quite intuitive and can enter more information which accelerates business processes.

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

41

Performance Improvement Opportunity #3 - Storage Lot Management Like many competing alternatives, Ranger's LotMasterTM provides all of the functionality expected in a storage lot solution for tracking and pricing vehicles.

This includes integration with Auto Data Direct for DMV 123 (registered owner and lien holder information) and Direct Post Office (DPO - tracking the certified mail process).

Now in addition, there is also a special mobile application for those managing the lot. The most common use for this app is continued picture-taking. The record of pictures begins with the tow job, follows the vehicle into the lot, can be extended while the vehicle is being stored, and ends with a final picture when the vehicle is discharged.

The LotMasterTM mobile app is also designed to streamline the process for taking physical inventories of vehicles. By placing an inexpensive "QR Code" (bar code) on the vehicle at “Admit,� it becomes electronically tagged in Ranger.

A lot attendant can then survey the lot with the mobile app, recording each vehicle by scanning the QR code. After the survey, a report identifies variances, if any, with the data in Ranger.

towing-related applications: transporting construction equipment, moving containers, and relocating automobiles for auction. The process allows dispatchers to plan/schedule their loads for the next few days by truck and driver.

In late afternoon, text messages can be sent via Ranger to each driver on their personal smart phone, providing advance notice to drivers on their assignment for the coming day. The next morning when drivers log into CommLinkTM, the assignments are automatically dispatched to the driver's mobile device eliminating the need for manual assignments by dispatchers. Dashboards for the Transport Manager provide information to confirm drivers have received and acknowledged the requisite information and to track their progress on each call.

Performance Improvement Opportunity #4 - Transport Management TransportOpsTM is aimed at three 42

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Performance Improvement Opportunity #5 - Private Property Enforcement PatrolWorksTM is designed for private property enforcement (Relocation) whether a current core business or an opportunity for diversification and growth. The solution enables towing companies to configure lot-specific requirements for each of their customers (e.g., apartments, hospitals), including scheduling and the rules governing each customer's individual violation type (e.g., grace period, approval requirements).

Spotters can be assigned to zones and/or individual lots.

The PatrolWorksTM mobile app navigates spotters to the assigned lot, and provides a listing of any vehicles that have already been tagged. Spotters can update pending violations and enter new violations, including pictures. In locales where patrolling is not permitted, a willing property manager or third-party security firm could use the mobile app for entry, updating, and/or approval of parking violations.

Once entered into PatrolWorksTM, the Ranger rules engine manages the process, including the automatic sending of approval requests to the designated property manager with the relevant information and pictures. When the prerequisites have been satisfied, the towing

TOWING SOFTWARE

opportunity can be executed directly by the spotter or be automatically forwarded to DispatchDirectTM for the assignment of a tow truck, including navigation to the exact location where the violation was recorded.

Performance Improvement Opportunity #6 - Hours of Service Ranger has long had a fully integrated, fixed-in-vehicle GPS solution. Most find that this service provides all of the needed functionality at a fraction of the cost 25% to 50% less than competing alterna-

tives. It includes fraud alerts (PTO on, but no assigned job), theft alerts, and generates state mileage reports.

In anticipation of upcoming DOT regulations, Ranger HOS-ELDTM provides an integrated “Hours of Service” application (also known as ELD - Electronic Logging Device) as an integral part of the tow management solution. This HOS capability, certified by FMCSA, operates on the same tablet drivers use for receiving and updating tow calls.

So, are you ready to step up from the push mower? And, maybe you will be wise enough to skip the "self-propelled"

step and go straight to the John Deere?

One customer summarizes it best: "Invest toward where you want to go!"

Ranger is a solution you can grow into and never grow out of - advanced technology for superior performance. We have created a library of training videos to help your team to quickly get up "the learning curve." If you need more from your tow management solution to reach your objectives, please visit https://info.rangersst.com/ for more information or give us a call at 440.498.1495. N www.rangersst.com

Testimonials After a review of alternatives, we selected Ranger as having the most robust solution for our needs. Ranger worked with us to hone an application for the scheduling and automatic dispatch of transport jobs for us; e.g., moving heavy construction equipment (about 30% of our business). This piece by itself has streamlined the planning/dispatch process and added driver accountability into the process.

The dashboard provides real-time information on which drivers have acknowledged their assignments and the ontime status of each job. Ranger provided on-site training for me and my staff multiple times, and they are always willing to help out over the phone. More importantly, their ability and willingness

to customize their system to cater to my company’s needs is exceptional. It was a great decision for us. --- Kevin Wilson, Operations Manager, Rob’s Automotive & Collision Center, Inc – Towing & Hauling Division We have been a long-time user of the Ranger mobile solution for drivers.

It is simply the most capable and the most reliable solution available. Initially we used the mobile solution with another dispatch/accounting software.

However, about a year ago, we converted 100% to Ranger to take advantage of the full solution and the benefits of the tight integration with the mobile app. Ranger was on-site twice for training and implementation assistance. We

had some legacy QuickBooks issues.

Ranger stepped up to help us and in the process convinced us that the data in Ranger is correct. I recommend the Ranger tow management solution to others that are looking to make a change. --- Quinn Piening, Owner, Central Towing, Fremont RangerSST has been an integral part of our operations since 2015. What sets Ranger apart from other tow management software solutions is the company's high-level of customer service, their responsiveness to feature requests, and willingness to innovate to accommodate customer needs and industry changes. --- Morgan Bressler, Bressle

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

43

Reading the Tea Leaves!

Adapting to Change is a Critical Part of Your Future.

By Nigel Pestell, Sr. Partner, VTS Systems

If you are a small family-owned d towing company operating one or more trucks, rucks, hnology the never-ending onslaught of technology can be either your friend or your foe. oe. e author Culturally, the American male [the included] tends to shy away from concepts and technology that they find difficult to understand or appreciate. Rapidly changing technology is here to stay; you cannot afford to ignore it; your competition will not; and if you do, it will bite you in the butt.

The old adage “Time and Tide Wait for No Man” is a maxim that we should all live by given the changing world in which we live. If you are not concerned, maybe you should be. Your future, your family’s’ future, and your business are all at risk.

