According to Jimmy Collins, owner of Casper’s Body Shop & Wrecker Service in Tennessee, Auto Data Direct (ADD) is a tow operator’s best friend. With two locations in Greenville and Whitepine, he works long days, but he says his account with ADD has simplified and sped up state requirements and allows him to focus on managing his trucks rather than processing paperwork. ADD’s suite of electronic online tools, featuring DirectPost-Office (DPO) combines letter creation with state record searches and certified mail sent from the comfort and safety of your office.
For those who are not familiar with ADD’s DPO certified mail product, it was launched in 2003 to provide Florida towing companies with an easier, more efficient, and cost-effective way to send certified notification letters to owners, lienholders, and insurers and its popularity has grown nationwide. Since its launch in Florida, DPO has expanded its state-specific letters to Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. Whether ADD has letters specific to a tow operator’s jurisdiction, its record access and letter services using custom forms are available either directly through an ADD account or through many tow management systems. ADD contracts with top integrators to provide easy access to its record service and letter tools.
Speaking of records, ADD is unique in providing real-time single inquiry access to title, lien, and registration data for qualified businesses. Under the Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) tow companies are authorized to access records in order to accurately send notification letters, required by law, to all interested parties. Instead of needing to reach out to individual states for records that may not arrive timely or at all, ADD customers can access records electronically and receive the information in seconds using its DMV123 service. And because ADD only utilizes real-time records, you can be assured the record is the most recent available from that DMV’s database at the moment it is retrieved.
While Tennessee’s owner and lienholder notification statute requires the tow company to send the state one dollar for a Tennessee record from them, ADD’s DMV123 real-time vehicle records search provides the information instantaneously. “I have to send the dollar off to the state, but I can go ahead and pull the record through ADD and send my letter immediately. As long as the record that comes back from the state is the same as I received from ADD, which happens more than 95% of the time, I’m ahead of the game,” says Jimmy. “And if the vehicle is from another state that ADD offers, I can verify the record and send my Tennessee letter. ADD is reliable and their system has sped up the process, saving me time and money.”
Jimmy says ADD’s national title pointer is extremely helpful when the state of title is not obvious. “When we can’t identify where the vehicle is from, we use the national title pointer to find the last state of title. Then we can pull the record from the state if it’s available through ADD.” Once the record is accessed, DPO allows the data to be merged into the appropriate form, saving keystrokes and minimizing typing errors, and then electronically submits the certified letter into the USPS mail stream. DPO also allows for tracking the certified letter every step of the way, providing details on when the letter(s) was received, or if it was undeliverable. The DPO archive provided in an ADD account gives tow operators documented proof that notification requirements were followed if a question arises about whether appropriate actions were taken to find the owner/lienholder prior to holding a public sale.
ADD’s national title pointer provides a title history of the vehicle through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS.) In addition to the current and prior states of title, it offers information on any brands associated with the vehicle, and it alerts the tow company if it has been reported stolen through information provided by a national theft database. The National Title Pointer report also meets state requirements that call for a NMVTIS vehicle history to be run on vehicles prior to processing notification letters, as is the case in Florida.
ADD is also in the unique position of being the only NMVTIS history provider that is also a consolidator of JSI (junk, salvage, insurance) data for industry members, making both accessing a history and reporting data as easy as 1,2,3. Federal law requires that any entity dealing in more than five junk and salvage vehicles per year must provide specific vehicle information to the national database on at least a monthly basis. For companies who need to report junk or salvage vehicles to NMVTIS, ADD provides a solution from the same web-based account.
If your company already has an ADD account but is not using DPO, just click the orange DirectPost-Office icon in My Apps to begin processing your notification letters. If you are new to ADD, click on the sign-up button on its home page to take advantage of these valuable business tools. And, if you use the services of a tow management system, ask if you can access ADD services through your current provider. There is no monthly or annual fee. ADD allows its customers to pick and choose the services they need when they need them.
As Vice President of the Tennessee Tow Truck Association representing Middle Tennessee, Jimmy is well versed in issues facing the industry. “I highly recommend ADD to other tow companies throughout the country,” he said. “It’s easy to use, affordable, and their employees are very helpful and accessible. They listen to suggestions and are always available to personally answer questions and address issues that might come up.”
For more information or to schedule an online demonstration and training class, or to speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives, call 866-693-4123 or email info@add123.com.
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The programmers at Beacon Software are constantly evolving our software based upon the changes and needs of the industry. We have made many updates to our programs that are user-friendly and important to the current needs of our customers. The following are seven of the most popular recent Beacon Software updates.
If there is anything we have learned from recent events, it is that you never know when you will need to unexpectedly pack up and work from home. In the era of COVID-19, working responsibly now means working remotely. Thankfully, Beacon Software was designed to be your completely remote business solution from day one. Regardless, we know how difficult it is to change your routine, which is why our developers have worked around the clock to develop customized updates that will benefit our customers during the pandemic.
But what about the paperwork? With most CLOUD based systems, the need for paper tow tickets has all but disappeared. Even with one-off cash call customers, instead of paper tow tickets your truck operator will obtain an email address or a cell phone number at the tow scene, and with the click of a button on his/her smart phone or tablet, the CLOUD system will send an electronic tow ticket/invoice to the address or cell number provided. In addition, this process may also collect payment from the cash call customers credit/debit card. Every month we see the introduction of new features; some of these new features cater to real needs and some are just wants. Many of these wants, often described as “bling,” are nice to have but not necessary and don’t positively add to the bottom line. However, we should always remember that one man’s “bling,” is another man’s necessity.
