By Dave Sunkenberg
VP Network Services, Agero
As of September 2013, it is reported that 74% of smartphone users are taking advantage of location-based services. Apps such as Foursquare, Uber and Yelp are designed to use your location to recommend places to go, find a local coffee shop, and get you a taxi. The use of these location-based apps is growing extremely fast, with over 130 million Americans utilizing them every day.
So, why are location-based services important for tow providers like you? They enable you to become more efficient, save money and time, and offer the customer a better experience. Nearly 40% of tow trucks have installed a hard-wired GPS device, and more than 60% of tow truck drivers carry a smartphone, making it easy for those drivers to transition to a location-aware application, such as Agero’s Roadside Connect, or a mobility-enabled dispatch management system, such as Progressive Platform’s “Tow Aces” or Beacon Software’s “Dispatch Anywhere.” With location-aware capabilities, you can more effectively manage your fleet and your communications with your customers. Agero’s Roadside Connect mobile app is completely free to download. With the newest version of the app (available on Android now; coming to iPhone in March), dispatchers can see where their trucks are located on a live map; they can assign the driver closest and best equipped to serve the customer, and lower their ETA’s and operate more efficiently.
Customers also benefit from tow providers being location-aware. Agero’s system will alert the customer of how long it will take for your driver to arrive, keeping them informed of his or her progress.
“Location-based services are the future of roadside,” says Mark Fensome of Progressive Platforms. “The technology makes it so much easier for providers to manage fleets – it’s more cost effective and fuel efficient.”
Agero
One Cabot Road, Medford, MA 02155
www.agerosupport.com