Never in the history of humankind has our species been subject to such rapid and consistent change to our daily lives. In the 18th century, change (that is when a new technology replaced the existing way of doing things) occurred at a leisurely pace of once every 150 years. Fast forward to the first half of the 20th century and the cycle had shortened to approximately 40 years, all due to man’s innovation and advancing technology bringing about 44

social change. In the second half of the century, the cycle of change rapidly shortened to 20 years, then every 10 years and by 2010, in some instances, it was down to less than a year. Just as the motorcar replaced the horse and buggy, and the farm tractor replaced the agricultural worker, sending thousands scurrying to the cities in search of employment; so will computer software technology and the automated driverless vehicle create enormous social and economic changes within the towing industry during the next 20 years.

The big question for tow company owners is, “How will we survive and prosper when everything is changing so fast?”

Many will argue that towing is just towing and requires an incident, a tow truck, and an operator. While that is certainly true, however, let us compare how we did things in the mid 1970s, only a generation ago, versus today. Back then, tow trucks were cumbersome, underpowered, and featured manual transmissions, drum brakes, and many had manuallyoperated cable winches and booms. The hydraulically-operated winches and booms of today were in their infancy or

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

did not exist. There were no cell phones, no data messaging, and few companies had two-way radios. The landline and office phone were king, and managing the business was an old hand-me-down typewriter or invoices written by hand with pen and paper. Moreover, it was usual for a simple one-vehicle incident to take four or five hours to clear the road and return to the yard. Whereas today many incidents are cleared within 60 minutes or less. Looking to the future, one thing is certain, the way we perform a given task today will completely change, not once, but several times during the next 20 years. Few of us embrace change. By nature, we are creatures of habit, and we like the security of routine.

So, “How Do We Read the Tea Leaves” and prepare for the inevitable change?

Operating any business is about managing risk, understanding the opportunity, the risk, and reward surrounding the industry in which we work. It’s about understanding how the changing needs of our customers directly affect our world and the volume and profitability of the product and services that we provide. To survive and prosper, we must remain pos-

TOWING SOFTWARE itive, possess an open mind, make time to research new ideas, new opportunities, and subject each new technology to a cost/benefit analysis before every buying or leasing decision. Moreover, challenge everything you do, examine the current process, ask yourself key questions, (Is it necessary, does it make sense in today’s world, and does it add value?) and above all, find ways to reduce costs. The volume and profitability of your business today is a known entity. What we do not know is how changes in our customers’ business may change demand for your product and services, and how this will affect tow volume and profitability over the next 20 years. First, let us examine opportunity: Opportunity As long as there are moving vehicles, breakdowns, and vehicle incidents, there will be a need for towing and recovery.

However, over the next ten to twenty years, will the opportunity remain constant, increase or decrease in demand?

With the introduction of driver-assisted or driverless vehicle technology less than five years away, how will this affect towing? Although it produces cars in small volumes, Tesla says, it will introduce driver-assisted technology in 2018, the big three, especially Ford and GM, are not far behind. How will this change the accident/incident rate?

Many informed sources suggest that in the beginning there will be an increase in incidents as driven vehicles learn to interact with driverless vehicles.

However, as the percentage of driverless vehicles increases and the software algorithms advance allowing driverless vehicles to communicate with each other, new standards of safety will become the norm. Some insurance companies and other independent experts are forecasting a reduction of 38% in overall accidents during the next 20 years; many experts think the number may rise as high as 60%. Should either of these numbers prove factual, ask yourself how this kind

of reduction in available tows will affect your company’s bottom line.

For those involved in heavy-duty towing and recovery, the warning signs of change are already apparent. As you may be aware, Freightliner has a fleet of driverless, long-haul trucks operating in Arizona, and there are multiple other OEM truck manufacturers working on autonomous truck technology and new forms of motive power. What new products and services will come to the market is anyone’s guess, but come they will. The United States Department of Transport (US DOT) has recently issued guidelines for autonomous [read driverless] vehicles and the legislation to make it a reality is just a matter of time.

The vision for the local delivery market remains somewhat clouded, as labor will still be required to unload packages at the place of delivery. However, now is the time to recognize this inevitable change, develop a strategic plan, and if necessary investigate and add other revenue

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

45

streams if your research confirms a downturn in your company’s future cash flow.

All of this will help assure the position your company as the leader in your local market. For more than 20 years, VTS Systems has committed itself to helping Vehicle Towing and Storage companies reduce the cost of doing business, by supplying not only software and administrative support, but also by sharing knowledge and know-how.

You may ask what is driving the need for this autonomous technology; the answer is public safety and productivity [read money]. Recent federal legislation involves shorter driver work hours, [See below] needed to reduce driver fatigue, accidents, and fatalities. However, restricting driver work hours adds to the cost of delivery, and many towing companies are already feeling the effect of Electronic Driver Logs (EDL’s) now mandated to monitor driver hours. When ready for “Prime Time” autonomous vehicle technology and the introduction of driverless trucks will change the transportation industry forever. Today, more than 3 million interstate CDL truckers (source US DOT) operate 18-wheelers and HD trucks on US highways, earning an average of $60,000 a year. Over the next twenty years, not only will driverless technology force many of these Americans to seek new careers, but also without having the cost burden of paying a driver and benefits, a trucking company can run a tractortrailer 24/7. In summary, a next-generation over-the-road truck with no driver will cost more to buy or lease, but cost much less to operate, be involved in far fewer incidents, and present the towing industry with a shrinking business opportunity.

Within a generation, do not be surprised to see fully automated driverless depot-todepot transport and distribution networks with driverless forklifts loading and Monday Driver (hrs) No Driver (hrs)

10d/8r/6d 24 hrs

Tuesday 10d/8r/6d 24 hrs

unloading products for onward local distribution.