Owners Rusty Russell and Steve Dugan run S&R Towing, a profitable and growing 45-vehicle towing business since 1985 in nine locations and is one of the largest towing and recovery operations in Southern California.
S&R Towing averages between 75 and 100 tows a day across its locations and serves a large rural population. With a large area and distances to travel, the company depends on its dispatch and fleet management technology to allow them to communicate effectively with their drivers and customers. S&R has long relied on fleet tracking and adopted WEBFLEET in 2015.
Ken Bach, General Manager at Kingsway Towing Group also expressed his experience with WEBFLEET.
When Ken acquired Kingsway Towing Group, one of his first investments was in WEBFLEET to better track and manage his 34-vehicle fleet. “WEBFLEET allows us to maximize the number of calls we can take per vehicle per day while monitoring and managing fuel and vehicle maintenance costs. For instance, I can ensure my drivers are centralized in high demand areas and available at peak times. I can also manage idling time, drive time and PTO engagement, so our drivers and vehicles are best utilized and we are not wearing out our engines, burning fuel, or putting unnecessary miles on the vehicles while waiting for calls to come in.”
Equipment Moves: This is often construction and large agricultural equipment.
Vehicle Transport:
Containers:
Process: Step 1 – Planning
The assignment of drivers to trucks is also a drag & drop “mapping”
The driver simply clicks on the link in the text message, logs in, and can then view his assignments for the next day.
Dispatch has visibility to work-in-progress, and the information entered by the driver is incorporated automatically into the invoice.
Heavy Duty Towing
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When I first opened the door to my company, a sales person came to me from another company, and I would have loved to hire him but I was not sure I could afford him.
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GUNIWHEEL™ currently comes in two models: GUNIWHEEL™ 45 is for most standard size vehicles with 4 & 5 lug patterns. GUNIWHEEL™ 56 is for bigger trucks, vans, and large SUV’s with 5 & 6 lug patterns.
Jerr-Dan Parts is expanding its assortment to include Buyers Products Toolboxes and Brackets. Manufactured and assembled in the USA, Buyers offers a range of toolboxes with emphasis on customer value. Brand reputation, especially one of durability and dependability is essential to Buyers, and they are proud to partner with Jerr-Dan in order to provide customers with top 
toolbox and bracket selections. Built with durable materials like carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and polyethylene, these toolboxes come in different styles and sizes, which are all available for purchase through a Jerr-Dan distributor.
The NRC Quick-Swap is the most versatile detach unit available on the market today!
Calls for quickly moving vehicles with broken ball joints continue to grow. While many use skates or Go-Jacks, many tow-ers find that due to their inability to safely load and secure a vehicle, especially on the aluminum bed roll back wreckers, they find the need for a sturdier device.
We have also found that the shops where the towers drop the damaged vehicle has a similar problem because Go-Jacks do not work well outdoors, which result in many damaged floor jacks trying to move the vehicle into the shop. The 4th Wheel Loader with its two Polypropylene wheels works well in gravel and dirt to move the vehicle directly into the repair bays and frame racks.
3 SERIES TOW TRUCK LIFT 
Lift & Tow, the original creators of the hidden wheel lift, is a leader in providing solutions that make towing jobs easier and more efficient. 3 Series wheel lifts deliver a cost-effective way to get the professional towing capabilities you require without having to purchase a traditional tow truck. Our wheel lifts for sale are simple to install and use, saving you time and reducing the manual labor involved in towing cars and trucks. 
The 3 Series is a slide-in wrecker boom that attaches to the underbody of your pickup truck and is completely hidden from view when not in use. It’s an excellent towing solution for municipalities and commercial towing companies as well as independent tow truck drivers and repo agents. The sub-frame is adjustable in width and length for the most versatile hidden tow boom available on the market with 3,500lbs lifting capacity, and 7,500lbs towing capacity. Your trucks will look and drive like normal, with the “hidden” ability to tow vehicles in as little as 35 seconds. The 3 series system costs just $3,995.00.
Lift & Tow’s 5 series system is the advanced version of the 3 series system.
A brand-new product has just been released, our very own line of Wheel Dollies. These dollies come in either a #3000lb or 4,000lb capacity. These new dollies are heavy duty and weigh about 52lbs per. The dollies use a cam lock, locking mechanism, are very user friendly, and have an upgraded crossbar with heavy duty locking pins. The dollies use sealed bearings for longer life and are repairable and rebuildable. Visit www.liftandtow.com today, and check out our full line of products, all proudly American made!.
If you are in the repo business, it’s likely that you already know what you’re looking for: a durable truck that gets the job done efficiently. Look no further than the Jerr-Dan MPL-NG or MPL-NGS models. Jerr-Dan’s standard wrecker line-up includes an MPL-NG and MPL-NGS that offer a quick and speedy recovery. Sold by authorized Jerr-Dan distributors, either model offers you durability, versatility, and the efficiency to get the job done. The underlift on both models come standard with a 90-degree pivoting head, with an 8,000 lb. winch option or without a winch – allowing you to recover a parallel parked vehicle with ease.
Other features on both models include multiple grid options from manual L-Arms, pivoting L-Arms, or fixed L-Arms. Whether you are towing low-clearance sports cars or motorcycles, the customizable wheel lift packages for each model let you take on more jobs, faster. 
