Using Technological Advancements to Gain Edge as Provider of Towing Services
Getting fast and efficient help are the most important qualities of service that would make a motorist add a towing company to his list of emergency numbers. While towing firms have added roadside assistance to their services in order to be more competitive, using technological advancements will give them the edge of being able to provide their services anytime and anywhere needed.
People are now digitally connected and getting assistance with just a few taps on their smartphones is now common. Yet receiving a call from a distressed motorist is one thing, being able to send a towing crew at the soonest time possible is another. A tow truck dispatcher must be able to do so without the need to ask too many questions from a potentially stressed-out customer.
Where there is a towing software supporting the management of a company’s towing operations, the dispatcher can also give genuine assurance that help is already on the way; a big factor as far as customer experience is concerned.
How Towing Software Improves the Management of Towing Operations
Towing companies provide towing services for different purposes to a variety of customers. Some trucks are on scheduled runs to repossess a car, to haul out an illegally parked vehicle on a private property; or to assist parking code enforcers in removing abandoned vehicles on public roads. Some others are responding to random calls for assistance or for vehicle recovery in different locations within their state
GPS Tracking System
Dispatchers who have real time information on where the towing trucks are and which units are currently available, will make it easier to designate the towing crew to send whenever a customer calls for assistance. That being the case, towing software must have a GPS tracking system that shows exactly where the company’s fleet of trucks are located.
Moreover, if all units are connected to the same GPS tracking system, confusion on who is nearest to the site can be avoided, as everyone is in the loop whenever the dispatcher gives an assignment.
Once a truck has been assigned to a location, the dispatch center will connect the customer to the GPS to let him or her know that a truck is already on its way. The connectivity is made either through a related app or by way of a cloud-based platform.
Billing and Payment Systems
Not every customer who calls for help has available cash to pay for the towing service or the roadside assistance. In such cases, a motorist also chooses a towing company that accepts payment by way of online payment systems that he or she uses as an alternative to carrying cash. Simultaneously, the towing software can keep track of all payments made by customers, through a back office accounting system that takes care of sending out invoices and billing statements.
Truck Fleet Daily Time Record System
Some towing software are highly advanced as they can also connect apps used in monitoring the daily time record of the drivers and crew members on duty. This reduces the need to summarize the total hours worked during a payroll period, which the back office accounting module will input in computing salaries for payroll.
On the other hand, the services rendered by the towing crew to describe the hours worked, can be cross-checked and reconciled with the towing operations logged by the dispatch center during the inclusive dates.
Motorists however should keep in mind that different states have varying commercial driver licensing laws and vehicle codes. Some restrictions may include limiting tow service providers to those accredited by the local government in state specific areas. Let’s say a motorist gets stranded in California along the West Valley Freeway (State Route 85), connecting the cities of San Jose and Mountainside View, the towing company to call must have permits for towing san jose or mountain view stalled vehicles.
When needing towing or roadside assistance, check your location and use it as reference when looking for a towing company to call. .