Productivity Comparison - Driver versus Driver-Less Vehicles Now let us examine the car market accident and breakdown potential, which is the lifeblood of most towing and recovery operations. Although the situation will differ between tow companies operating in cities versus rural locations, there is also the UBER effect to take into consideration. Statistical trends confirm that as our major cities grow along with traffic congestion, less of the population (beginning with millennial’s) will be vehicle owners. UBER and company’s using similar business models today use a marriage of internet-linked smart phones, software, and driver-operated vehicles, the UBER effect of tomorrow will provide a similar service, however it will use driverless vehicles. It is projected that driverless UBER cars will rent for less than 60% of today’s rate, increasing the public’s acceptance and use.

Ultimately, this will change the way we do things and bring about social change. Today, most of us jump in the car and go to the grocery store; however, the signs are there: Amazon, Walmart, and other large chains are offering on-line ordering with either owner or an UBERtype delivery where the buyer can watch

No one is immune to this change, VTS Systems is on schedule to release its next generation of web-based management software. “VTS CLOUD” will provide towing and recovery companies the ability to communicate via the internet from ANY DEVICE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, providing MOBILITY, FLEXIBILITY, and SIMPLICITY. This next-generation application is feature rich, and following our 20-year tradition, can be completely paperless. It will include electronic tow tickets/invoices, replacing traditional hand-written

Wednesday

Saturday

Sunday

Total Hours

Rest Day

Rest Day

68 hours

24 hrs

24 hrs

168 hrs

10d/8r/6d 24 hrs

d = Available driving time, r = Mandatory rest time

46

the delivery process on their smartphone.

If your Amazon grocery order weighs less than 5 lbs., it will most likely be delivered by a drone.

Moving forward, it is important for the towing and recovery business owner to research future trends, understand the opportunity and the dynamics that will increase or reduce the prospect of growth, and what, if any, additional revenue streams are needed to assure the future success of their company.

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Thursday 10d/8r/6d 24 hrs

Friday 10d/8r/6d 24 hrs

Not only will safety standards improve, but also the non-driver vehicle occupants will engage in other business- or fun-related activities provided by uninterrupted internet access while on the road. This trickle-down technology will increase individual productivity and overall efficiency.

TOWING SOFTWARE multi-part paper sets, saving about 45 cents per tow, and integrated motor club jobs with automated processing and payment, plus other tow revenue generating concepts as they become available. VTS Systems will continue its long association with Auto Data Direct the on-line multistate DMV/MVR experts, leading the integrated software market with fully automated multi-state MVR downloads, and electronic certified notification/lien letter creation and mailing-- “No More Going to the Post Office!”

Risk and Reward The more you automate the mundane in your day-to-day business operation, the more you will free up your time, reduce risk, while increasing your reward. All too often, I hear of a business where everything STOPS until one person makes a job-pricing decision. Usually, the individual performs these on-the-fly pricing calculations in his or her head or on a scrap of paper, and without doubt, it is a questionable management practice. Whereas this may have worked in the past, it is a dangerous precedent for our fast-paced future.

Here are examples why: • Business bottleneck. Everything stops, multiple employees waiting until this person makes the decision.

Loss of productivity and $$$$ • Few, if any others, understand how the price was calculated. No operating back up.

• Nothing committed to paper, no consistency, increased risk of customer dissatisfaction • Increased risk of errors when pricing is manually or by word-of-mouth transposed to invoices All businesses can benefit from a standard operating procedure (SOP). This does not have to be complicated; every job can be broken down into small tasks and each task given a price for that specific service. These individual tasks might include a hookup fee, a tow fee, unloaded mileage charges, loaded mileage, and all of the other separate services that a tow-

ing company provides to its customer base. The benefit of SOP to the company is enormous. It is a fact: if people are involved in calculating the price for services, errors can and do occur. This means the customer may discover the overcharging error, complain, and not return or if under charged, the company lost money! Once defined as part of your SOP, any employee who has the authority can immediately give a customer a verbal or written quotation for services. If your company uses a manual, pen-and-paper process there will be fewer errors. If, however, you use a computerized system, then a structured pricing policy is part of your everyday life. Computers do not think; they perform strictly to their programming code; they do not deviate from the code, and they do not make mistakes.

If the computer code performs a given task correctly once, it will perform the same task correctly to infinity. If the solution differs, then the data input or human entry is at fault. I am not suggesting that computers do not get operating bugs-they do; however, these bugs are mostly caused by lack of anti-virus protection or human operating error.

If you are not comfortable with computers, call your local community college as they offer self-paced computer-learning courses at all levels and classes structured for all ages. Far be it that I suggest you take a course in “Reading the Tea Leaves;” however, I strongly suggest that you consider every opportunity to marry your business to advancing technology.

The author, Nigel Pestell, has held senior management positions in Fortune 100, Fortune 500 companies and lowly start-ups. In addition, he has owned and operated companies in the UK, Canada, and the USA. Since 2002, he has held the position of Managing Partner, and now Senior Partner at VTS Systems.

Obviously, there are more questions to ask than space above to answer. The author is always happy to help tow companies succeed by sharing knowledge. N www.vts-systems.com

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

47

The Value of Using Software to Manage your Business The reality is that towing companies of all sizes continue to operate their business without the support of towing management software. They are quick to give reasons for not using software such as ‘I’m not large enough to need software’ or ‘I don’t have time to enter the data’ or the classic ‘I don’t understand computers.’ For all of these, there are valid reasons for embracing a software package to support a towing operation, no matter what the size.

Companies large and small use software, and it is true that you get out of it what you put into it. Even a small operator who is only concerned with keeping records and invoicing can have a retrievable history and can verify invoicing and manage receivables with a system and not with a pencil. While it does take time to input data and to use a system, in the end, a business is able to offer a better product, get paid for all the work that is provided, and convey a more professional image to their customers. Even the technology-challenged should try it again.

Technology has gotten better and easier 48

with time.

Included in this article are some features of our TOPS towing management system which help to illustrate how software can be used to help you manage your business. These features help our customers streamline their overall business process, save time on daily tasks, and offer a better and more professional product to their customers.

