Making the transition from pen and paper to Towing Management Software will make a world of difference for legacy and new towing businesses alike. 

The towing industry is a fast-paced world. It’s where prompt and efficient service can mean the difference between minor inconvenience and disaster. Nevertheless, some towing businesses are still finding themselves anchored to outdated practices. 

Despite the technological strides made in the realm of towing software, many towing companies still rely heavily on pen and paper for their day-to-day operations. As many may be resistant to this change, the steadfast commitment to traditional methods comes with its own set of challenges and can prove to be detrimental for towing and roadside assistance businesses.

You and your towing business deserve better. Here’s how going from pen and paper to Towing Management Software really makes a difference:

Effortless Digital Dispatching

One of the primary drawbacks of sticking to pen and paper in the towing industry is the impediment it poses to dispatch efficiency. Towing and roadside assistance demands swift response times, and relying on manual methods for receiving and dispatching jobs can lead to delays. Digital dispatching systems, equipped with GPS tracking and real-time communication features, offer a streamlined approach to managing service calls. With pen and paper, the risk of miscommunication, missed calls, and dispatch errors increases, potentially tarnishing the reputation of your towing business and compromising customer satisfaction.

According to Kevin Baker, President and Owner of Baker & Baker Towing & Crane Service in Woodburn, OR, “Right away I was like, ‘Okay, I got to start looking for software. This doesn’t work. We need something that will take it from the D3 portal of AAA and put it right into the software.’ 

“So that’s how I got started, when we went from six or seven to 30 to 35 AAA calls a day plus our other stuff. Obviously, the change was huge when we were answering the phone and taking everything down by hand, to all of a sudden we could see it on the portal and it’s boom, right into our [software] and sent right off of the driver’s phone. It was a huge, huge, HUGE thing for us. A couple months in, it was like, okay, we’re getting it down and it’s working really, really good!”

Moreover, the dynamic and unpredictable nature of towing and roadside assistance operations requires adaptability. Pen and paper fall short when it comes to managing a fleet of vehicles efficiently. Modern towing businesses also leverage fleet management software that allows them to monitor the location, status, and maintenance needs of each vehicle in real-time. This level of visibility is crucial for optimizing routes, minimizing downtime, and ensuring that resources such as fuel are used effectively. The absence of such tools in pen-and-paper-based operations puts towing businesses at a disadvantage in terms of agility and responsiveness.

Better Relationships With Customers

Another critical aspect where pen and paper may be a drawback is in customer relationship management. Towing businesses thrive on repeat customers and positive reviews. Digital dispatching enables the logging of customer information, service history, and preferences all in one place. This further empowers towing businesses to provide personalized and efficient service. Pen and paper, on the other hand, make it challenging to maintain organized records, leading to potential errors, misplaced information, and a lack of insight into customer needs and preferences. 

Per Jimmy Whittredge, President of Pro Tow Towing & Recovery in Columbus, OH when he converted from pen and paper to digital, “We liked the ability to expand into other products in your same product line. And we had some contract requirements that required good security and the only thing that we could find to fit it was TOPS by TRAXERO. As we add additional layers and new products that you guys have, with every step, it increases our ability to track our efficiency so that our employees can focus on tasks that are most important and not doing just paperwork that has a higher probability of having errors when you’re on pen and paper.”

Easier Billing And Invoicing

Billing and invoicing processes also suffer when towing businesses cling to antiquated methods. Manual invoicing is prone to errors, and the delay in generating invoices can negatively impact cash flow.

Digital billing systems streamline the invoicing process, reducing the risk of delays and errors, and enabling businesses to send invoices promptly. This not only enhances professionalism but also contributes to better financial management, helping your towing business be more responsible, which helps to build trust among your customers. 

“You can’t manage what you can’t track. If you can’t track it, you can’t manage it. So you need to see it to manage it,” said Owner of Interstate Towing, Jeremy Procon. “With TRAXERO’s software, I have great reports. I use it to look at our AAA and compare it to my AAA check, and notice all the variances and the difference, which I really, I don’t want to say I couldn’t do, but it was difficult to do on paper. So I could just pull the discrepancies on the software. And lo and behold, I had a $1,500 per month discrepancy. So I took that $1,500 and paid my Tracker by TRAXERO invoice with it. So it paid for itself. I was able to track mileage, track drivers, track my trucks, and so on and so forth. And it worked well.” 

More Efficient Record Keeping

Regulating accurate compliance and documentation requirements in the towing industry is imperative. Using pen and paper for record-keeping can result in misplaced or incomplete documentation, leading to legal and regulatory complications. Digital record-keeping systems not only ensure compliance but also facilitate quick and easy retrieval of necessary documents when needed.

As the towing industry continues to evolve away from traditional methods such as pen and paper, towing businesses must recognize that increasing demands for speed, efficiency, and customer satisfaction necessitate a shift towards digital solutions. Embracing modern technologies, such as digital dispatching systems, fleet management software, and automated record-keeping, can propel towing businesses into a new era of operational excellence, ensuring they stay on the road to success. 

When Bailey Betts, Manager of Betts Garage Towing & Hauling out of Newark, DE was asked how converting to digital has made a difference in running his towing business, he said, “Less carpal tunnel on your hands because you don’t have to write as much paperwork down. Little easier to type than it is to write. It’s so much easier just to have everything right there, you can access it from anywhere.”