Is your business on the rise, or is it just getting by?

All successful businesses have one common trait—and it’s not simply working hard, for there are lots of hardworking would-be competitors that come and go.

A big contributing factor to the success of any company lies in the ability of its owner to adapt and make needed updates, particularly as the times change.

So what exactly are some changes that can contribute to a more profitable business?

According to Rob and Sean Van Lingen, third generation leaders of one of the more successful tow operations in Southern California, success is found in attention to detail. The Van Lingen brothers have the good fortune of having been taught by some of the best in the industry—their grandparents and father.

The new managers at the helm were focused on examining old operations and changing them to become more profitable, thus improving the company’s bottom line. They saw the opportunity to get better by adding automation to their office and fleet. Though they already had excellent communication among the family members, they realized that automating certain aspects of their business procedures could greatly improve communication throughout the company.

The brothers tackled this key management issue head on, discussing how to achieve better communication with and among their dispatchers and drivers, as well as between workers and management. The company had started out with good communication, but as its fleet and locations grew, so did the communication challenges. If Rob and Sean were going to make a difference to the bottom line, they had to do some things differently.

Soon they were able to achieve noticeable improvement in the area of communication by utilizing industry leading TomTom technology interlinked with a Tracker Management System. Because the software used by the Van Lingens’ company had been custom built with features designed around TomTom, this was an excellent match.

With the new tools in place, the Van Lingens have been able to achieve substantially
better communication within their organization, giving them an advantage over the
competition.

The improved communication that can be gained through automation tools makes a big
difference in reducing mistakes, and with fewer mistakes your company becomes even
better at what it does.

An added benefit arises when you get the right tools to help manage your business:
customer service is improved. With automated services, dispatchers have more time to
talk with customers and obtain more thorough information. When the dispatcher has
better information, it can then be communicated to the driver. When drivers do a better
job, customers are happier. And when customers are happier, profits go up.

Let’s take a look at a few more examples of how company owners are putting their
businesses on the cutting edge.

Craig Goldstein, owner of Westway Towing in southern Florida, uses the same
TomTom Tracker Management System that the Van Lingens use. Craig says this
system is incredibly valuable, and he decided to add one more feature—he asked the
program to generate a report that lists out each of his drivers and shows any
unauthorized driving time and distance.

“This dispatch system flashes a truck red when it’s moving but should be sitting,” Craig
explains. “Now I know exactly what my drivers are doing and when. No more
unauthorized driving around—and the fuel savings are unbelievable.” Craig used
technology available through Tracker to make changes within his company, and the
results have been amazing.

Shane Anders, owner of Area Towing in Michigan, is a longtime Tracker customer who
has taken advantage of opportunities to automate his processes. Two specific
procedures he has upgraded with automation are release window processing of
impound cars and total documentation.

By having these two processes completely thought out and automated through Tracker,
Shane has been able to achieve higher profit levels by using less labor, but he’s still
getting stellar results. Now tasks can be accomplished more quickly, with fewer
mistakes and less liability. His investment in automated tools has been well worth it.

To wrap this all up, think about the fact that all your money is made in the office. You
might be shaking your head right now, but it’s true. The changes you make in your office
directly translate to what happens out on the road and with your customers.

By doing things differently, making needed changes, and embracing improvements, you
can make your company more efficient—and thus more profitable. Plus, when you
change things up by adding some of the tools mentioned in this article, you take a load
of stress off yourself, making the management of your business much easier.

Here’s another way to say it: if you do some of the smaller things differently, such as
automating some of your back office processes, you will enjoy the rewards of running a
more successful, more profitable business.

So sharpen your pencil and make a plan. Take stock of what needs to be changed; go
through your books and look closely at your day-to-day logistics. Take a month to track
things in a spreadsheet—you can’t manage (or improve) what you don’t measure!

Investigate what tools might be helpful for making the changes you need. Take time to
talk to others in the industry to see what they use.

It’s all about working smarter, not harder. Run your office well, and your fleet will follow.
If you make the needed changes by investing in the proper tools, your bottom line will
just keep getting better and better.

TOW123 is an affordable web-based tow management solution from Auto Data Direct that provides efficient, powerful business tools built for the modern tow professional. Utilizing today’s latest technology, TOW123 can equip your company to run a faster operation with features for dispatching, lot management, letter integration, reports, and mobile apps.

Dispatching

TOW123 can help expedite your ticket process for a more efficient operation with its dispatch support. Equipped with built-in features like Google maps, GPS device integration, and mobile app GPS tracking, you can easily monitor the status and location of each truck and driver in real-time. TOW123 also provides auto-dispatch from motor clubs, working to seamlessly connect motor club assignments directly to your
account.

With quick ticket creation presets, dispatchers can work faster. These customizable settings auto-fill account specific ticket information, like incident contact and rates. Tools like auto-calculation enable TOW123 to add up accruing ticket rates like mileage and storage, saving time and ensuring accuracy.

Mobile App for Drivers

This mobile app enables drivers to quickly update ticket information and job status in real-time, directly from their device. The app also allows drivers to upload images or videos directly to tickets while they’re at the scene. Mobile GPS works directly with the app to route drivers to their jobs, and allows the dispatchers to track the location of the each driver from their desktop view.

Lot Management

TOW123 delivers comprehensive lot management support with a real-time ticket and payment manifest that provides at-a-glance inventory management with customizable filters and the universal search bar lets users all tickets using simple terms like vehicle color or incident contact to locate a specific ticket and view the details. From the detail view, users can add additional job information, release the vehicle, make payments, and more.

ADD Integration

TOW123 comes fully integrated with all of Auto Data Direct’s trusted services like realtime vehicle inquiries, certified letters, and NMVTIS salvage reporting. Easily access these services directly from your TOW123 account and import inquiry data directly into tickets.

Reports

The TOW123 administration tools provide real-time report generation, as tickets are updated from dispatch and lot management. These reports can be easily customized by options like date range, customer account, and lot. TOW123 reports provide detailed support for accounts receivable and payable, invoicing, lot inventory, driver commissions, law enforcement, and more.

Customizable Settings

TOW123 allows you to completely customize your account to fit your business. Add detailed profiles for your customer’s, set company’s rates, set profiles for each lot, integrate external GPS devices (currently available: TomTom, Navman, and Street Eagle), and more. You can also add an unlimited number of users to a TOW123 account, and set strict user permissions for account security.

Sign-up Info

With TOW123, there’s no contracts, no setup fees, unlimited users, free access to the mobile app, and free customer service – all for one low monthly price. Call today for a free demo or visit www.tow123.net for more information.