Commissionable, Taxable, Surchargeable As we all know, a towing company invoice is made up of many kinds of pricing items. The invoice will usually contain some dispatch-related items like towing and mileage charges, winch and dolly charges, etc. It can also contain other fees like service charges, permit fees, and administrative charges. If the vehicle is impounded, it can incur storage charges, impound fees, and charges related to the protection of the vehicle such as wrap or tarp fees. Although these items make up a single invoice, they are treated differently regarding commissions, whether they

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

should be considered as part of a fuel-surcharge calculation, and whether they should be taxable or not. Managing how each of these items is categorized can be a daunting task. Accounting for invoices on a line-by-line basis is cumbersome and complicated at the very least and becomes nearly impossible with any kind of volume at all.

The TOPS system simplifies this task by allowing the company accountant to indicate whether each item is commissionable to the driver, is taxable to the customer, and included in the fuel-surcharge calculation. When a pricing item is added to a call, the TOPS system automatically adjusts the totals of each of these items based on the amount of the pricing item and these individual settings.

In addition, TOPS will allow users with proper security authorization to make changes to these settings on an individual call when necessary.

Imagine not having to rely on a dispatcher or a driver to manually calculate percentage-based fuel surcharges, and letting your software automatically add the fuel surcharge when a specific customer is subject to it, and then automatically calculate the correct amount on the fly.

Imagine not having to apologize to that premier account because your third-shift employee didn’t know they didn’t pay the fuel surcharge or worse—that your employee can’t do simple math even with a calculator built into his smart phone.

Imagine simply running a report out of your towing software on a weekly or biweekly basis to obtain your drivers’ commission amounts. No need to maintain complicated spreadsheets, utilize driver logs or rely on driver information to know what his or her commission should be.

The commission amounts are maintained as an integral part of your system and are managed by the software as part of the regular daily accounting.

Imagine simply running a report at the end of the month or the quarter to know what tax you’ve collected. No need to waste your accounting manager’s time collecting mounds of paper and running an adding machine tape to get your tax numbers. The tax collected on taxable

TOWING SOFTWARE items is calculated automatically and can then be summarized in a simple report that gives you a single tax number or can be broken down into state and local taxes when necessary. In addition, the TOPS system manages whether each customer is taxable or tax exempt and handles that automatically as part of the regular daily accounting.

Although each of these calculations can be done manually, they are very timeconsuming and usually end up being done by one of your highest-paid employees. Why do that, when your software can do all of that for you with the press of a button? Using software to manage your business simplifies time-consuming tasks and frees up your staff allowing them to expand and improve your business.

Mobile Applications Mobile applications have become a valuable tool for businesses on the go.

Mobile applications enable workers in the field to quickly and easily access and update data and to support their job func-

tions.

With effective mobile applications, drivers and supervisors can update call status times, navigate to pickup and dropoff locations, upload and store vehicle and incident related photographs, create and dispatch new calls and email call receipts to customers directly from the mobile device in the field. Impound lot personnel can enter and update vehicle information, do physical inventories and inspections, take photographs, and scan barcodes for ease of managing lot inventory. Taking inventory can be as simple as walk and scan, run a report and deal with discrepancies.

The TOPS suite of mobile applications includes apps to aid field and inventory operations. All mobile apps are designed for iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets. TOPS Driver allows the driver to receive, update and even create calls on the fly. The TOPS Inventory application is designed for the impound lot staff to take physical inventories, search for vehicle information, and update records as need-

ed. The TOPS Xtra app ties completely customizable functionality to our standard TOPS Driver and TOPS Inventory applications. An example is to add a customized paperless tow sheet to TOPS Driver or a customized impound inspection process to TOPS Inventory.

Municipality and Law Enforcement Towing Towing on behalf of a municipality or a law enforcement organization can be a profitable part of a towing business. City and police contracts usually are signed and in place for several years and can amount to significant revenue. In addition, being associated with city and police contracts lends a certain amount of respectability to a company’s reputation.

As cities and law enforcement agencies move towards modernization of their systems, they are demanding that towing companies do the same. The days of receiving telephone calls from police dispatch offices or receiving faxes to pick up abandoned vehicles are quickly becom-

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

49

ing a thing of the past. They want integrated systems that receive calls directly from their dispatchers or CAD systems.

They want GPS devices in the contractors’ trucks to allow for automatically dispatching to the closest truck. They want 20minute ETAs with GPS-based accountability. They want paperless tow sheets and real-time integrations with their records systems. If companies want to be in the law enforcement towing business, they are increasingly being required to have sophisticated computer systems. Many of these contracts are awarded and then implemented in weeks and not months, and the computer systems’ provider must be prepared to integrate and assimilate information and processes quickly and without mistake. Cities take the health and safety of their citizens and law enforcement officers seriously, and the demands – and payoffs – can be high.

The TOPS suite of municipal products includes several tools which cater to managing dispatch, towing management and impound management with full transparency between all parties. The heart of the system is our TOPScma. TOPScma manages the distribution of tow requests out to the contracted tow operators. The tow operators manage the towing and impounding of these requests using our TOPS impound software with each driver using the TOPSdriver mobile application. The towing and impound data is entered into the towers’ TOPS impound software and is immediately reflected back into the TOPScma for oversight and review. TOPSppi allows municipalities to monitor private-property impound towers and repossession firms as they enter their non-consent tows. TOPSpd is a web-enabled search and reporting tool that allows 911 and 311 centers access to city summary impound data without providing them with access to other systems. TOPS Public Search allows the public to search across all city, private, and PPI lots to find their vehicle if it has been towed. This model of full transparency is what sets the TOPS suite of municipal applications apart from the rest.

Next time you are fighting for a local contract, remember that although these tools are intended for use by a city or law enforcement agency, they are also available to you - the local tow operator - to use in a third-party management role.

to send tow requests. These systems were not user friendly and were and in some cases still are frustrating to tow company staff. Fortunately, it does not have to be this way. Many dispatch systems now have a dedicated motor club interface for receiving and responding to motor club tow requests which merge all the clubs into a single, easy-to-understand system.

This allows your staff to see and respond to motor club requests much quicker and easier simplifying the entire process.

TOPS Motor Club is the TOPS digital dispatch interface to receive and respond to digital platform motor club calls. TOPS Motor club receives digital tow requests from ADS, Agero, Allstate, GEICO, NSD, Quest, Road America, and USAC. As tow and service requests are received and negotiated, calls are pushed directly into the TOPS dispatch system. This offers an efficient transfer of information into TOPS for dispatch to the best driver /truck resource. Updates are shared back to the respective motor club, offering a full two-way integration with each motor club. Using integrated tools like TOPS Motor Club can help your company receive additional work and increase your call volume.

Motor Club Interface Whether a towing company’s primary business is motor club calls or they simply use motor club calls to keep their trucks busy between account and police calls, motor club business is a valuable asset to a towing company. In addition to traditional motor club companies’ operations, many automobile insurance companies now include motor club emergency service as part of their value-added services. Like it or not motor clubs are here to stay, and as a revenue stream, they just can’t be ignored.

The motor club model is pretty straight-forward. Thin margins and high volume are the keys to this business. Many motor clubs have instituted digital dispatch systems to send calls to their tower base to drive costs and arrival times down. In the past, this digital interface was proprietary to the motor club, and you sometimes had to have a dedicated computer just for them 50

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Billing One of the most important parts of running a business is getting paid for the work that you do. Manually creating customer billing is very time-consuming for your accounting staff and fraught with potential errors. Making this aspect of your back office easier and more streamlined means you can send out billing sooner and get paid sooner. Simplifying your customer billing is one of the most valuable things that properly designed software can bring to your company.

Whether your company uses an off-the-shelf accounting package like QuickBooks or Sage (Peachtree) or relies on billing generated from your dispatch software, your customers expect invoices that are readable and easy to understand. Some also have specific requirements about what they want to see on

WHEELTOWING LIFT | REPO EQUIPMENT SOFTWARE

invoices and statements and where they want to see it. A driver’s hand-written tow ticket – the industry standard for so many years – works fine for a field receipt, but is often less than effective when used as an invoice.

Computer software can be designed to generate both invoices and statements that are clear and easy to read and can include whatever specifics a customer may want and/or need. In addition, some systems are designed to create invoice extracts that can be imported into popular accounting packages like QuickBooks to take advantage of these full-featured accounting systems.

The TOPS system has both an onboard billing system known as Simple Billing and extracts to the more popular accounting packages like QuickBooks and Sage (Peachtree). In addition, the TOPS software can be customized to extract to and interface with more robust enterprise-level accounting systems.

Whichever method your company decides to use – either on-board accounting or an off-the-shelf product, proper billing is critical to your business as it directly affects cash flow and is often the face of your business to the people that matter the most. Getting it done right and getting it done fast is critical to your business and using software towards that end is one of the best things you can do as a business owner.

GPS Interface The most valuable physical asset a towing company has is its fleet of trucks and equipment. Each truck constitutes a significant financial investment, as well as being

a rolling advertisement for the company always while on the road. Many companies have chosen to protect that investment by installing GPS devices in their trucks. These devices can be hard-wired or in some cases can be plugged into the vehicle’s OBDII port as a ‘plug-n-play’ solution. These devices can often be purchased for relatively small investments.

A relatively small investment can pay off in big dividends if it prevents just one vehicle loss due to theft or operator negligence or worse – a liability lawsuit. Many GPS systems can send email and text alerts when things happen such as when a vehicle is speeding or if it enters or leaves a certain area or zone. In addition to knowing the location of a truck if stolen, a GPS device will keep track of that truck’s location and movement. This allows a business owner to guarantee that the asset is being used for the benefit of the company and not for the benefit of its driver. GPS devices can also sense when the PTO is engaged, which is a telltale sign that the truck is ‘in business.’

The truth is that if a towing company is not currently using GPS devices to monitor their trucks, the owner of those trucks could be in for a rude shock. If they think they know their employees and they know where their trucks are, they very likely do not. Using the GPS from an app on a driver’s phone might be fine for some things, but it is no substitute for a device that is hard-wired and discreetly mounted in the truck. A phone battery can ‘go dead,’ but if the GPS goes dead, you know you have a problem.

The GPS device is only half of the story. The other half is the software inter-

face designed around the device. What good is knowing the lat./long. of a truck if you don’t know where that is on a map?

A good GPS system relies on software that is engineered to support the user and the business that they are in. The BudgetGPS system is a vehicle and fleet tracking solution geared for any industry, but is specifically tuned to support the towing industry. BudgetGPS integrates with the TOPS software to offer a true visual dispatching tool, where users can view current vehicle locations, unassigned pickup and drop-off locations – all on the same map. Icons are color- coded allowing for a visual picture of calls inprocess and those that are clearing.

Knowing this information can save time, and time is money. Additionally, users can monitor ETA’s based on mapping calculations of drive time between the truck and pickup locations.

BudgetGPS delivers a full set of features for a single low price. These include things like “Live Map,” with 20-second vehicle updates and live Google traffic for both the map and satellite views, a historical breadcrumb view with six months of “History,” “Alerts” and “Monitoring for PTO,” “GeoFence,” “Ignition,” and “Speeding.” Reports include “Driver Distance,” “State Mileage,” “Stops,” “Speeding,” and more.

About Our Company TXI Systems, Inc. dba towXchange markets and sells towing management products under the brand name of TOPS .

The TOPS suite of products is deployed to private tow operators, municipalities, and law enforcement. TOPS software tools support towing dispatch, freeway service patrol, impound lot management, private property towing and more with efficiency, transparency, and accountability in mind. BudgetGPS fleet tracking is also marketed to the towing industry and offers a full-service fleet tracking tool which includes a visual dispatching integration with TOPS . Let TXI Systems customize a solution for you today!. N www.towxchange.net www.budgetgps.com

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

51

In the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma and with the end of hurricane season still months away, access to accurate and timely information is of paramount importance to ensure effective business transactions for the tow and wrecker industry. While our coastal states have taken the brunt of these massive storms, the entire country is impacted by the reality of damaged vehicles crossing state borders and affecting the financial health of consumers and industry alike.

Auto Data Direct, Inc. (ADD) offers a suite of cost-effective tools that help ensure compliance with state and federal notification and reporting requirements while protecting all interested parties from fraud and simply making bad decisions based on a lack of good information. ADD’s secure web-based system allows account holders to access services through any internet capable device and there is no special equipment to purchase. The easy-to-use system is extremely affordable and saves precious time and money when it comes to moving impounded vehicles through the required processes. With no contract or monthly fee, ADD’s business model allows customers to pick and choose the services they need when they need them. Also, with the possibility of unknowingly taking possession of a storm-damaged vehicle, ADD customers are better able to protect their business from a major loss.

ADD’S National Title Pointer Identifies Damaged Vehicles The National Title Pointer combines the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) records with selected lien and national theft data 52

to offer a comprehensive view of a vehicle’s title history. Its theft check alerts tow and wrecker operators that the vehicle they are dealing with has been reported stolen. Its title history and brand information can provide critical information on the condition and value of a vehicle (for example, those branded “flood damage” from hurricanes) as well as a heads up on potential fraud or title errors.

NMVTIS provides title information from states as well as any information reported by salvage businesses. NMVTIS does not contain owner names or addresses, title numbers or any data that would be considered protected under state or federal DPPA regulations. ADD's title pointer records include: • Current state of title and date of issuance • Historical titles and dates of issuance • Title brands • Odometer readings recorded at time of title issuance • Total loss and salvage history • Selected lien information from participating lienholders • Theft history (appended to corporate records by ADD) DMV123: Real-time portal to 33 state DMV databases and growing!

When ADD was founded in 1999, a primary goal was to provide qualified businesses an efficient way to obtain accurate and necessary information to complete required paperwork. For tow and wrecker operators, that meant making sure notification of claim of lien letters were sent timely to all interested parties – registrant(s) and lienholder(s).

Getting the name and address of those

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

parties as quickly as possible was a challenge and many times required filling out forms, mailing them to the DMV, and waiting for a response. ADD created a unique solution to the problem.

Coined DMV123, ADD’s most soughtafter service allows customers who qualify under the Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) to search for motor vehicle records through its secure portal, using a VIN. This allows the user to immediately retrieve the most current record available directly from a state database in real time. Currently, ADD offers tow and wrecker operators access to 33 state databases with others under development. No other company of its kind provides this level of access to real-time data. While other businesses may sell motor vehicle records, often those records are obtained from bulk downloads. That means that, depending on when the provider originally received the bulk records, the information could be anywhere from days to weeks old.

DMV123 provides the records that are current in that state database at the moment the inquiry is made.

If there’s no way to initially identify where an impounded vehicle might be titled, ADD’s National Title Pointer can narrow down the search. ADD’s customers can use the title pointer search to identify the most recent state of title, then immediately search the state database if that state is available through DMV123. Alternately, if the state doesn't provide real-time access, users can send a good faith letter directly from their ADD account to the appropriate DMV. DirectPost-Office (DPO): Electronic Certified Mail ADD’s DirectPost Office (DPO) is a tow operator’s best friend. This innovative tool makes creating and mailing required notifications as easy as 1,2,3!

DPO allows tow operators to complete forms by merging owner and lienholder data obtained through DMV123 into state-required forms, then sending certified letters through the United States Postal Service without ever leaving their desk. Thousands of tow operators have found this incredibly easy, accurate tool

to save time, money, and avoid the aggravation of standing in line at the post office. State-specific notification letters and forms are available for Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Indiana with additional state letters in development.

Once a vehicle is towed and the owner and lienholder information is obtained through DMV123, DPO allows the data to be merged into the appropriate form, saving keystrokes and ensuring accuracy. After the letter is electronically submitted to the mail stream, DPO allows for tracking the certified letter every step of the way providing details on when the letter(s) was received and by whom or if it was undeliverable. The DPO archive provided in the user's ADD account gives tow operators documented proof that notification requirements were met if a question arises about whether the appropriate actions were taken to find the owner/lienholder prior to holding an auction. ADD has recently expanded its DPO service to provide Saturday mailings, so tow operators can rest easy knowing that a Monday holiday won't cause a missed

TOWING SOFTWARE

deadline - and all without a trip to the Post Office!

Junk, Salvage, Insurance (JSI) Reporting to NMVTIS Finally, for those tow and wrecker companies that need to report junk and salvage vehicles they purchase from a private party, take possession of in lieu of towing or storage costs or sell at auction, ADD provides the solution from the same web-based account. Any entity that deals in five or more junk and salvage vehicles per year is required by federal law to report specific vehicle information to the NMVTIS database on at least a monthly basis. NMVTIS requirements apply to any vehicle a company parts out or crushes or any vehicle for which a salvage certificate, a certificate of destruction or similar document is obtained. If a business has the right to sell or re-title, rebuild, restore or crush the vehicle, and it is a junk or salvage vehicle under the federal definition, it must be reported to NMVTIS. ADD's NMVTIS upload tools are designed to help businesses fulfill the

reporting requirement quickly and easily.

Two account types are available to suit any size business or upload volume: Full Service accounts include individual vehicle entry, batch vehicle entry using a spreadsheet, and business-to-business processing which can be arranged with the customer's IT staff--all for a low perreport fee. Basic Service accounts include no-cost individual entry and emailed confirmation receipts.

ADD Offers Time-Saving, Cost-Effective Tools in One Easy-to-Use Business Account Accurate data, efficient paperwork, and effective compliance are all available in a single cost-effective, easy-to-use account through Auto Data Direct. All of this is provided with the friendliest, most knowledgeable customer service in the business. For more information on all of ADD’s services for tow and wrecker operators call and speak to a representative at 866-923-3123. N www.add123.com

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

53

Driving the Mobile Revolution in Towing Ushering in a New Era by Building a Software-Enabled Marketplace

Towing has always been an industry with an “image” problem. Tow trucks invoke the painful memories of $600 impound fees and 3-hour wait times for tire changes. If you are encountering a tow truck, you’re most likely not having a great day. While there are certainly unsavory aspects to towing, the positive side of helping people and businesses is far too often overlooked.

Towing is a critically important segment of the $1.5 trillion Logistics and Transportation market domestically.

Local towing operators around the country are responsible for helping individual drivers and large enterprises alike keep moving from clearing highway accidents to repairing flat tires to hauling heavy equipment.

The towing industry is one of the most versatile in the broader transportation category with customers spanning from individual consumers, police departments, municipalities, insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, and small and large fleet operators. Yet the industry has been stuck in the dark ages of call-center based dispatching and paper tow-tickets impacting the customer.

Everyone has experienced the pain of waiting for roadside assistance for hours.

That’s why Swoop has spent years working closely with thousands of large and small tow operators and some of the world’s best car and insurance brands to bring to the market a software platform that enables a more seamless interaction between those who need towing services and those who provide it reducing wait 54

times. Consequently, Swoop empowers local towing and transport operators to redefine how their industry is perceived by helping them deliver seamless and exceptional customer experiences every day.

Swoop Towing Management Software The Swoop difference is a software product holistically designed to deliver a better customer experience. We pack in all the features required to take a tow operation paperless while also alleviating the pain points a roadside customer experiences today such as real-time provider ETA tracking and real- time chat. We’ve done so with a focus on a simple user experience and powerful mobile functionality. Our software reduces much of the complexity in running a local tow operation, freeing up local operators to build and grow their business. If you own a tow operation and are interested in streamlining your business — check Swoop out here.

Swoop Towing and Transport Marketplace Swoop builds our software with the biggest industry challenges in mind. We

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

aim to not only help tow operators, but also make roadside assistance program administration more efficient for car manufacturers, insurance companies, car rental and ride-sharing fleets, and commercial fleet operators.

Swoop removes the “motor club” middle man by curating a digitally connected network of tow providers using Swoop software. This streamlines the nationwide dispatch process, enabling more transparency on time arrivals and higher customer satisfaction.

Swoop Looking Ahead Swoop’s end-to-end solution to the industry creates a unique opportunity to innovate across the full stack of towing and transport services. We’re integrating directly with vehicles to enable machineto- machine requests for service, leveraging chat bots to deliver real-time customer service and providing robust APIs that enable our clients to deliver a roadside experience in mobile apps, vehicle consoles or claims software. We’re automating the entire back-office operation—everything from dispatching, reporting, billing, and accounting — enabling tow operators to invest in things that drive the industry forward like training, equipment,

TOWING SOFTWARE

and personnel.

Swoop believes in turning roadside events into marketing events — and we’re excited to continue to partner with the largest and most innovative car, insurance, and fleet brands to make that happen. If your business requires roadside administration services, see how we can improve your program here.

Swoop’s Long-Haul Partnership with the Industry We’re excited to help drive the towing and transport industry into the coming

age of autonomy and electric vehicles.

We’ve built some amazing relationships in the industry, and we’re just getting started. We know we have some hard work ahead of us — towing is complex — but our team is excited and ready for the long haul.

Swoop Investors and Supporters Swoop is proud to announce our partnership with Founder Collective, Slow Ventures, SV Angel, and Entree Capital, some of the most successful and innovative Silicon Valley investors, who have

been thrilled to support our mission to transform the towing and transport industry with easy-to-use mobile software.

Swoop is doing so much more than just producing quality, cutting-edge towing management software. We are ushering in a new era by building a softwareenable marketplace for those who tow and transport. This improves life for the customer and helps the towing industry have a stronger image-a win for all!

Swoop truly is driving the mobile revolution in towing! N www.joinswoop.com

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

55

Our World Goes Digital Technology has changed our lives forever. We communicate and share information in ways we never imagined: our family photos are stored in the cloud and shared with people around the world in an instant, land-line phones are going away, and we all carry an HD cameras with us everywhere we go because it’s on our phone. The search for a great restaurant is done on a mobile app, and we get there by navigating using our smartphone.

When we call for a ride, Uber tells us how much it will cost and how long until the driver arrives – we can even see the driver approaching on a mobile app! We use technology in hundreds of ways each day to save time and make life easier.

These same technology trends are transforming the towing and recovery industry, and a key piece is towing management software. Important industry trends and this advancement of technology combined with the affordability and 56

ease of implementation have driven software to the forefront of tools transforming the market.

Towbook Leads the Way In Towbook, important tools made possible by new technology have come to life. Built for the cloud so you can work from just about anywhere, Towbook delivers important features like digital dispatching, mobile apps for iPhone and Android, integrated GPS tracking, direct billing for motor clubs, and QuickBooks integration to support companies of all shapes and sizes.

Here’s what a few of Towbook’s customers have to say about the system and how the Towbook team takes care of their customers: Justin Cleveland, Manager, Affordable Towing “This software isn't just for light hit-

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

ters. With our 40 trucks and three locations, they have hit the ball out of the park for us. Towbook has the best price and service in the industry – period!”

Joe and Sherrie Carbajal, Owners, Auto Medic Roadside of America “We’ve been with Towbook for about 4 years, and they’ve helped us grow our business tremendously. Our company is winning awards for performance with our top customers and that would not be possible without Towbook. They take tremendous care of their customers-the best we’ve ever seen.”

Michael LoStocco, Owner, Grand Prix Motors “Towbook has been a great asset to our company. Since we started using the program and it's spot-on mapping software, we have had barely any motorclub charges disputed. With our previous pro-

TOWING SOFTWARE gram, drivers wouldn't input all the vehicle information since it took too long.

Towbook fixes that problem easily with how user friendly it is. We love having unlimited users and use this to our advantage every day. Overall Grand Prix Motors is very happy to have switched our tow dispatching program to Towbook.

DoriAnn, Lead Dispatcher, Red & White Towing “I‘m Red & White Towing’s only dispatcher. I have 5 drivers and handled almost 1000 calls in the month of August! Towbook had a lot to do with our average ETA time being cut in half. My favorite part of Towbook is the map which shows our active calls and my driver locations. Plus, I have never waited more than 30 minutes for a response to a question or a problem.”

Bill Hynes, Owner, Patriot Towing & Recovery “I’m the kind of guy who has lots of ideas, and I’m not afraid to point out what I think a tool like Towbook could or should do. These guys listen. We launched Towbook about a year ago and in that time the system has become a critical tool for our operation. We could not operate nearly as efficiently without Towbook. Also, I’ve never seen a company who interacts and supports their customers better than Towbook.”

Towbook can be set up very quicklyoften in just a few hours. Listed below are highlights of the important features available in Towbook Management Software: DIGITAL DISPATCHING Towbook has digital integration with most major motor clubs, and you can even receive digital requests on your iPhone and Android device.

MOBILE APPS Mobile apps for iPhone and Android have become so powerful, managers and dispatchers can do a lot of their work right from their phones. You can receive

dispatch requests, create calls, and dispatch calls to drivers from your iPhone or Android phone in seconds.

GPS INTEGRATION With integrated GPS, Towbook makes it simple to view the location and status of all your active jobs and your drivers and trucks on a map in Towbook.

Towbook is also integrated with leading GPS companies like TomTom allowing you to send calls directly to the GPS unit in your truck. Drivers can use the GPS unit to navigate to the service location, and when they update the status of the call on the GPS unit, it will automatically update their status in Towbook.

AUTOMATIC MILEAGE CALCULATION Estimated mileage can be calculated automatically using Google Maps for each call in Towbook saving you time and preventing mistakes.

DIRECT BILLING The ability to submit invoices directly to many motor clubs will save you a tremendous amount of time. Plus, Towbook makes it easy for you to track and manage all your calls with an open balance.

QUICKBOOKS INTEGRATION If your company uses QuickBooks to manage your finances, you can sync your towing invoices directly to QuickBooks desktop or QuickBooks online.

LETTERS AND FORMS Generate letters and forms with the click of a button.

PRE-TRIP INSPECTIONS Your driver can complete a pre-trip inspection inside the Towbook mobile app. Each inspection is available in a report, and you can print each inspection too.

ONLINE TOW REQUESTS You can create a web request form for any account or your website and Facebook page with just a few clicks

making it easy for your favorite customers to send you tow requests.

PLATE TO VIN No VIN, no problem! Towbook’s plateto-VIN feature is a great way to save time and eliminate mistakes. Simply key in a plate number and the state; and Towbook will return the full VIN plus the make, model, and year of the vehicle.

REQUEST CUSTOMER LOCATION Today’s consumers expect that you can find them even if they have no idea where they are. Towbook’s “ping” feature makes it easy to send a text to your customer. If they approve, their phone will send the location back to your dispatch screen.

DRIVER COMMISSIONS Are you tired of answering questions about what commission your driver earned on a call? Towbook can show drivers their estimated commission for each call on the mobile app.

About Towbook Towbook is the unquestioned leader in cloud-based towing software providing tools made possible by the latest technology and helping companies to raise their level of service while lowering operating costs.

Free Trial, Free Setup, Free SupportWith Towbook, you get a 30-Day free trial plus free setup and support, and there are no contracts. Plus, you don’t need a license for each employee, you get unlimited user accounts with your subscription.

Towbook Management Software is headquartered in Michigan and has provided cloud-based towing software for nearly 10 years. With the industry’s most advanced and flexible software, Towbook supports all types of towing and recovery operations. At Towbook, we take great pride in having the industry’s best customer support. Support is free and available 24/7/365 – even on holidays!

810-320-5063 www.towbook.com

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

57

Dealers place

58

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Dealers place

60

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

Dealers place

62

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com

MARKET place

Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional

63

ADVERTISER

PG

Agero...............................................................................................Inside Back Cover American Safety & Supply .....................................................................Back Cover Atlanta Wrecker.........................................................................................................60 Austin Hinds ................................................................................................................61 Austin Insurance.........................................................................................................45 AutoDataDirect..........................................................................................................53 AutoReturn..................................................................................................................55 AW Direct ...................................................................................................................18 Beacon Software ........................................................................................................11 Budget GPS..................................................................................................................49 Collins Dollies.............................................................................................................12 Custom Built ...............................................................................................................22 CW Mill ........................................................................................................................39 DieselSite ......................................................................................................................15 DJ Harrington..............................................................................................................62 Driveline Buddy ..........................................................................................................27 Dynamic ........................................................................................................................62 Eartech ..........................................................................................................................39 Flow Stop......................................................................................................................39 Hal Kresser ..................................................................................................................63 Hide-a-Lift.....................................................................................................................63 Holly's Message Service ...........................................................................................58 INA Towing Network ...............................................................................................37 Industrial Netting .......................................................................................................63 Jerr-Dan ...........................................................................................................................7 Lift and Tow..................................................................................................................35 Lodar..............................................................................................................................63 Manufacturer Express...............................................................................................19 Marking Pen Depot ...................................................................................................63 Mike Keith Insurance ................................................................................................58 MITI Manufacturing....................................................................................................63 Omadi............................................................................................................................13 Park it Right .................................................................................................................27 Progressive Insurance ...............................................................................................23 Quest Towing Services .............................................................................................33 Ranger SST...................................................................................................................41 Recovery Billing ..........................................................................................................35 Robert Young...............................................................................................................60 RP Consulting..............................................................................................................25 RV Wheel......................................................................................................................63 Smyrna Truck ...............................................................................................................58 Southern Tow Expo & Beach Bach.......................................................................64 Steck Manufacturing ..................................................................................................47 Swoop............................................................................................................................21 TomTom ..........................................................................................................................5 TOPS..............................................................................................................................49 Tow Trax........................................................................................................................62 Towbook .........................................................................................................................3 Towing Museum............................................................................................................9 TowMate..........................................................................................................................1 Triple K..........................................................................................................................31 United Plastic Fabricating ........................................................................................10 VTS Systems ................................................................................................................17 Waters Truck...............................................................................................................59 Weiss..............................................................................................................................63 Will-Burt.......................................................................................................................31 Wrecker Rentals ........................................................................................................60 Zacklift...........................................................................................Inside Front Cover

64

Tow Professional | Volume 6 • Issue 7 | www.towprofessional.com